Craft Robo Blades

**pesco** · 08-01-2012, 03:48 PM

Thanks for this message Ruth.

I am aghast by the information you were given about clearing out the debris from the blade - "which she did by sucking at it" , but I'm hoping I have misunderstood, and that she doesn't actually present the very sharp blade to her mouth to clear or loosen the bits.

Originally Posted by BathBelle

Are the people on this forum the only people in the UK to have returned faulty/unsatisfactory blades?

The woman at Graphtec said they had only had 20 returned. I reckon UKS members have sent back at least that many.

She also said she had been using her blade since October on a daily basis and had only had to clear it out twice which she did by sucking at it then using a tool (can't remember if she said brush or pointy thing) Nice!!

Mind you, she was nice and polite (while not budging from the party line).

Have just had a count up and I can find 15 that have been returned, not counting those people who are just unhappy with the way the blade is performing, a number of whom have said they will continue to use the Robo blade with the Cameo. Well we now know that that option is no longer to us as that blade is no longer available.

Ruth

**bendog** · 08-01-2012, 05:22 PM

My blade was replaced ( no information was supplied to me about whether it was faulty or my error) and it still sits quite happily in the packet as I am using my old ROBO blade set with replacement spindles I sourced from the USA (Silhouette) way before they were available here. I am hoping that a redesign is in the pipeline and that I will be able to swap my unused Cameo blade when it is replaced with something more user friendly. I find the number quoted of only 20 being returned surprising as surely not everyone who has bought a Cameo is on this forum? May be, when I get around to getting my ROBO serviced, I will just include the new Cameo blade if I decide to sell the ROBO.

**cattiegracie** · 08-01-2012, 08:00 PM

Originally Posted by SylviaF

What a strange statement! I can't imagine anyone wanting to pay for the cutter set at £29.99 (or whatever they are charging) rather than buying the blade pin at £13.99 so that doesn't make a great deal of sense to me. It will be interesting to see what response you get Grace

Well I did email them this afternoon, FAO PhilK so we shall see what transpires.

**Neries** · 08-01-2012, 08:23 PM

Originally Posted by bendog

My blade was replaced ( no information was supplied to me about whether it was faulty or my error) and it still sits quite happily in the packet as I am using my old ROBO blade set with replacement spindles I sourced from the USA (Silhouette) way before they were available here. I am hoping that a redesign is in the pipeline and that I will be able to swap my unused Cameo blade when it is replaced with something more user friendly. I find the number quoted of only 20 being returned surprising as surely not everyone who has bought a Cameo is on this forum? May be, when I get around to getting my ROBO serviced, I will just include the new Cameo blade if I decide to sell the ROBO.

My replacement blade came back too without any explanation too and is still in it's package while I use a robo blade unit. I am suprised too that they only have around 20 returned.

Even thought there is a problem with the blade I do not regret buying my Cameo at all. Even with a Robo blade it cuts card in one cut where my Robo took two. I can cut to the edge of my card with no indents left by the wheels. I can place small pieces of card where I want on the cutting mat without any extra tape using the 12x12 grid on the cutting mat.

**jeanette58** · 08-01-2012, 08:34 PM

I also returned a blade to Graphtec and they sent me a new one but Ive not used it yet in fact I havent used the other replacement one which I bought with my Cameo, Im using my CraftRobo blade which cuts a hell of alot better in the Came. Graphtec or Silhouette or wherever these machines are made should produce the same system as CraftRobo and have say a green cap for the thicker media. The ratchet might be ok for the Cricut but its useless for the Cameo.

**ellygreen** · 08-01-2012, 08:41 PM

I did send a second e-mail to see if the manufacture might change their minds but sadly this is the reply i got to that e-mail from Phil again. So it looks like i will be having to try out the ones on the auction place as much as i would rather not but i am certainly not going to pay £20 more just to get a blade and i am happy with the old cap system so i really don't wish to usr the new blades meant for the cameo.

Hi Helen

I am afraid that the spindles have been discontinued. These were manufactured by Silhouette America and not by Graphtec. Silhouette America have decided to discontinue the spindles as
(a) not enough people were buying them, but also
(b) they were very close to the price of the new ratchet cutter set, so they didn't see the demand.

As I said earlier, the original CraftROBO cutter set is still available.

Best regards

Phil

**Nige** · 08-01-2012, 09:06 PM

I don't understand Phil's statement.

