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Are you finding the latest acrylic plates are bending faster. I had my original ones for years and they were scratched and worn but not bent.
I even kept a broken half for partial cutting-- broken, but not bent.
This holiday season I went through three sets. One didnt last a week before they were so bent the thin dies would not cut.
Could the magnetic platforms and precision plate be causing this or are the plates less sturdy? I did notice over a year ago the beveled edges were different and they felt lighter although the thickness appeared the same.
I tried the hot water method to flatten them and the old plates respond but the newer ones do not.
I have not tried the oven method.
Any thoughts or hints out there?
I would love to get the big shot pro with the wider platform, but have never seen the replacement plates. In fact, finding the regular ones locally has been a challenge. Are others finding these problems?
It seems they warp faster but maybe we use them more? I love my Big Shot Pro. I bought extra plates at my LLS when I bought my Pro. She had to order them but said she would try to keep them in stock but if they weren't, she would order them for me. I also found them on Amazon.
I have noticed this, now that you mention it. My first set of plates came with my Big Shot, over three years ago. That was when the plates still had straight sides, no bevel. I used them incessantly, and they lasted quite some time. The replacement plates I bought also had straight sides, and they lasted. The third set came with the beveled edge, and those became very curved pretty quickly. One even cracked apart while using the machine, and luckily I keep a spare set so I was able to just keep working. But those also had the new beveled edge and do think I am seeing them warping much faster. So, long answer to your question, but - yes. I think the new Big Shot plates are different and don't last as long.
Never thought about it until you posted this. Not much to do about it, though. I never have tried to straighten mine other than flipping them in the machine. Not worth the aggravation. I'm not fooling around with putting plastic plates in my oven. I just buy another set. In fact, as soon as I open a new set, I buy another to keep on hand.
__________________ I have come to the conclusion that buying craft supplies and actually using them are two separate hobbies. RachelRose Designs by Robin... GALLERY
But those also had the new beveled edge and do think I am seeing them warping much faster. So, long answer to your question, but - yes. I think the new Big Shot plates are different and don't last as long.
Well, dang because I desperately need a new pair of cutting pads and I thought I read that this new style was supposed to warp less? This doesn't sound good – I have seen a pair as low as $6 on Amazon so I'm gonna have to wait until they go down in price so it won't be as painful when I have to replace them quickly :mad:
Did you read that these new ones warp less? I confess I had no clue they had even changed them. I simply got a pair that looked different suddenly.
It's not like they warp in a month. I just seem to recall (and I'm relying on my memory, which certainly isn't getting any sharper by the year), that my old ones held out longer. Which I hadn't even thought about until I saw this thread.
But they're aren't a high-price item in any event. And my Big Shot is so important to my crafting that I'm happy to buy it whatever it wants to work properly. ;)
__________________ I have come to the conclusion that buying craft supplies and actually using them are two separate hobbies. RachelRose Designs by Robin... GALLERY
Have you tried contacting Sizzix about this? They have always given me great customer service, even when a part inside my Big Shot broke. Maybe if enough people complain about the newer plates, they will look into it. They can't fix a problem if they don't know it exists.
Please don't try the oven method; there are concerns about the fumes from the plastic and I would be even more concerned about using my oven for food preparation again.
I've never broken a plate in 4 years, until Christmas Eve. And it was one of the new ones.
However, if you can find them, you can use Cuttlebug plates in your Big Shot. Or watch for a sale at Joanns for the Sizzix version.
__________________ Linda E
Caution: You are entering an artistic zone. This is not clutter - this is creating. These are not pajamas - it's my work uniform.
Did you read that these new ones warp less? I confess I had no clue they had even changed them. I simply got a pair that looked different suddenly.
I'm pretty sure I read that here, right after they came out with the colored cutting plates. That person probably read it somewhere! But I remembered that, because I got sick of turning my plates over and over trying to prevent them from warping, and was looking forward to the "new and improved" version.
What colored cutting plates? Wow, I'm really out of the loop!
I actually am pretty lazy about turning my plates. But then, I don't do many intricate dies, so even with warped plates, my dies cut.
