# Tips for efficient weeding?



## caroline d. (Feb 28, 2008)

I am looking for tips on how to weed faster. Clearly the speed at which I weed affects my profit on a given job. 

Today it occurred to me that if I go faster and lose some (usually) letters, that it's still better to do that and replace the letters on a second pressing than to go slowly and occasionally lose letters anyway. 

Also, it seems like weeding quickly actually makes some things stick better. 

What do you think? How do you avoid spending ridiculous amounts of time weeding? Any tips for making sure you don't lose the little bits? I use Thermoflex Plus. Is there a better vinyl out there for the more detailed stuff? 

I am attaching a pdf of what I am currently working on. The whole thing is about 3x5 so the letters and the brain lines are pretty thin. 

Thanks in advance!


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## deChez (Nov 10, 2007)

Well, first of all, I take my time weeding so that I don't lose letters, or dots, or whatever. I can see if that's going to happen, and nip the problem in the bud. I feel it takes less time that way.

If you're using Thermoflex, and you have the proper down force on your blade, it should weed fairly easily.

Having said all that, I think where you might have problems with your design is that the lines are so thin. Just like screen printing, and embroidery, with vinyl you can make your lines only so thin and still expect them to adhere.

The thinner the lines are, the less sticky side (or glue, or ink in the case of screen printing) there is to stick to the fabric. I would consider thickening those lines up. It will make for easier weeding, it will adhere to the fabric better, and it will show up better on the fabric.


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## cookiesa (Feb 27, 2008)

I don't know the particular vinyl you are using but is it a pressure sensitive one? (Very Tacky to touch when weeded?) If not for any sort of fine work I use that, for larger stuff I find it quicker and easier to weed the non pressure sensitive because the vinyl doesn't stick back to the carrier as you go.

Do you have a "pick"?? (Small tool for weeding the centre of letters etc? Think of it like a small pick tool a dentist uses) If not they help a lot to speed up the process. Here they are around $30 but if you want a cheap alternative then sewing stores sell a slightly different tool for about $2

Do you add the easy weed cut lines? I use artcut for my plotter and one of the features I do like is it has a tool for adding weeding lines in to the middle of letters etc (like the C) to help with weeding without pulling the letters away. No doubt other software has a similar feature

You could do it manually with a line but it would probably take longer than carefully weeding it.

I also find working on a hard flat surface makes it easier.

This may be just mindset but it also seems easier if the vinyl is cooler, the vinyl seems a bit stiffer and weeds a bit easier


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## caroline d. (Feb 28, 2008)

Thanks for both your posts. I agree that thickening the lines would make it easier, but that's not really an option. 

I do have the pick, which i could not live without! I will have to look for an option for the weeding lines through the letters. I'm not sure I totally understand, though. Where would the line be in a C, for example? Through the middle? I'm confused...

Thanks again for the help!


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## sjidohair (Apr 9, 2008)

Hi, I am a weeding Addict,, I love to weed vinyl,, I would do it for free for all of you, if you lived closer,, I love , I love , I love, it,, ok, so now you know,.. lol


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## fadzuli (Jul 8, 2008)

yeah i know how u feel. i jus drives me nuts to have the dots on my "i" coming off when i weed. i jus weeded 180 1" tall names last week and i almost went crazy. hehe.


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## caroline d. (Feb 28, 2008)

I do find weeding strangely satisfying... i love the feeling when it's done and looks good. but those little letters really screw me up sometimes. 

How long did it take you to do 180 names??


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## jamaspea (Oct 15, 2007)

I thought that I was the only one. I really like to weed. It relaxes me. Its never really how fast i can do these. Its more i sit in front of the TV and get my work done. It more feels like something to do with my hands while i watch TV...


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## sjidohair (Apr 9, 2008)

Ok, so I am not alone on this loveing weeding,, that is great,,,,
now if i weed all my transfers,, what are you guys using to put back on so you can store these so they dont stick to each other,,?I was wondering about parchment paper but not sure,,
Thanks fellow weeders,,


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## jamaspea (Oct 15, 2007)

I usually save some of the backing sheets from stickers and put that in between, if not I have use waxpaper.


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## nascarbob (Mar 29, 2008)

sjidohair said:


> Ok, so I am not alone on this loveing weeding,, that is great,,,,
> now if i weed all my transfers,, what are you guys using to put back on so you can store these so they dont stick to each other,,?I was wondering about parchment paper but not sure,,
> Thanks fellow weeders,,


 I use Eco film and let 10 or so transfers stick to each other (always sticky side up, 1 on top of the other). I then seperate these 10 with regular old copy paper, putting them into a folder. Be gentle when peeling them apart, sometimes the mylar will break. Do not put pressure on the pile.

By the way I hate weeding. Anybody close to South Jersey who needs a weeding fix, just let me know. I have 600 items to weed over the weekend.


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## mrbigjack50 (Jun 9, 2008)

They sell some sorta EZ- weeding tweezer for vinyl 
Has a curve tip to it or something which makes life easier and cost around $12


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## tereshirt (Apr 17, 2008)

I like weeding and I take my time to eliminate errors. Regarding with speed, you will go faster once you do it more often. If you think weeding is taking most of your time because you got many orders, it's time to get someone to help you so you can concentrate more on selling and help out when you got extra time.


