Spellbinder dies cut terrible

[snoangel]

The last 5 spellbinder die sets I bought are copper in color and they cut terrible and can't get them off the dies. I was wondering if anyone else was having this problem. This is the first time I've had problems with their dies. The dies are Adorning Squares, Radiant Rectangles, Timeless Rectangle, Gold Labels 4 and Opulent Ovals. It is so bad that I'm thinking of not purchasing any more of their dies.

[JBgreendawn]

I have had those problems with some of those same dies... but, what I am finding is that if I poke out all the bits from the die first ( all the way around it ) and don't try to remove the diecut until you have got them all, then I take the piercer tool I used to remove the scrap paper from the die to run it along the edge between the paper and the die so that you are not pulling the paper.

whenever I try to pull it i tear it, so this is kinda working but. its all the frilly edge dies that have come out lately that are doing it so, I think its just the frilly parts are so narrow its harder to get them out of the die.

hth

[gregzgurl]

I don't have any of the dies mentioned here, but I've read on other threads that some have had success putting wax paper between the cardstock and the die so it releases more easily - may be worth a try...

[GypsyRoseStamper]

I haven't cared for recent ones either, but I wondered if I was just comparing them to the simple ovals, circles, etc. They are much more difficult than the Memory Box, Marianne, and Cheery Lynn dies that I have bought recently, and I had trouble with pieces tearing in the process (Opulent Ovals) of trying to release them. I'm interested to read others' feedback.

[BathBelle]

I use baking parchment or grease proof paper that I have in the kitchen, between the die and the paper, works a treat.

[Angie_girl]

Ditto here BathBelle, I put wax paper between the die and the paper, that way the die cut just pops out and as an added bonus it really keeps the edges clean too. Some of the spellbinders leave dirty edge marks on your paper, I find wax paper is fantastic.
The only problem I have using the newer intricate spellbinders is that they require so much extra pressure in the big shot (with extra shims) and this really bends my plates prematurely. To get the die cut to pop out I agree use a little pokey tool from behind. I really love the red tim holtz tool for that as it has a blunt point.

[paperstroker]

I use greasproof paper too

[CathyC]

The more intricate the die, the more difficult it will be to take the paper out of the die. For years Spellbinders has been suggesting the use of wax paper between the die and the paper or cardstock. That helps immensely. You can also run a candle or a piece of wax over the cutting edge of the die. The wax coating will help the paper release.

Also, it you are having a difficult time getting clean cuts with an intricate die, you should run it through once, rotate it and run it through again. Placement on your mat can also make a difference on how dies cut. Each machine has a "sweet spot" where the pressure is the greatest. That is where any intricate die should be placed to insure good cuts.

Spellbinders new gold dies require the use of a magnetic placement mat under them because of the debossing feature.

Finally, you have to consider that the pressure in each machine varies. What cuts perfectly in one machine, may not cut well in others. It can also vary between machines of the same manufacturer.

Cathy

[lesliespringer]

Thanks so much for the idea of wax paper. I bought the poppy die. I have not been able to use it at all. Thought I was out the money.

I will give it a shot later. See if it will save the die and my sanity. I so hope so!!!

[GypsyRoseStamper]

Hey, I have used all of the above items, wax paper, parchment, as well as freezer paper (recommended by Cheery Lynn), talcum powder, rotating. Still, the other brands always seem to cut and release better than the Spellbinders ones (and other "brands" like Heartfelt Creations that are actually made by Spellbinders). Why should I jump through hoops for the Spellbinders when I can get more reliable cuts from the other brands?

[snoangel]

I tried the wax paper and shims and even used my Big Shot and Cuttlebug machines and am still not happy with results. Still too hard to get it to release and it tears. I use the product from Quickutz that pokes holes out because it's curved and can fit between die and paper. This has worked before with no problem, but not with these newer Spellbinder dies. I'm not familiar with the Tim Holtz product mentioned.

[JBgreendawn]

Yesterday I made my self use the labels 1 and labels 8 deco labels ( I may be mangling the names) and I threw away all the printed paper die cuts,
and most the PTI paper die cuts ( it falls apart like peels)
anyways...

what I found is

the diecuts with a view slipery type paper and the Bazzill cardstock comes out of these dies better then the non coated cardstock like pti... so, I think maybe give it a whirl to use some paper with some slick to it...