__________________ I have come to the conclusion that buying craft supplies and actually using them are two separate hobbies. RachelRose Designs by Robin... GALLERY
Ha! I guess the new colors are supposed to be compensatory for the newly-lowered quality of the pads themselves - which, if you watch the little video below the pads, clearly demonstrates this.
The guy cuts ten butterflies in order to instruct in the use of the precision cutting plate, and he warns that one should move the die in a certain pattern on each pass and flip the cutting plate after each. Then he cuts several more with a different cutting plate, just placing the die in the center and not flipping. And then he proudly shows us how the pad he used in the "correct" way is not warped, while the other pad has become bowed AFTER LESS THAN TWENTY PASSES.
What? I'm sorry, I don't stand around and cut multiples of a die most of the time, so am I supposed to keep track of what side I used last time and where on the platform I placed the last die? Sorry Sizzix people, but that's not happening. Or rather, hooray for you, Sizzix people, since I'm going to be buying sets of your cutting plates more often.
The old plate would never have gotten so curved after so few passes. My memory may not be as crystal clear as it once was, but I think I can say that with certainty.
But since I can buy my plates in watermelon pink, I guess I should feel it was a fair trade off. Not.
__________________ I have come to the conclusion that buying craft supplies and actually using them are two separate hobbies. RachelRose Designs by Robin... GALLERY
Last edited by Rachelrose; 01-02-2016 at 03:50 AM..
The Precision Plate was the culprit here. After using it 100 times for each of two dies on our Christmas card (yes, I moved them around quite a bit and flipped the plate over), the bottom plate is positively S-shaped! I am now keeping that one close to the Precision Plate so I use them together and don�t ruin another cutting plate.
The only difference I notice on the new plates is that the ends are tapered slightly; the sides are still straight up and down.
I wonder if the plates seem to be �wearing out� sooner because we�re all using them much more than we used to.
I think they changed the kind of plastic they use. The old plates were stiffer. Or so it seems to me.
Alas, I don't think contacting them is going to do anything. They made a change, they had a reason - no doubt financial - and now they are making the warping issue OUR problem by instructing us to flip the plates and not put dies in the same place all the time.
__________________ I have come to the conclusion that buying craft supplies and actually using them are two separate hobbies. RachelRose Designs by Robin... GALLERY
Call me Cynical, but I guess we were just holding onto those old plates too long for their consumables profit margin. Bet they spoke to the razor and home printer manufacturers and figured out a better way! :( Thanks for doing that research, Rachelrose.
Call me Cynical, but I guess we were just holding onto those old plates too long for their consumables profit margin. Bet they spoke to the razor and home printer manufacturers and figured out a better way! :( Thanks for doing that research, Rachelrose.
And this is the VERY reason I was so surprised when longer-lasting light bulbs came on the market!
Functional obsolescence - I think this is a required component of everything manufactured these days...
__________________ Linda E
Caution: You are entering an artistic zone. This is not clutter - this is creating. These are not pajamas - it's my work uniform.
What colored cutting plates? Wow, I'm really out of the loop!
I actually am pretty lazy about turning my plates. But then, I don't do many intricate dies, so even with warped plates, my dies cut.
Rachelrose you are not alone . I did not know they had colored cutting plates either :lol: Yup I am behind the times
5-6 years ago stores frequently had Big Shot and Cuttlebug cutting plates on sale for 50% off. Plus the plates were much cheaper then. So when I was shopping I would grab another set of plates. I must have 6 or more sets of plates for the Big shot and at least that many for my Cuttlebug. I guess my impulse purchases paid off .
__________________ "I have not failed . I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work" --Thomas A. Edison
How I wish you had a set of the new ones so you could make a hands-on comparison! I have none of the old ones ;)
__________________ I have come to the conclusion that buying craft supplies and actually using them are two separate hobbies. RachelRose Designs by Robin... GALLERY
Last edited by Rachelrose; 01-04-2016 at 06:27 AM..
It appears that Joanns still has the OLD Big Shot Cutting plates . I hope that is not just an old picture . They are on sale but the regular price is up to $11 a set -Sheesh!!
Thank you to all. You have validated my impressions. I saw that butterfly video also Ten passes and a bowed plate. Wow!
