Silhouette Cameo get ready to cut Hi, folks I am sure there are many crafters who are thrilled with their Silhouette Cameos. But, judging by the number of crafters who write to me every day, there are many who are still enduring a love hate relationship with this potentially amazing piece of equipment. Okay, so whats happening Well, the BIGGEST frustration is that the blade isnt cutting or isnt delivering a clean cut. What everyone wants to know is WHY, WHY, WHY Based on my own experience with the Silhouette Cameo and the thousands yes, thousands of crafters who search my site andor write to me every month, in the hopes of gaining some insight, here is a summary of the issues and some potential solutions. Sure Cuts A Lot Download For Cricut Expression 2' title='Sure Cuts A Lot Download For Cricut Expression 2' />I hope this helps My Cameo is not making clean cuts. You probably have either a defective blade or your blade is chipped. Let me explain. When the Cameo first hit the market, it was shipped with a defective blade. Buy Sure Cuts A Lot 2 for your Cricut Expression, Personal, Create, and Cake cutting machines. Looking for a cutting machine to up your arts and craft game Peruse our list of the best die cut machines complete with reviews and comparisons. Having just purchased this awesome die cutting machine, I thought it would be helpful to share the information and resources I come across while learning to use my. A great resource for paper crafters, with loads of tips and tricks for making cards, minialbums, altered media and more. A wealth of information for Silhouette Cameo. According to Silhouette America, whom I spoke with on several occasions, the original blades were set at an incorrect angle, making it impossible to achieve a clean cut. So, if your blade has never given you a clean cut, call Silhouette America and they will send you a new blade. Even more good news, Silhouette American had all new blades manufactured and started shipping them at the end of February. If your blade cut fine for a while and then started tearing the paper, it is quickly likely that your blade tip is chipped. This can happen when the blade setting is too high. Generally, your blade should be set at a 2 or 3. For example, Stampin Up Whisper White or Very Vanilla cardstock is 8. CFnOvB_hE/hqdefault.jpg' alt='Sure Cuts A Lot Download For Cricut Expression 2' title='Sure Cuts A Lot Download For Cricut Expression 2' />If you are doing a very intricate cut, you could even slow the speed down to 1 or 2, to ensure cleaner cuts. Do not, however, change any of the other settings. Setting the blade higher than called for causes it to reach down further and, consequently, chip the end. Once that happens, your only solution is to buy a new blade. Here is a screenshot of the control panel. Notice the speed is set at 3 and the thickness at 3. As the medium, I chose 8. This is the setting you will likely use most of the time. Notice the Change Settings optionclicking on this allows  you to select new settings for media, thickness and speed. One thing to remember, however, is that once you select the medium, such as cardstock, paper, vinyl, etc., your Cameo does the rest. It automatically selects the speed and thickness. Could it be any easier Heres an example I selected Print Paper Light as the medium. Cameo automatically turned the thickness down to 1. Game Alien Shooter 3. This lower speed setting slows down the cutting process to give the blade time to make clean cuts on delicate paper or on intricate cuts. The thickness setting of 1. Cameo that the medium is lightweight paper. The blade setting of 1  means that the blade will only come out of its casing far enough to cut the thin paper, but not far enough to chip the end of the blade. IMPORTANT Remember, although the Cameo automatically sets the blade  on the screen, you MUST physically set the blade before you begin to make the cut. Remove the blade from your Cameo, and change the setting accordingly. Then, replace it, making sure it is pushed down all the way before locking it in with the blue lever. My Cameo is cutting, but not all the way through the paper. Heres a trouble shooting checklist Check that you have selected the correct medium. For example, if you are using Stampin Up Whisper White 8. Be sure to take your blade out and physically turn it to the right setting as indicated in  your on screen settings. Sometimes the double cut setting is necessary to ensure that your cut goes all the way through the paper, without having to increase the blade setting. If you check all your settings carefully, and your Cameo is still not cutting all the way through, there is a possibility that the end of your blade has been chipped and is not long enough to reach through the paper. And, even if your chipped blade did reach through, it would just tear up your paper, anyway. TIP When experimenting with new media and settings, do a Test Cut, first. It only takes a minute and will save you a lot of time, paper and frustration in the long run. Just a thought, before I sign offwe are all so lucky to be part of a global crafting community, where we can share our experiences, problems and solutions. I have heard from Cameo owners on every continent, all with the same joys and frustrations, and all seeking to find andor share solutions to common problems. Cricut Must Haves Tips. So, youre either planning to buy one or you just bought a Cricut. Congrats Heres a review on the most recent Cricut, if youre. Introducingx20AC. The Whimsy Stamps Inspirations Magazine. Staff Designers Iris. Whimsy Stamps is pleased to introduce our readers to the amazing ladies. If you have any Cameo tips that you could share, please leave me a comment and I will publish them here, at Globug ideas. Thanks, crafters. I hope youre getting closer to solving your Cameo cutting issues.