Stacy's Memory Triggers: Saturday's Cards

those dies... if you look closely at them there are a couple of parts where it tore a tiny bit but it was still use able ( like on the one with the butterflies, wrapped some ribbon on the corner that tore and so, its a tiny little tear I don't know if you will see it)

[dottiejdavis]

I'm not thrilled with the new intricate spellbinder dies either. Using wax paper is the trick; will try the freezer paper or baking paper but still have to poke out the little pieces left behind. The dies come out a million times better but not all the pieces. I think the cutting edges could be either deeper or sharper somehow. I agree with Gypsy Rose Stamper with her evaluation of other die companies. Though Spellbinder is really coming up with some fabulous designs, the work to cut them (putting them through several times and positioning them "just right" every single time) is starting to bother me and move me towards another company. I hope they are paying attention to this thread. The dies are expensive to not be happy with the clean up or torn edges of the dies pulling them out. Not real happy here. Sorry. I rarely ever feel I need to complain about a product as we all learn to work around problems but these dies are an exception. I know they are made in China which tells me a lot; maybe Spellbinders needs to look for another manufacturer with higher quality metal or something. I don't know but other company dies are not this difficult to cut.

[parknslide]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dottiejdavis

I'm not thrilled with the new intricate spellbinder dies either. Using wax paper is the trick; will try the freezer paper or baking paper but still have to poke out the little pieces left behind. The dies come out a million times better but not all the pieces. I think the cutting edges could be either deeper or sharper somehow. I agree with Gypsy Rose Stamper with her evaluation of other die companies. Though Spellbinder is really coming up with some fabulous designs, the work to cut them (putting them through several times and positioning them "just right" every single time) is starting to bother me and move me towards another company. I hope they are paying attention to this thread. The dies are expensive to not be happy with the clean up or torn edges of the dies pulling them out. Not real happy here. Sorry. I rarely ever feel I need to complain about a product as we all learn to work around problems but these dies are an exception. I know they are made in China which tells me a lot; maybe Spellbinders needs to look for another manufacturer with higher quality metal or something. I don't know but other company dies are not this difficult to cut.

I'm in total agreement with you. I have 5 of the Spellbinders D-Lites and they are a big disappointment. I have intricate dies from Marianne Creatables and Memory Box and never have cutting problems or difficulty getting the paper out of the dies. Spellbinders is making an inferior product.

[Boss]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dottiejdavis

I'm not thrilled with the new intricate spellbinder dies either. Using wax paper is the trick; will try the freezer paper or baking paper but still have to poke out the little pieces left behind. The dies come out a million times better but not all the pieces. I think the cutting edges could be either deeper or sharper somehow. I agree with Gypsy Rose Stamper with her evaluation of other die companies. Though Spellbinder is really coming up with some fabulous designs, the work to cut them (putting them through several times and positioning them "just right" every single time) is starting to bother me and move me towards another company. I hope they are paying attention to this thread. The dies are expensive to not be happy with the clean up or torn edges of the dies pulling them out. Not real happy here. Sorry. I rarely ever feel I need to complain about a product as we all learn to work around problems but these dies are an exception. I know they are made in China which tells me a lot; maybe Spellbinders needs to look for another manufacturer with higher quality metal or something. I don't know but other company dies are not this difficult to cut.

Couldn't agree with you more! I am an experienced die cut user and thought I had all the tricks figured out until a friend gifted me one of the new Spellbnder intricate dies, this one was a fancy flourish. I tried ALL my trued and true methods - metal shim, bakers tissue, CS shims, repositioning the die on the plates sell times to try to get all the parts to cut. I still had parts that didn't cut completely. Then I resorted to tearing pieces of post a notes and positioning them over the uncut portions on the back side. I kept adding pieces until the the die finally cut through the card stock.

I thought it would be a simple thing to get the die cut out of the die after this nasty process of cutting. So much for the bakers tissue citing a quick release like it does for every other brand of dies! I had to work with the pokey tool from both the back and the front to get that sucker out off there. It was SO frustrating. I cut one more die cut from it and then set it aside. It is unlikely to be used for a long time just because of my experience.

No intricate Spellbinder dies for me, I will go with other companies that have dies that have proven to be easy to use.

[Kelly@Spellbinders]

Hi there! As mentioned already... the key to Spellbinders intricate dies is wax paper. Your paper will release very easily! In addition... when it comes to cutting intricate dies all the way through... if you're experiencing an issue... place your die on the far let side and run it through. Then rotate the die and place it on the far right side and run it through. You'll find the pressure in most die cutting machines is on each side rather than right in the middle.

The new Gold dies require the use of the Magnetic Placement Mat (GC-015) to get the greatest cut, emboss and deboss in your single pass.

This type of detail does need a little additional love xo. Please feel free to reach out to me personally [email protected] and I would be happy to share with you some further tips and tricks when working with intricate dies.