I remember getting my machine. I bought one embossing folder,one and die set to try it. A friend long in the hobby was going away for a month and packed up about a thousand dollars worth of dies to have me play with. That month my machine got used more as I made many samples and fill ed bags of cuts, I use to this day. Those original plates lasted almost two more years. In the three to five years since I have gone through ten sets of plates. Five of them this year. To finish my holiday cards, I went to three stores to find plates and finally had tp pay full price at a small shop that needs to charge more than box stores on everything to keep going.
Ive decided that the problem began with thinlets. Older dies dont seem to cause the curve effect. Well anyway, its food for thought. Thanks again for all your replies.
Interesting read this, and possibly explains something from a while ago. I posted on here about a Pinterest pin on flattening Cuttlebug plates in your oven, and I tried it with mine, and it worked perfectly, and I'm still using the plates with no problems.
Someone read my post, did it with her Big Shot plates, and they cracked the first time she used them after. So clearly something is different between the two types of plates, and the changing of the plates detailed here may well have a bearing on it. I absolutely would not recommend anyone trying it with BS plates.
I was almost relieved to stumble upon this thread. I just got a Big Shot Pro after wearing out my 10 year-old Cuttlebug and have found that their plates are warping so much faster. I thought it might be a learning curve with a new machine but now I know that it is these plates. I turn regularly, switch top and bottom and they are still bending like no tomorrow. What is the oven method some of you have tried? Can anyone direct me to that thread? Thanks!
dacpam, HERE is the Pinterest link I followed to do this. However, it is done with, and I did Cuttlebug plates. Like I said, someone on here tried it with Big Shot plates, and they broke on the first use. I advise extreme caution doing this with BSPro plates. I have a BSPro, and I think you may have difficulty getting the plates to lie flat in an oven, unless yours is a large one.
The precision plate definitely impacts it - when they demonstrated it at convention - most of the plates were in a crazy U shape - that's why the Sizzix guy on that video keeps stressing turning them. I use my Big Shot a lot - 25 people are using it at every class, and the new beveled plates haven't acted differently for me, but I'm very careful to always make sure if there starts to be a little bow that they go into the machine concave, not convex.
Please don't use the oven - the manufacturer says no - and that acrylic was not meant to be heated.
The precision plate definitely impacts it - when they demonstrated it at convention - most of the plates were in a crazy U shape - that's why the Sizzix guy on that video keeps stressing turning them. I use my Big Shot a lot - 25 people are using it at every class, and the new beveled plates haven't acted differently for me, but I'm very careful to always make sure if there starts to be a little bow that they go into the machine concave, not convex.
Please don't use the oven - the manufacturer says no - and that acrylic was not meant to be heated.
Oh and I have *not* used the Precision Base plate yet either.
The precision plate definitely impacts it - when they demonstrated it at convention - most of the plates were in a crazy U shape - that's why the Sizzix guy on that video keeps stressing turning them. I use my Big Shot a lot - 25 people are using it at every class, and the new beveled plates haven't acted differently for me, but I'm very careful to always make sure if there starts to be a little bow that they go into the machine concave, not convex.
Please don't use the oven - the manufacturer says no - and that acrylic was not meant to be heated.
I guess I am going to have to pay attention to turning mine from now on.
__________________ I have come to the conclusion that buying craft supplies and actually using them are two separate hobbies. RachelRose Designs by Robin... GALLERY
Shazsilverwolf, Thank you so much for this info. I will be very, very careful. I have to say that I am rather disappointed with the plates. Again, thank you for taking the time to help me out!
How I wish you had a set of the new ones so you could make a hands-on comparison! I have none of the old ones ;)
I have been using the same Bigshot cutting plates for more than a year. They re so scratched I can barely see my hand through them, but they are not bowed . It is a shame if the new ones are so inferior .
Maybe people need to contact Sizzix and ask them to bring back the material used in the old quality plates . When Coke changed their formula enough people complained to them and they brought back the previous formula .
__________________ "I have not failed . I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work" --Thomas A. Edison
It would have to be a lot of people. And, really, Sizzix has the upper hand, since people with Big Shots HAVE to buy cutting plates. Maybe some people will buy a Cuttlebug if their Big Shot needs to be replaced, but probably not the majority. I wouldn't.
The Coke thing was a whole different story. Coke changed its formula, people didn't like and stopped buying it, period. The company had to bring the old formula back or risk losing millions of customers.
