Determine How Wide the Last Row Is. There are several tools you can use to cut vinyl siding. Then place it and secure the overlapped tape side. Rub it all over making sure every little piece has been covered. If you attempt to do this without a squeegee make sure that you have at least a hard plastic gift card or a credit card to promote long term adhesion. After the design is cut it is time to weed the vinyl. I made this at TechShop SF http:/TechShop.ws. ---------------------- I bought my first vinyl from Gregory. Start by cutting the border into sections to make removal easier if you have a design with a complex edge. If you get air bubbles you can't squeeze out, just lance them with the x-acto (in a slicing motion, not poking... you don't want to stretch the vinyl). What adhesive vinyl do you recommend to use for putting a decal on the tailgate of my recently painted truck? Layering is second best I've found that way you don't have the surface area of whatever you're sticking to showing through. After the tape is on trim it to about a half-inch from the decal and leave one end overlapping (it helps with decal placement later on, in addition to making it easy to take the backing off). Unless you're really really sharp with the knife, because nothing beats a smooth fit. Cut a piece of vinyl about a half-inch bigger than the design. x 12 in. I made it at TechShop http://TechShop.ws Submitted by SFlettering for the Instructables Sponsorship Program, Start out with a decal in mind and make sure you have the right supplies including vinyl for cutting cutting tool cutting mat contact sheet paper (clear plastic) some extra paper that vinyl sticks to and easily removes from as well additional items may be required, Here I have already laid out the hand cut vinyls on the clear contact sheet The decal is in the early stages of creation and the 1st 3 letters are getting ready to be put onto vinyl backing, Here is the complete hand lettered stencil after removing the letters actual backing, placing it backwards onto contact paper and arranging the letters onto a vinyl backing. Vinyl decals are easily removed unless they've been on your car a few years. - You'll soon find certain lines are easy to speed through, especially if it's shading or folds or something organic. You score the wear-layer, and then bend them until they snap. Set the self-adhesive tile onto the tool and then run the cutting blade across the top. There isa solution for spraying the glass prior to applying the film-it is nothing more that water in a spray bottle, with Finish LIQUID drying agent. - If you make a mistake, wait until you take the template off to correct it. When selecting a surface for applying the final vinyl decal make sure that your surface is free from oil and grease and other particles that may influence if your decal stays where you out it. This is the tedious part. Once you have the design picked, you can go over it and trim edges or line up straight lines. Start at one end and slowly roll it down, following the tape with your fingers to make sure it is completely flush and there are no creases or bubbles. Hello and welcome to my first Instructable. If the vinyl isn't too curly I usually don't tape it down as it allows for easier manipulation of the project when cutting. This is my preferred method for most bumps. Thank you for this article! I marked the opposite side with a dry-erase pen as a guide. Use an application tool, scraper tool, or even an old credit card to smooth the transfer tape onto the decal. Typically, vinyl planks can be cut with a utility knife. Ornaments, That Smell Like Christmas and Will Warm Your Heart! Bubbles aren't too big a deal on transfer tape, but wrinkles are. on Introduction, Reply Here I will show you my method of creating vinyl art for sticking on stuff. Directions. This location attempting to apply a vinyl SFlettering decal to the outside of an easel did not stick. Most of my work goes on the back of my truck, I've sold some stuff. Once the blade has come to full speed gradually bring it down to the vinyl. The more anchor points, the less this happens. Note that the look will produce a less professional style and will not be ideal for each need. I just want to make vinyl monograms without a machine! First of all, clean wherever you are going to put it. Using a program like Microsoft Word or … Static electricity is your enemy and transfer tape has a lot of it (another reason to tape the decal to your work-station). I could have also printed each layer separately but I didn't feel like it. This should be the first cut you make. Hand Cut Heat Transfer Vinyl. ; Select images and size and load the mat into the machine. Small details and pieces will give you trouble and stick to the transfer tape. A little Goo-gone gets rid of the adhesive gunk. Cutting a Vinyl Mask By Hand . Create in photoshop (or illustrator, corel or whatever), xerox a cool design, cut something out of a newspaper... this is the fun idea part! On bigger pieces, air bubbles are your worst enemy. If you don't have a vinyl-cutting blade, you can use another fine-toothed blade. Note: Had I printed out each layer individually I would have been able to combine the two post-cutting onto the same backing with a tricky application of transfer tape. When doing a detailed work, you may want to round corners, ignore small details or straighten edges. The ball bearings at stress points provide a precise cutting action. It can still be fixed after you apply it. For best results, hire a professional to install your new railing. And now I want to make one for myself…. Cut through the lattice joint by joint using a circular saw with a vinyl-cutting blade. First open a new project. This is the last step for creative input on the design. The backing will hold the pieces in place. If you need to, you can cut more backing off to make the flap bigger if there's enough room. Quick-Cut Vinyl Tile VCT Cutter The Roberts 30002 Vinyl Tile Cutter features The Roberts 30002 Vinyl Tile Cutter features a hardened-steel blade to cleanly and smoothly cut vinyl tiles up to 4 mm thick in 12 in. I've had more than one sticker take several days (the Pirate Bay logo on my truck was a nightmare to cut! Step 2: Hold one size of the strip of the vinyl siding with one hand. The other hand would know the pair of the tin snips. Since I did a multiple layer design I printed out two of the same image. I'm going to try this. Also, better to overlap cut-lines (on corners for example) than to leave a gap. I have also updated this post on 12/5/15 with this latest post about where I found pre-cut vinyl sticker letters here. Hope this helps. Sometimes combining techniques from hand lettering and vinyl cut by a machine are a good … After having my 1990 truck repainted what vinyl adhesive shall I use to put the TOYOTA decals on the tailgate? Load the cutting mat into the machine by pressing the Load/Unload button, then press the Go button when it starts flashing. All those sail ropes and wooden slats on the hull!). Also, white vinyl is decent for masking some stuff for painting because it is the most flexible color (least amount of creases which account for paint leakage) although it's not 100% water [paint]-tight. If you get a headache from straining the eyes or focusing too much, take a break. 