Kelly Loubet
Social Media and Community Developer
Spellbinders Paper Arts

[Kelly@Spellbinders]

Also... Have you tried Cutter Glide? It's a blade treatment. Our Ken Oliver uses it all of the time to "season" his dies. He also has recommended rubbing your dies with a white candle! That's a pretty neat trick!

[parknslide]

Others companies can produce intricate dies that cut and release without having to jump through all these hoops---I'm disappointed and frustrated in the D-Lites.

[dottiejdavis]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kelly@Spellbinders

Hi there! As mentioned already... the key to Spellbinders intricate dies is wax paper. Your paper will release very easily! In addition... when it comes to cutting intricate dies all the way through... if you're experiencing an issue... place your die on the far let side and run it through. Then rotate the die and place it on the far right side and run it through. You'll find the pressure in most die cutting machines is on each side rather than right in the middle.

The new Gold dies require the use of the Magnetic Placement Mat (GC-015) to get the greatest cut, emboss and deboss in your single pass.

Spellbinders creates beautifully detailed and intricate dies that produce results you'll be thrilled with. This type of detail does need a little additional love xo. Please feel free to reach out to me personally [email protected] and I would be happy to share with you some further tips and tricks when working with intricate dies.

Kelly Loubet
Social Media and Community Developer
Spellbinders Paper Arts

I am appreciative to you Kelly (Spellbinders spokesperson) for responding to this thread with your attention to the Spellbinder intricate cutting dies problem. Though you may have lots of ideas and little tricks to get these dies to cooperate and cut nicely, I do feel that I should not have to keep moving the die around the cutting board looking for the sweet spot that cuts best; trying shims of every size, cutting 6 times to get each part of the die cut through. At this stage in the game all of us do have to continue finagling to get these gorgeous dies to work, but until Spellbinder resolves this problem as other companies have, I don't think I am going to continue investing in this product. I have a huge inventory of Spellbinder Dies that I use in nearly every project, but with time being a factor, I am sorry but I just can't keep sitting there rolling and picking and cleaning them out for half an hour to get these intricate dies to cut clean. And yes, I am using wax paper. Unless I hear something different I do believe there is a design problem with these dies or other companies wouldn't be able to cut them either. So sorry to have to say these things but good feedback does help create better products. We want Spellbinders to succeed; we love their dies! All us gals in the crafting world love good tools to produce beautiful results. We want to continue investing in these gorgeous dies but Spellbinders needs to do more research in why their dies are having the problem to quickly and cleanly cut images. When it comes to cost, to eliminate the frustration I am sure we gals would pay another buck for a die to cut properly. I would love to hear that Spellbinders is listening to the multitude of gals' experience with these dies, and looking into this very real problem that all the cutting gimmicks aren't going to consistently help.

[amydav]

I am sticking with the non intricate dies due to the ease of cutting. I am with you, you should not have to jump through hoops to get a die to cut!

[Boss]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Angie_girl

Ditto here BathBelle, I put wax paper between the die and the paper, that way the die cut just pops out and as an added bonus it really keeps the edges clean too. Some of the spellbinders leave dirty edge marks on your paper, I find wax paper is fantastic.
The only problem I have using the newer intricate spellbinders is that they require so much extra pressure in the big shot (with extra shims) and this really bends my plates prematurely. To get the die cut to pop out I agree use a little pokey tool from behind. I really love the red tim holtz tool for that as it has a blunt point.

I have been doing a search for the Tim Holtz tool with the blunt tip and am confused as to what it is called. I found a Tim Holtz retractable craft pick that is red, but it looks to me like it has a sharp stiletto tip. Is this the tool with the blunt point?

[Juble]

It was kind of Kelly to come on and give some tips for the dies. With that said, I resent having to buy yet another implement to use. It never ends! You have to buy this so that will work and so on and so on.....ack! I must be grumpy today:(

[dillyb5]

Unfortunately for Spellbinders, having problems like these makes the electronic cutting machines even more popular.

[dottiejdavis]

I love, love, love Spellbinders Dies. They are wonderful tools to use in the never ending creativity of the paper crafting hobby. The staff is wonderful at Spellbinders in all they do to build their business and rapport with the consumers especially in the use of their products. Lets just hope these issues get "fixed" and we can cut away to our heart's delight! with their intricate dies!

[Mrs Noofy]

I have become addicted to dies! Can't get enough! The first thing I do when I get a new die (no matter how intricate or who makes it) is to place a piece of packing tape (sticky side on the cutting edge of the die) and run it through my cutting machine with a piece of cardstock. After it cuts I remove the excess tape that is on the outside of the die. The remainder of the tape stays in the grooves and channels of the die. Next time you cut the piece will just come right off. You may need to poke through a hole to get the piece started then just gently pull it off.

