CNC Vinyl Cutting

[magicniner]

Nick - I will tell it that as peel the backing off!

So that makes all adhesive backed vinyl for plotter style cutters a laminate and obviates the need to specify a product that is a laminate! ;-)
Funnily enough none of the manufacturers describe their product that way, perhaps they're all wrong ;-P

[paul-l]

Check out a company named Hexis at www.Hexis.co.uk. In the world of self adhesive vinyl the thinner it is the more expensive it is as it sticks better and conforms to curves easier. There are a number of film specifically for paint masking and sand blasting. The masking material has an easy peel adhesive and is usually known as applimask or polymask. If you only want to do light surface etch sandblasting then the cheapest black or white vinyl film is very usable but if you want to cut deeper then you will need proper sandblast material that is almost like a thin silicone rubber but your machine will need a new sharp blade and plenty of pressure.

[graffian]

He asked about film for airbrushing and that's more or less what I used the aslan for. I redid all the transfers on some push bike
frames and forks I was painting with paint; why spend 30 quid on a set of custom printed stickers when you can spend a week with
an air brush and doing the same thing;-) The use of these films seems to be for big lettering, I have done letters down to slightly less than 2mm high!
I have a ElCheapo Chinese vinyl cutter, seems to do the job pretty well.
I will attach some pics if your interested.

[Robin Hewitt]

Takes me back, I used to do servicing on Houston Instrument/Summagraphics vinyl cutters. Summa was in Newbury but Houston had the European bit in Copenhagen which was fun. The competition was Calcomp. IIRC the vinyl was not rated by thickness but by how many years it could be exposed to the sun without degrading. All gone now, the Chinese cannot be beaten on price.