If the CraftRobo cutter set is still available, who is making the spindles then? Unless of course, they have a shed load they need to dispose of before forcing everyone to buy the new faulty blade.....

**Angel13** · 08-01-2012, 11:54 PM

OK someone posted this info on the Yahoo Silhouette group about the Cameo Blade after she had done the cleaning of her blade, but because I'm still mainly using my Silhouette; I haven't yet had a good look to see what this young lady is talking about:

"The next thing I did was to see how you are supposed to set the blade cartridge into the carrier. The directions really don't say. It says just to place it in there.
In my mechanical head I was thinking that there had to be a slot or something for it to sit in. I had lined up the long tab of the blade housing with the notch on
the carrier the first couple of tries. Last night I examined the blade housing some more and found a smaller notch. I lined that smaller notch up
with the notch on the carrier, that would put the long notch at about 10 or ll o'clock. Well I'm telling ya it was like a whole new machine."

**Lucille** · 09-01-2012, 12:37 AM

I've just had a really close up look at mine and it doesn't make any difference, there is a long fin on the black plastic, but it is above the wider circular bit that goes around the blade unit, this circular piece sits on the blade housing on the machine to stop the blade unit from dropping right through, and the blade housing on the machine is perfectly smooth inside. So I would say what that woman said is rubbish, what the fin is for I've no idea unless it is to make them easier to handle and package in the factory.

**pesco** · 09-01-2012, 01:58 PM

Not sure if this is useful Lucille, but around 12 months ago, on a different Forum in the US, and in relation to an aluminium plotter cutting blade and holder from China (which seemed to be very popular), a Forum member offered this information:

"Re: Aluminum plotter blade holder and blades

the 60 degree blade is for thick cardstock, 45 degree for pattern paper and the 30 would be for very thin paper like copy paper."

Originally Posted by Lucille

I did read somewhere ages ago about the angle of the blade and what it means, but can't remember where, only that the small CR's don't use or need different angled blades as the software compensates for the angle which was 45º, so I assume if you use blades of a different angle you could have problems either with the quality of the cut or the blade it's self.

That's part of the reason I don't like some of the selling blurb from people who make the angle a selling point for CR machines, they just want to sell blades and like a lot of salespeople will say anything to take money off you.

**Lucille** · 09-01-2012, 02:13 PM

Originally Posted by pesco

Not sure if this is useful Lucille, but around 12 months ago, on a different Forum in the US, and in relation to an aluminium plotter cutting blade and holder from China (which seemed to be very popular), a Forum member offered this information:

"Re: Aluminum plotter blade holder and blades

the 60 degree blade is for thick cardstock, 45 degree for pattern paper and the 30 would be for very thin paper like copy paper."

Yes I know about that and that only applies to machines where the software doesn't compensate for the offset, I read that the software we use makes an adjustment for a 45º angle blade, anything different is going to affect the cut in some way, it isn't just about the thickness of the media in my mind if you try to force the machine to do something it wasn't designed to do, using third party consumables you will probably have problems.

**Lucille** · 09-01-2012, 02:27 PM

Sorry me again

This is from a company who make plotter blades and smart knives for other companies that sell the various machines not just crafting machines, perhaps it will explain a bit more.

The cutting characteristics of plotters vary considerably as also do materials with generic names like reflective, sand blast mask, card, foil, flock, polyester, glitter, holographic and many others. The best way to cut a particular material on one make or model of plotter may be entirely different on another.

Be wary of “experts” who recommend a 60 Degree blade as a magic solution to all cutting problems.
It is often the worst possible option.

FOR VIRTUALLY ALL KNOWN PLOTTERS WE MAKE NUMEROUS VARIANTS OF BLADES AND SMART KNIVES [Most of which you will probably never need]

Unless the media you wish to cut is VERY tough, VERY thick or VERY unusual do not assume that you need a different type of blade until you have tried the type you already use.

CORRECT SETTING CAN BE AS IMPORTANT AS BLADE TYPE

Do some tests - be prepared to adjust force and speed settings.

[They are not “set in stone” - they are there to be used - not admired]

Contrary to common belief increasing the force WILL NOT damage your plotter. Some plotters have been running at maximum force for 20 years!

Often you may find that you do not need to use a different type of blade.
But for some materials it may be advisable to keep a separate blade. Not necessarily a different type - just separate.