Cut Doctor: Lesson 3 — Tools

What would happen if your surgeon used a chain saw to remove your appendix? That would most likely not be a very successful surgery. You’d probably come out feeling much worse. It’s important for a doctor to choose the right instrument for a procedure. (I’m pretty sure NO doctor needs to choose a chain saw as a tool).

It’s the same with your Silhouette. Understanding your tools and knowing when to use them and how to care for them is critical to good, healthy cuts. So let me help you study up on your tools!

(To start with Lesson #1 in this series, go here.)

Note: This post may contain affiliate links. That means if you click the link and purchase something, I may receive a small commission. This helps me to be able to keep my business going and provide more tutorials. All opinions expressed are my own and are not tied to any compensation.

Before we go into this discussion, you should know that the blades and tools have changed with the newest models and aren’t always interchangeable. In other words, you can’t use the Cameo 3 AutoBlade in the Cameo 4. Make sure you check the compatibility when you buy.

In some cases, you’ll need the adapters for your type of machine.

Ratchet Blade

This is the standard blade that you adjust yourself. It’s black and has a white cap and a ring of numbers around it.

The fabric blade is a type of ratchet blade. The only difference between this and a regular blade is the color of the casing — it’s blue.

It’s not made of any different materials and doesn’t have any special properties. It’s just a different color so that if you cut fabric, you can keep it separate from the blade you use to cut paper — just like you would with your sewing scissors. They are no longer being produced but you’ll still find some around. If you go to the craft store to buy a new blade and can only find this one, you’re good because it’s just the same.

The premium blade is also a type of ratchet blade.

It’s made of a stronger metal and should last 3x as long as a standard blade. The other nifty thing about the premium blade is that it adjusts smoothly (it doesn’t click into each setting), so you can set it between numbers. I love that feature!

Any of the ratchet blades work in all the Silhouette cutting machines in the same way.

AutoBlade

This blade is for the Cameo 3 and 4 and Portrait 2 and 3 only. That’s because those are the only machines that can adjust it and fit it. The software reads what blade number you have selected in your Send area and relays that information to the machine. When you send a job to the machine, it adjusts the blade before it starts cutting.

You also really need to understand that the AutoBlades are different for the Cameo 3/Portrait 2 and Cameo 4/Portrait 3. They are absolutely not interchangeable, so make sure you purchase the one for your machine. For the Cameo 3 and Portrait 2, you need Type A. For the Cameo 4 and Portrait 3, you need Type B.

There are also various depths for the AutoBlades for Cameo 4 and Portrait 3 machines. You can get the standard 1mm, or the deeper 2mm. These are similar to the Premium blade in adjusting.

If you have a Cameo 3 or 4, you have 2 tool holders — left and right. You can only use the AutoBlade in the left tool holder, because the adjusting mechanism is at the left edge of the machine. Also, it has a fin on the back that slides down a channel on the machine, but only the left holder has that.

Deep Cut Blade

The Deep Cut blade is for the Cameo 3 and 4, Portrait 2 and 3, and Curio. These have a higher clearance under the bar — 2mm instead of 1mm. Or, in the case of the Curio, there’s a wide space between the platform and the bar. For the latest machines, you’ll need the for these.

You use the deep cut blade for thicker materials. It adjusts from 1 to 20, instead of the 1 to 10 that a ratchet blade does. It adjusts smoothly like the premium blade.

Sketch Pen

Instead of cutting designs, you can have your machine draw them. You just put a pen in the spot where you’d normally load a blade. We talked in our last lesson about choosing Sketch as the Action. When you do, you’ll only have 2 options for tools, and 1 of those is the Sketch Pen.

This is a Silhouette brand sketch pen. Notice that the barrel is the same circumference as a blade, and it has a collar just like the blade that rests on the blade holder of the machine. That way you know exactly how far down to put it.

The newest models look a bit different, but it’s the same principle.

I have to be honest — I don’t like them. They are notorious for skipping and don’t last a really long time for the price you pay for them. But I do love sketching, so I go with the next option.

Pen Holder

Here’s the Silhouette brand pen holder, which is what I use.

You’ve got 3 components:

• the main body (that largest white piece) that you insert the blade into
• the collars in 3 sizes (small, medium and large), based on the size of your pen
• the cap, which helps you figure out how far down into the holder to put the blade

To learn how to assemble your pen with the pen holder, see this post.

HINT: My favorite pen to use with the pen holder is the RSVP pens by Pentel. You can get them pretty much anywhere. They work great every time for me and last forever.

Again, the pen holder for the newer machines looks a bit different. Make sure to get the right one!

There are other folks who sell pen holders to use in a Silhouette machine. They can be harder to adjust because you have to experiment with how far down in the holder to position the pen. One thing that’s potentially better is that they can be made of stronger materials and so last longer.

Embossing Tools

The embossing tools for the Curio only, since that’s the only machine that’s set up to do embossing and debossing. You use a special mat and technique for it.

This is the fine embossing tool–

And this is the wide embossing tool–

You can see the tips are different widths, depending on how you want your finished project to look.

Because the Curio is no longer being manufactured, it can be hard to find these tools. Grab them when you see them in stock.

Stippling and Etching Tool

Okay, this tool used to confuse the heck out of me. It took me a while to figure out that it’s the same tool you use for 2 different actions. It’s for stippling and etching on metal with a Curio, which is the only machine that can use them. Stippling punches small holes in the metal, while etching carves into it.

You can stipple on a Cameo 3, but only with a pen. So for that you use the sketch pen or a pen holder.

Dual tool holders

On a Cameo 3 or Curio, you’ve got 2 tool holders. You can choose a different material, action and tool type for each tool holder. But you can only have 1 set of cut settings (blade number, speed, force, passes and line segment overcut) for any given material even if you’re using different tool holders. We’ll discuss all those settings in our future lessons in this series.

If you adjust any of those cut settings for a material on 1 tool holder, it changes them on the other tool holder as well. To use different cut settings for the left and right tool holders, you have to choose different materials for them. Use custom settings as needed.

Up Next

Now that you’re comfortable with the doctor — his methods and tools — it’s time to get serious about your cut health. Next time, we’ll begin talking about the different cut settings and how to adjust those to make your cuts all better.

If you’d like to see some of these tips in video form, check out my class When Good Cuts Go Bad on Terri Johnson Academy. It’s done in an older version of the software, but the concepts are the same.