[dottiejdavis]

Quote:

Originally Posted by snoangel

The last 5 spellbinder die sets I bought are copper in color and they cut terrible and can't get them off the dies. I was wondering if anyone else was having this problem. This is the first time I've had problems with their dies. The dies are Adorning Squares, Radiant Rectangles, Timeless Rectangle, Gold Labels 4 and Opulent Ovals. It is so bad that I'm thinking of not purchasing any more of their dies.

Already responded.

[parknslide]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mrs Noofy

I have become addicted to dies! Can't get enough! The first thing I do when I get a new die (no matter how intricate or who makes it) is to place a piece of packing tape (sticky side on the cutting edge of the die) and run it through my cutting machine with a piece of cardstock. After it cuts I remove the excess tape that is on the outside of the die. The remainder of the tape stays in the grooves and channels of the die. Next time you cut the piece will just come right off. You may need to poke through a hole to get the piece started then just gently pull it off.

This is a great tip. I've tried it but it still doesn't help with the Spellbinder D-lites :(

[khogan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dottiejdavis

Though you may have lots of ideas and little tricks to get these dies to cooperate and cut nicely, I do feel that I should not have to keep moving the die around the cutting board looking for the sweet spot that cuts best; trying shims of every size, cutting 6 times to get each part of the die cut through.

To be fair, this is how Cheery Lynn tells you to cut some of their most intricate dies. When I first ordered a Cheery Lynn die I couldn't get it to cut. I found a video by the owner showing how to cut the die, and he did just what you describe, with many passes and shimming up just certain areas. He explained that it's difficult to always get even pressure when cutting very intricate dies. I wasn't happy having to do that at first, but it worked. I've also had to do this for some of my intricate Memory Box dies. I don't feel that the intricate Spellbinders dies are any harder to cut than my Cheery Lynn or Memory Box dies.

[mswhittaker23]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Angie_girl

Ditto here BathBelle, I put wax paper between the die and the paper, that way the die cut just pops out and as an added bonus it really keeps the edges clean too. Some of the spellbinders leave dirty edge marks on your paper, I find wax paper is fantastic.
The only problem I have using the newer intricate spellbinders is that they require so much extra pressure in the big shot (with extra shims) and this really bends my plates prematurely. To get the die cut to pop out I agree use a little pokey tool from behind. I really love the red tim holtz tool for that as it has a blunt point.

Have you tried a metal shim? I made some out of roof flashing for some Memory Box dies I was having trouble cutting with and that works beautifully.

[Mrs Noofy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by parknslide

This is a great tip. I've tried it but it still doesn't help with the Spellbinder D-lites :(

So sorry Paulette that this little trick didn't work for you. Maybe you should send me all your dies so I could try to get them working for you! LOL ...just an idea!!!!!!!!

[stampinindieeditor]

I'm very upset with Spellbinders dies as well because of this exact problem. I tried every sort of sandwich and positioning the die in different parts and it never cut correctly in one area, and with another of their dies everything just tears. Frustrated me to no end. I bought a Grand Calibur recently, an upgrade from my Big Shot, and hopefully this will cut those dies better. If not, I will look to other companies for my dies. Goodness knows everyone nowadays is bringing out beautiful, intricate dies, most for way less than Spellbinders.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dottiejdavis

I'm not thrilled with the new intricate spellbinder dies either. Using wax paper is the trick; will try the freezer paper or baking paper but still have to poke out the little pieces left behind. The dies come out a million times better but not all the pieces. I think the cutting edges could be either deeper or sharper somehow. I agree with Gypsy Rose Stamper with her evaluation of other die companies. Though Spellbinder is really coming up with some fabulous designs, the work to cut them (putting them through several times and positioning them "just right" every single time) is starting to bother me and move me towards another company. I hope they are paying attention to this thread. The dies are expensive to not be happy with the clean up or torn edges of the dies pulling them out. Not real happy here. Sorry. I rarely ever feel I need to complain about a product as we all learn to work around problems but these dies are an exception. I know they are made in China which tells me a lot; maybe Spellbinders needs to look for another manufacturer with higher quality metal or something. I don't know but other company dies are not this difficult to cut.