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## sjidohair (Apr 9, 2008)

Awesome,, wax paper ok, I got that,, thanks,,,


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## mrbigjack50 (Jun 9, 2008)

Hardware: Weeder Sheeter vinyl sign weeding and taping system


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## BlackMesa (Feb 12, 2007)

cookiesa said:


> I don't know the particular vinyl you are using but is it a pressure sensitive one? (Very Tacky to touch when weeded?) If not for any sort of fine work I use that, for larger stuff I find it quicker and easier to weed the non pressure sensitive because the vinyl doesn't stick back to the carrier as you go.
> 
> Do you have a "pick"?? (Small tool for weeding the centre of letters etc? Think of it like a small pick tool a dentist uses) If not they help a lot to speed up the process. Here they are around $30 but if you want a cheap alternative then sewing stores sell a slightly different tool for about $2
> 
> ...


I use picks primarily. I got two from Wal-Mart, which means that they were dirt cheap. One has a short, stiffer pick while the other one is slightly longer and more flexible. I use the shorter, stiffer one 99.9% percent of the time and only use the flexy one in conjuction with the short one on difficult designs.


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## tereshirt (Apr 17, 2008)

mrbigjack50 said:


> Hardware: Weeder Sheeter vinyl sign weeding and taping system


This is the solution to caroline's weeding question!


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## tereshirt (Apr 17, 2008)

Do you guys want to have a weeding contest? But we will start from cutting the vinyl then weeding it and applying to the shirt and heatpressing. We will video ourself (you may not show your face if you don't want to, just show your hand at work) there should be a timer on the table or a clock to monitor your speed. What do you think guys? We will use the t-shirt forums logo as the design.


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## sjidohair (Apr 9, 2008)

Thats crazy,, I loved it,, but I love weeding ,,,


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## sjidohair (Apr 9, 2008)

I want to be a Judge,, I cannot go for speed,, i do it for enjoyment,, I sound like a politician,, lol


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## caroline d. (Feb 28, 2008)

Holy cow, 600 items over the weekend?!?! What are they? I have a headache just thinking about it...

Someday when my ship comes in i will get one of those weeding machines. sadly, that may be a while.


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## XYLisa (Jan 20, 2008)

For the cost of one of those machines I'll keep weeding and using my handy tweezers


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## sjidohair (Apr 9, 2008)

i'm with you lisa,,


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## KenS (Apr 27, 2007)

sjidohair said:


> Hi, I am a weeding Addict,, I love to weed vinyl,, I would do it for free for all of you, if you lived closer,, I love , I love , I love, it,, ok, so now you know,.. lol


 
OMG! You must love to pull dead skin from sunburns and pick scabs!

I wish I could be that enthused about it.

I alway try (not always sucessful) to work with the design before cutting to avoid hard to weed designs.


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## sjidohair (Apr 9, 2008)

Ken, I can't really, say I have ever picked a scab, yuk,, but who knows,,,,lol
HOwever I do love to do intricate work,and see the results.


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## BeeKeeEmbroidery (Sep 29, 2008)

cookiesa said:


> Do you add the easy weed cut lines? I use artcut for my plotter and one of the features I do like is it has a tool for adding weeding lines in to the middle of letters etc (like the C) to help with weeding without pulling the letters away. No doubt other software has a similar feature


I'm not familiar with the esay weed cut lines and how they help, but am interested to hear more.


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## caroline d. (Feb 28, 2008)

> For the cost of one of those machines I'll keep weeding and using my handy tweezers


Really? I hope one day that my business justifies having one. If it really works, of course. 



> HOwever I do love to do intricate work,and see the results.


I agree. When it looks good, it's sooooooo good.


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## Fbomb (Jul 29, 2007)

Just started out, so I am watching this thread...

Question. Would heating the vinyl before weeding weaken the adhesive? I know It'll make the weeding easier, but I am thinking it would also leave some of the adhesive on the backing, causing it to stick to the finish product NOT as well as it should??? I am thinking about using a small space heater by my weeding table...Maybe not a good idea?


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## iat (Aug 28, 2008)

Just made couple jackets with 2mm tall text, didn't lose any letter. Changed new blade to cutter for this.


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## nascarbob (Mar 29, 2008)

Fbomb said:


> Just started out, so I am watching this thread...
> 
> Question. Would heating the vinyl before weeding weaken the adhesive? I know It'll make the weeding easier, but I am thinking it would also leave some of the adhesive on the backing, causing it to stick to the finish product NOT as well as it should??? I am thinking about using a small space heater by my weeding table...Maybe not a good idea?


I would not try that. When you are pressing, if the vinyl sits on the garment for to long after the pre heat pressing it starts acting different. I try to place the transfer as fast as I can to avoid this.


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## cookiesa (Feb 27, 2008)

Not sure why you want to preheat the vinyl?

I wouldn't and it seems to weed easier when it is cold and "stiffer"


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