This is going to be a quickie this week as I really am still at the playing around stage with this gadget. What exactly is it? I don't really know. It is sold as a vinyl cutter, but I have been using it to cut card. I bought the smallest of the Silhouette range, called the Portrait, which will cut A4 sized cards.
The possible uses I can see you this are:
- Cutting out printed card stock scenery. (Useful for Kaiju Rampage games.)
- Cutting out a card base for a building, especially if I want lots the same.
- Cutting out intricate stuff, like brick texture and tiles.
You begin by using the free software to map out the cuts, if you have one of the bigger machines you can also emboss, which would be pretty cool, but I don't. Above I am having a go at making some necromunda scenery, basically 2" cubes and bridges between them. I am using two layers of card, the pattern cut into the top layer.
Another thing I am trying is to draw an intricate pattern, such as the one above. This is a tile floor, but I am also trying brickwalls. Then scan this picture in and use the 'trace' function on the software. By setting the depth to 'paper' but using a thicker card the cut does not go all the way through. I then peel away the sections between tiles/bricks to leave the raised pattern.
Above is my trial for this process. I have sprayed it black and will then dry brush grey to pick out the detail.
Mounting card is a bit too thick for the cutter, which is annoying as it is my preferred building material. I cut out the above building, but had to finish the cutting with a scalpel, not as tricky as it sounds as the cut was already 90% through, but you know... you don't by a dog and bark your self.
Watch this space for some finished projects...
Coming Next Week...
Solo dungeoneering with Ganesha Games' Four Against Darkness
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