I have used a Sizzix eclipse2 to cut paper and thin chip board. Is the X-Carve compatible with cutting a thin material such as chip board? Is this overkill? I want to be able to cut perfect circles of accurate sizes and accurate positioning in thicker chip board than the Sizzix is capable of cutting. I stumbled onto the X-Carve website almost by accident and it seems to be the answer to my problems at a price range that is doable. Is this doable or would an X-Carve destroy the chip board? Thanks in advance for any guidance.
@JamesMaki what is the thickness of the chipboard you are trying to cut? For really thin materials I have found that it is better to use double stick tape to secure along with the clamps or even without the clamps. The reason is when the material is so think it tends to move in the center because there is not enough rigidity in the material itself to hold it down.
1/8" works well, 1/16" to get really crisp cuts you probably need to use double stick tape to keep the material from moving. Do you have a link to the kind of chip board you are trying to use?
Thanks for the reply. Here are links to the two extremes-lightest (20 pt) and heaviest (85pt):
The Sizzix eclips2 works well with regular paper and cardstock, but even the light chipboard is a bit of a problem. So it would seem that the biggest problem would be securing the chipboard to the X-Carve base. The Sizzix utilizes a semi-sticky mat to hold the paper securely. I could probably rig something similar for the X-Carve. Thanks for the advice.
So, in conclusion, it would seem that you feel that the X-Carve would be a workable solution to cutting circular holes in chipboard.
I don’t really know if what kind of bit would cut it cleanly. Sometimes a chip board that is more like a card board or a matte board could fray or not cut cleanly.
We would have to test it.
Okay. Will keep that in mind. That was my initial worry that the bit might “rip” the chipboard rather than cut it cleanly. Still looks like an awesome tool!
Hi @JamesMaki
I have some large sheets of similar stuff. When I think about what I’ll be doing with it, my mind immediately goes to fitting a drag knife head onto the X-Carve…
Something like this:
Or this:
Might even make my own:
Not sure what type of edge you are looking for but a 3 watt Laser can cut chipboard with some edge char.
The drag knife looks fantastic, but I think it would be overkill in the cost department for my project. Also, I’d need to increase my knowledge exponentially to attempt that type of modification. But thanks for the examples. It would be a solution to my needs. Thanks!
Looking for a clean edge in an accurate circle with accurate size. The char would be a problem, as would the cost and expertise required. But thanks for the knowledge and reply. Will file it away for future use.
There are different kinds of end mills and depending on which you use your results in chipboard can vary considerably. 1/8" end mills can be found as spiral up-cut, spiral down-cut, and straight flute. I’d try a spiral down-cut in one pass with 1/16" only just a hair deeper than the board is thick, and maybe even 1/8" thick chip board as they will be most likely to leave a clean top edge.If what is under the chip board is fresh you can also end up with a clean bottom edge if the material stays flat. The spiral down bit will help with that.
4D