Tips for holding card stock down?

[Jackie McGowan]

Hello,
Happy New Year!

I know I've seen a thread here that mentioned this before, but I can't find it. I'm vector cutting some card stock, one at a time is fine, but I don't have a vacuum table so the cut pcs are moving on top of the other areas that are not cut yet (and going into my exhauste). Should I be using some sort of temporary adhesive? and what do I put the adhesive on, sheet metal? or some sort of board? Also I assume if I need to do this there is no reason to use the nice new cutting grid I won (thanks to Mike Null), right? Cause the air won't flow under anyway. Any thoughts, tips or links to other threads that would help would be greatly appreciated :)

[Mike Null]

Jackie
I'm not familiar with your machine but on mine I can block part of the exhaust opening without restricting the airflow completely. Maybe it's worth a try to exhaust further away from the cutting area.

Are you using air assist?

[Jackie McGowan]

Hi Mike,
By the way my cutting grid is great! Thanks again! As for the card stock cutting, I am using air assist and of course my exhaust. I was just putting the card stock directly on my laser bed (taping the edges a little). But now I tried spraying some adhesive (just a little cause I don't have the temporary kind here) on a pc of wood and putting the card stock on that. it's much better. the pcs don't get in the way of lasering or go down my exhaust but now I have the tedious task of scraping the board every few pcs of stock I do. Not sure if there is a better way. My exhaust does not close at all and I've been meaning to put some sort of mesh across the opening, just haven't gotten to that but even if the exhaust was not a problem the pcs were getting in the way of the lasering.

[Joe Pelonio]

I have attached (with velcro) a piece of screen as used for windows that blocks the pieces from flying up the vent. My machine, and many others require a minimum air flow to cool the tube. I have used strips of magnet to hold the edges when all the pieces to be cut are far enough from the edges.
A grid with larger "holes" would allow small parts to fall harmlessly though.
The problem is the larger pieces that are moved by the air enough to get into the way of the beam and be damaged or cause the cut to miss places. For that there's artist's temporary spray adhesive, you can spray it on and stick it to any sacrificial material, but not if the card stock needs to be clean on the back. For that you can use a product called polytag, which has a slick coating that allows the adhesive to be cleaned off without penetrating the paper surface. It's available at many sign supplies or from http://www.polytag.com/

[Brian Stoneburg]

if your bed is steel, use small magnets to hold in place. If not i would think a few pennies places on it would hold it down

[Jackie McGowan]

Thanks for those tips, Magnets... da! why didn't I think of that :) Much cleaner than tape. For the Stuff I'm doing now though I'm gonna get some of the temp adhesive (they are going in frames so no need for backside to be perfect). Thanks again!

[Mike Null]

Jackie

I'd like to experiment with an idea. Would you mind posting the weight of the card stock and the size sheet you're working with. Also a drawing which will provide an example of the cuts you're making.

[Nick Napier]

Hello, I cut a lot of scrapbooking card stock for a local scrapbooking store, and I'm not sure I understand what the problem is. I have an Epilog 45 watt with a built in vector cutting table which has vacuum hold down also built in. I rarely have a problem. If the card stock is not flat sometimes it will flutter a little I usually slip the edges under the side and top ruler if it is to unruley (a little pun intended). Course if the full 12 x 12 is needed it won't work. My vector table is aluminum so magnets won't work. The fluttering doesn't usually hurt the cutting but if I'm putting pictures on the paper it is a problem.


Nick Napier

[Ray Uebner]

You can also try to use Multimat. Here is a link. http://www.artisan-es.com/MultiMat1.htm There are many sources for them and they usually have a good sale at the Vegas ARA convention. I use them on my rottary and laser with good results.
Just a thought.

[Michael Kowalczyk]

I just did some stencils out of poster board stock from Michael's and have a really big dedicated dust collection blower (3hp) for my extraction. So of coarse it picked up my samples of Kraft paper so I had to flick the switch on and off for the duration to evac the smoke but not the paper. I will eventually put a variable switch on it, like an industrial light dimmer switch, to control the CFM better. I have a blast gate near the laser to adjust it but even with it wide open still too much CFM. I did make the final ones with 3 sheets of the posterboard at a time and had no problem.

I did place leftover strips of 1/2" by 1/4" acrylic on the edge to help prevent the air from getting under the Kraft paper and flipping it.

[James Stokes]

When I cut card stock I turn the air assist and the exaust off. If you have your speed and power settings right you should not have a problem.

[R. A. Mitchell]

I have been looking at the Multimat for a while, but have been reluctant to try it because of the price. Does it perform as advertised? How many uses is a single mat good for if you use it for closed-vector engraving like with paper or LaserLight?

[Ray Uebner]

Hi
I use is on my rottary engraver more than on my laser. I have seen it at the ARA convention in Vegas where they show what it looks like after using on the laser. It looked like it did not do anything much to it. I know on the rottary I do a lot of cutouts and it is a self healing matt. I have used the one I have for about 6 years now and it still does the job. I do keep it clean, every morning I wash it before I start. I will be getting one for the laser at this convention in Feb. I think they are the best since mom's homemade apple pie....lol. They cost a little but they do last, I will have to talk to them more about the laser end though but looks like it will work fine from what I saw last year.