2 months ago. In this instructable I attempt a two-tone decal. Thanks for making it! They both are wholesellers but they do sale retail. If you get creases or folds, simply slice them then make them overlap each other so that the decal lays flush (creases stick out like a sore thumb, seams are practically invisible). As you start cutting you'll find the paper moving a lot. Tape the template to the vinyl as flush and in as many places as you can. Pictures coming soon! For starting off, the simpler the better... practice on line-art stuff then move up to more detailed work.- An  X-Acto knife or other suitable sharp cutting utensil.- A cutting surface I use the poster board mailers my "other vinyl" comes in. This will deliver the cleanest edges and reduce the risk of shattered or chipped railing. Save yourself a LOT of headaches!We do it a lot at the sign shop where I work, Reply Step 3: Use the pair of tin snips and start cutting it like when you use a pair of scissors. Place your hand on the vinyl to secure it (far from the blade) and let the blade do the work as it is lowered to the vinyl. - This step is where you have freedom of interpretation. Cutting Vinyl with a Cricut machine. on Introduction. Here is an example of how to make a vinyl decal by hand cutting. Since I had a remarkably curvy piece of vinyl, I taped it to my cutting surface. Since I had a remarkably curvy piece of vinyl, I taped it to my cutting surface. You will want to use a straight edge, and push the utility knife as deep as possible into the wear-layer. Then you're cutting all the way to the table until you adjust all over again. Remove the top railing and place it on top of the bottom railing. You are finished! Reply While both of these methods can work, the best way to cut this type of tile is with a vinyl tile cutter. You can always cut your vinyl by hand using a pair of scissors or craft knife. If the width is less than ⅓ of a plank, cut roughly ⅓ of the plank in the first row. Most of the people who usually need to do it regularly, suggests using a circular saw and a sharp and new cutting blade. Sometimes. ... Press and smooth out as much as possible with your hand and the Silhouette scraper to really burnish the transfer paper and vinyl design onto the surface. on Introduction. You want to take it off while the paint is still soft so it doesn't tear or stick to the mask. Sometimes combining techniques from hand lettering and vinyl cut by a machine are a good combination.. More than half of the surfaces that you work with will require you to put a consistent and adequate amount of pressure to secure the vinyl to the surface using a squeegee. I just couldn’t help myself and I decided to buy a roll of black vinyl just to play with it and see if I could make vinyl letters and monograms without a machine. Use your weeding tool or tweezers to carefully work under the vinyl, lifting it up so you can re-apply it properly. Blog post will walk you through step by step on setting up Silhouette Studio to cut vinyl and then actually cutting your first vinyl decal. Let's look at how you can easily determine the best size to cut vinyl or HTV in Cricut Design Space. There are tons of plastic supply shops in L.A. The vinyl sold by Provo Craft for use with the Cricut is from Regional Supply. - Adhesive-backed colored vinyl color choice is up to you.- Tweezers I prefer a needle-nosed pair, really sharp points.- Scissors- Transfer tape specially made tape with the adhesive strength in between that of scotch tape and a post-it note.- Patience and a penchant for the meticulous. Ease the saw or blade carefully through the lattice. After a while and depending on the thickness of the vinyl (and template paper) you'll find the right depth. As long as you made your cuts right, pick a negative space or outside piece to start from and the rest solves itself as there should be no adjacent pieces. In fact, one of my favorite vinyl projects that my kids and I did together was entirely cut by hand. Place vinyl liner side down onto Cricut StandardGrip Mat. Determine the width of the last row of vinyl plank flooring. 7 years ago Share it with us! Cut, Weed and Apply the Vinyl Weed the Vinyl. 'Weeding' means to remove any of the vinyl that you don't want, including any insides of the letters. Cut slowly with even strokes or by allowing your circular saw to cut into the vinyl gradually, rather than attempting to chop it quickly. Shop local! Measuring Your Cut Use a tape measure to calculate your cut. Once it is in the proper spot, take the backing off and roll it down, making sure it goes down even and minimizing air bubbles. Hey man, how do you prevent all the pieces you cut out from moving and falling out once they're completely cut through the image and vinyl? Repeat until all mats have been cut. dude, it says you live in LA. Did you make this project? - Probably most important: cut inner designs first (see pic description) like the inside of an "O" or "A" for example. The paper gets in the way and your repair cuts won't be as clean. If the decal is larger or has big spacious pieces, then it may be easier to fix on the spot. About: Based in San Francisco I strive to incorporate custom lettering in the art that I design, print, and make. Small pieces of tape make it easier to remove the template afterwards. Take the tape off pulling back at a 180 degree angle. You had mentioned repositioning the decal and using water and soap maybe...don't. on Introduction. For this project, you’ll need: –heat transfer vinyl (I always buy mine from Expressions Vinyl – aff. I will post an update to the instructable after testing. That is unless you're using the decal as masking for painting, in which case remember to take the decal off after roughly an hour after the last coat of paint is applied. There is a whole sale supplier called "Regional Supply" in SLC, UT web page found here: http://www.regionalsupply.com/default.aspx?Page=Home. That way you don't have to worry about cutting the negative spaces in the base layers and lining them up right. 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