Flip your plates diligently. That's the takeaway. Big Shot cutting plates aren't the first consumer product to suffer a lowering of quality, and won't be the last.
__________________ I have come to the conclusion that buying craft supplies and actually using them are two separate hobbies. RachelRose Designs by Robin... GALLERY
I know this thread is a few months old, but I just had to share my good news!
First - on the negative side of things - I agree with the others, that the new cutting pads stink, to put it lightly! I still have the cutting pads that came with my Big Shot when I bought it roughly 3 years ago -- they're practically opaque & look like they've gone through a meat grinder, but they're like a trusty ol' Timex - they take a licking & keep on ticking!!! I try to remember to 'flip' them but if I don't flip or swap them for a while, it's no big deal - they take a lot of abuse before they finally start to warp to any significant degree.
Within the past few months, I've acquired two intricate dies that gave me fits. I shimmed fully & partially, I adjusted positions, I ran through multiple passes, etc etc -- they just gave me major problems, no matter what I did.
So - I thought maybe I DID need to get new pads. I was leery, after what I'd read here & watching that video - but I got a set anyway. OMG, *two* passes through the machine & there is noticeable warp already!! My "old" plates could run through the machine a dozen-20 times before they'd have the same amount of warp!! And my "fussy" dies didn't cut on the new pads either... they actually did much *worse* on the new pads!!! So much for that idea!!
**BUT** here's the GREAT news!!! I've got an Accuquilt Go machine, it has self-healing cutting pads in various sizes, including a 5" wide pad & a 6" wide pad for the 'smaller' Accuquilt dies.
I got playing around with it tonight, and OMG, the self-healing mat works wonders in my Big Shot!!
After some experimentation, I found that it's quite an easy sandwich to make after all! So far, I've only used it with the wafer-thin dies, but this is what worked: one sheet of cereal-box cardboard on my multiplatform - bottom (sizzix) cutting pad, die, cardstock, Accuquilt cutting mat. Basically, the same sandwich as always, only replacing the top Big Shot cutting pad with the Accuquilt mat, and adding a piece of cereal cardboard at the bottom of the sandwich, since the Accuquilt mat is a little tiny bit thinner than a regular Big Shot cutting pad.
No apparent stress on the machine - it rolled right on through with no difficulty at all! I AM careful not to "force" anything through my machine or put noticeable stress on it!
And that finicky fussy lattice die, that always gave me such a hard time? It cut perfectly on the very first try! And then I cut it five more times, just to make sure it wasn't a 'lucky fluke'! Perfect perfect cuts, every single time! And this was a die that I could *never* get to cut well before! At best, it would have at least a few small spots that I'd have to carefully cut by hand. Not now - it cut like butter & didn't have one single 'problem' spot!
I can't really see the die marks on my Accuquilt mat, so that seems fine! Although my mats do have a good bit of wear on them & so maybe I just can't see the new marks...
I'm going to try with some detailed Sizzlets next, and with some standard steel-rule dies. But I'm thinking it should work fine with those too, with the same adjustment - just use whatever sandwich I'd usually use, but replace top cutting pad with the Accuquilt mat & add that cereal cardboard shim at the bottom.
The smaller Accuquilt mats are inexpensive & easy to find. They do make a 6" wide mat that is extra long, so it would work for the Bigz XL dies. I've put a good bit of wear & tear on my Accuquilt mats - I bought my "Go" before I got my Big Shot & I have never had to replace the mats yet - so my guess is they will surely outlive the 'warpy' new Sizzix cutting pads.
Thanks for this information ! Where do you buy your Accuquilt Go self-healing mats ?
Barbara
They're available through Amazon, on Ebay, and at a lot of the online craft stores & fabric stores. I usually end up buying almost all my supplies online, as the nearest craft stores are a bit of a drive from my house & have such limited selections. I've only bought mats once - my Go came with a 12x12 and a 6x12 mat, if I recall correctly, then I bought the 5x10 & the 6x24 shortly afterwards. I just checked around to see who had the very best price at the time.
They've also got the 6x6 mats for $7.99, the 6x12 for $9.99, and the 6x24 for $14.99, all with free shipping.
Looking at Amazon, it seems that you can get them for the same prices over there, and they are available with Prime, if you have that.