[dottiejdavis]

I hope everyone gets to the end of this thread to read what worked for me in my search for how to cut the intricate Spellbinder Dies or any other dies they are having trouble with. I just went in and used a metal plate with my Cuttlebug; sandwich is a SP die, wax paper, cardstock on metal plate of B and A plates with C plate on top to cut. Though I was a little worried that I had to crank really hard, it only took 2 passes, turning the die once more to get a beautiful cut. I tried this same sandwich on my Grand Caliber and quit after only a tiny bit as I didn't want to force it through. So, the metal plate is the key to cutting with the Cuttlebug those intricate dies! Voila!

[parknslide]

Unfortunately the metal plate wasn't the answer for me with the D-Lites and the Cuttlebug. Mrs. Noofy's suggestion of the packing tape do make it a bit easier to get the paper to release from the die. She also suggested shimming the places that don't cut with some painter's masking tape---that helps a bit but I still need to make multiple passes at different angles and positions on the platform to have even a remote chance of success. Sorry to be such a Debbie Downer but the D-Lites are a big disappointment for me.

[Boss]

Quote:

Originally Posted by parknslide

Unfortunately the metal plate wasn't the answer for me with the D-Lites and the Cuttlebug. Mrs. Noofy's suggestion of the packing tape do make it a bit easier to get the paper to release from the die. She also suggested shimming the places that don't cut with some painter's masking tape---that helps a bit but I still need to make multiple passes at different angles and positions on the platform to have even a remote chance of success. Sorry to be such a Debbie Downer but the D-Lites are a big disappointment for me.

Dittos to everything you just said. It took me 45 minutes of wrangling to get a successfully cut and removed flourish design. Mind you, I had wasted that much time and MORE on unsuccessful cuts before I resorted to the multi step process that you detailed. It was a frustrating experience that left me with very unkind thoughts about the product. I would have pitched it into the ashcan right then but I was afraid the friend who gave it to me would ask me to make some die cuts for her. Double Debbie downer.

Please know that my comments are not made with an intent to do harm to a manufacturer. The experiences are related to other consumers to inform them so they can make a wise purchase. Sometimes the truth needs to be spoken in order for change to occur. I'm just sayin'.....

[stamphappy1650]

Something to consider ... As your machines age they loosen up. I have 2 Big Shots. One several years old and 1 a year old. I have to adjust my shims based on each machine. No company is going to be able to design a die that is going to cut perfectly for every machine. As with all creative endeavors, part of the process is learning how products work considering the combinations of papers, inks, tools, etc. It may be that intricate dies are not worth the effort for some people whereas for others they are willing to futz around with something to make it work. For me, I'm a bit lazy, so I stay away from anything that makes me work too hard to get a perfect result. I don't blame the die cutting companies because we crafters want more and more and we want it perfect. If they make the cutting edge deeper and sharper the die will dig into the cutting plate - less sharp and deep, the die won't cut through the paper. Personally, I want perfect every time but the reality is I can't have my cake and eat it too. ;)

Now when I buy dies, I look to see if they have holes that let me push out the cut out from the die and remove. I look to see just how small the cuts are - if too small it means I'll have to do some extra work and this tells me I won't use it as often. If I stay within these limits - I'm much happier and I don't stop buying dies from a particular company, I just don't buy dies from any company that is too intricate no matter how much I love the design.

[sedg]

I am SO glad I am not the only one. I LOVED these dies before and last night I was so frustrated (with the new ones) I was ready to toss them all out. It is so hard to remove the cardstock and when I finally got it out, it looked crumpled. Then I spent an hour with the piercer removing all the little bits from the dies - AWFUL.

[Cartermrc]

Glad I haven't gotten any, I just have Sizzix Framelits. My stores have few Spellbinder dies that interest me so it's good to know about these problems.

I bought some small paper doilies at Mike's the other day and figure I can just sponge color onto them. Will save a headache for sure.

[sedg]

I've been reading through all of 'our' complaints, and, honestly, I just can't understand why we have to go to all this trouble of getting a good 'cut'. Goodness sake we spend enough for them, that I personally feel they shouldn't be SO much work. I have absolutely no problem with the classic ones, but the new fancier ones, are just a nightmare.

[freedom99]

I found a post on a uk forum saying that there is a problem with 6 of the new d-lites dies and no more is being sold until they are remade. I can't find the web there said they read it on as they were not allowed to say the name on the forum.

Has anyone heard of this? Thank you

And I'm with you guys its getting a bit much the wax paper works for me but some of the dies in the latest release are taking 4 passes to cut.

[marriedin79]

After cutting. I was using the largest in the Fleur de Lis Squares set. I use waxed paper I this die to help with the release. However, there are a lot of tiny pieces that get left in the die.

Well, I accidentally dropped the die once the cut was out of the die. Voila! Every one of the tiny pieces came out.