I need some help with a design I"m trying to cut on Cricut Exp

[lovingthemouse]

Need some suggestions please... was working on a lo tonight for a Swan/Dolphin pool page. On my Expressions, what settings might work to cut out some star type designs - on the Accent Essentials cart. Have tried any number of combinations of speed, pressure etc... and the paper keeps tearing. Tried the cutting blade at 5 and 6 - please can one of you help????? Paper is not Bazzill - less thick but still cardstock.
Thanks so much. Caroline

 

[Kim1964]

My blade is set on 4 on my Expression. When I have trouble with tearing, I set the speed to 2 bars on the display (I think that's the low setting?). It takes forever but it doesn't tear. I have found that some of the AE pieces cut with less tearing if they are bigger.....I had problems with small snowflakes, but "fit to page" worked no problem.

 

[lovingthemouse]

Thanks Kim- this is frustrating - did lose 1 nice paper to tearing already- can't afford to lose 2. Will try it tomorrow, once i uncover my Expression again.
BTW - will you be at M's on Sunday morning? Trying to decide if I head for Enfield or Westside. Enfield's shelves were nearly empty on Monday evening, hoping they were stocking up. Still love ACM the most.
Hey, thanks again.

 

[Kim1964]

BTW - will you be at M's on Sunday morning? Trying to decide if I head for Enfield or Westside. Enfield's shelves were nearly empty on Monday evening, hoping they were stocking up. Still love ACM the most.
Hey, thanks again.

I don't know about M's. If I go it wouldn't be until around noon because DH will have my car, and I'm not sure it's worth trekking over there that late on a big sale day.

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

make sure there isn't any paper hung up in the blade housing, set the speed at low and pressure at 2 or 3.

 

[lovingthemouse]

I took the advice both of you gave me, but no success. Either the paper ripped a little or there was not enough to make a clear cut so that I could lift it off the paper.
Also cleaned the housing, did get a little paper out, but it was clean when I, again, tried cutting. Can't figure out why it isnt working. It appears to be the AE cart that is tough to use - have not had that problem with other carts. Does anyone else find this cart more challenging?
Thanks for the suggestions.

 

[123SA]

What about using the multi-cut setting in conjunction with the setting that didn't tear the paper, but didn't cut all the way through?

 

[lovingthemouse]

Ok Susan - for those of us who are Cricut illiterate - please explain. Trust me, I am a rookie and although my daytime job is teaching, my nighttime job is learning and experimenting!!!
You know, I was going to buy another cart at Michael's this Sunday, but if I can't master this one, what's the sense? Thanks for any advice!! People are so helpful here. Caroline

 

[123SA]

Okay --

First, don't give up. This isn't an easy cart to use.

The multi-cut feature cuts the same object,2 3 or 4 times. Let's say you want to cut a circle out of chipboard. The mulit-cut feature will cut the same circle up to 4 times, so that it cuts all the way through. Kind of like sawing through a piece of wood -- you keep cutting through the same spot over and over until it goes all the way through.

In your manual, look up the multi cut feature and it has clear instructions on how to set it 2,3 or 4 times. I don't think I can do a better job than the book.

For the record, I find light weight paper hard to cut. Sometimes it will tear if you have a speck of paper left on your mat, paper stuck in the blade, or it tears when I lift it off of a new and therefore very sticky mat.