Hmmm.... looking at the detailed manufacturer descriptions, maybe I'm mistaken & maybe these aren't truly "self-healing" -- but shoot, they LAST, I can tell you that! My sewing has kinda been put to the side lately, but I have used my Go & the cutting mats a *lot* since I've had it - my mats look as shabby as my old Big Shot plates - but they just keep on working fine!!
They don't come in pretty colors though, so maybe the new Sizzix pads are actually better! ;)
(Edit to add ---- I'm sure that the mats are probably available at regular fabric stores and larger craft stores too - I just don't have much available in my local area...)
And this is the VERY reason I was so surprised when longer-lasting light bulbs came on the market!
Functional obsolescence - I think this is a required component of everything manufactured these days...
CFL bulbs only last longer if you burn them 24/7. If you turn them on and off every day (like normal people do) they quickly "dim out" so you're not getting anywhere near the advertised wattage rating. Drives me crazy, so I usually end up replacing them long before they completely stop working and years before their so called life expectancy. Grrrrrrrrrr!
I now return you to your regularly scheduled topic. LOL
Dea
CFL bulbs only last longer if you burn them 24/7. If you turn them on and off every day (like normal people do) they quickly "dim out" so you're not getting anywhere near the advertised wattage rating. Drives me crazy, so I usually end up replacing them long before they completely stop working and years before their so called life expectancy. Grrrrrrrrrr!
I now return you to your regularly scheduled topic. LOL
Dea
That's not normal behavior for CFLs. You might try a different brand.
The precision plate definitely impacts it - when they demonstrated it at convention - most of the plates were in a crazy U shape - that's why the Sizzix guy on that video keeps stressing turning them. I use my Big Shot a lot - 25 people are using it at every class, and the new beveled plates haven't acted differently for me, but I'm very careful to always make sure if there starts to be a little bow that they go into the machine concave, not convex.
Please don't use the oven - the manufacturer says no - and that acrylic was not meant to be heated.
If it is the same Sizzix video he also stresses not to put your dies in the middle of your plates if this is possible.Some dies are large and you have no option, He emphasizes that small dies placed on the edges and which way to place them. Since watching the video I have found makes a big difference and my stamping friends that have since done this are also telling me
How well this works. I viewed another by someone who demos at a lot of shows .
She showed her plates after two years of doing so and they were still straight.
I am glad I spotted these as it has saved my plates which I have turning faithfully but now use the edges to give even wear to my plates.
If it is the same Sizzix video he also stresses not to put your dies in the middle of your plates if this is possible.Some dies are large and you have no option, He emphasizes that small dies placed on the edges and which way to place them.
Can you tell us where he says to place the dies along the edge or how to place them? Thought the link to that video was above but I can't find it and have done a search and can't find it either!
That's not normal behavior for CFLs. You might try a different brand.
Can you suggest a good brand? I've bought a variety of brands and not just cheap store brands but more expensive national brands as well. They've all done the dim out thing after just a very short period of use. Would love to get a reliable bulb. Thanks.
Dea
Can you suggest a good brand? I've bought a variety of brands and not just cheap store brands but more expensive national brands as well. They've all done the dim out thing after just a very short period of use. Would love to get a reliable bulb. Thanks.
Dea
Just to let you know, you're not the only one, Dea! I've had the same problem with my CFL bulbs dimming as you described! It's so frustrating!
Can you tell us where he says to place the dies along the edge or how to place them? Thought the link to that video was above but I can't find it and have done a search and can't find it either!
I will try to find the video which I think I saved. But here is a simple explanation.
If you have a small butterfly die lets say 2 inches across, you might ordinarily lay it horizontally with the wins pointing east and west.
Instead line up your butterfly vertically with the wings north and south at the edge of your paper. We know that the pressure on all machines are strongest at the edges.
All well and good but, still, it's annoying and ridiculous to have to go through these machinations when Sizzix used to make perfectly wonderful plates that didn't require them.
I would pay more for the old style plate if that was the reason they switched. But maybe they switched so people would have to buy plates more often. Probably.
__________________ I have come to the conclusion that buying craft supplies and actually using them are two separate hobbies. RachelRose Designs by Robin... GALLERY
Your problems with Acrylic Plates?
