(Topic ID: 105393)

Silhouette Cameo Pinball Restorers Club!

By Curbfeeler

9 years ago


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  • 782 posts
  • 116 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 25 hours ago by mrm_4
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    #1 9 years ago

    Hi Guys. This is a club I feel needs to exist. The Silhouette Cameo is a great, low price but powerful tool, and I feel it's capable of helping us with the following pinball-related interests:

    1. Creating airbrush masks and stencils for playfield painting.
    2. Cutting printed decals with absolutely NO unprinted material.
    3. Creating DIY cabinet stencils
    4. Creating masks for cabinet touchups.
    5. Creating masks for the DIY creation of impossible-to-source playfield plastics.
    6. Other uses yet to be discovered....

    So, first of all, what is a Silhouette Cameo? The Cameo is a 12" wide plotter-like robotic cutter, capable of cutting a variety of materials. It's got a little razor blade that gets moved all around to different coordinates. These kinds of plotter-based cutters have been around for a long time, gracing us with rear window likenesses of Calvin pissing on Dale Jr. and the like.

    However, it's really only recently that these types of cutters have become affordable enough for the casual user to justify owning one. I got mine off Amazon with an extra mat for $230.

    Even though the Cameo is targeted at the hobby audience, I think it's accurate enough for our purposes. I actually researched this topic pretty extensively. First of all, there are number of pinsiders already using the tool for various aspects of pinball. Here are a few.

    Mk1Mod0's 6M$M Cabinet Stencils
    https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/home-hack-making-my-own-stencils

    Mk1Mod0's Acrylic Pinball Machine artwork
    https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/the-acrylic-pinball-project-i-am-clearly-insane

    ArcadiusMaximus decals and airbrush stencils
    https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/williams-diner-restoration

    rufessor's Playboy
    https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/bally-playboy-restore

    Anyone I missed???

    ++++++++++++++++++++

    Then there are the non-pinballers using Cameos for hobby purposes.

    Amazing Model Railroad Scenery cut out of polystyrene with a Cameo
    http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/79025-a-guide-to-using-the-silhouette-cameo-cutter/

    Cutting Solder Stencils
    http://dangerousprototypes.com/forum/download/file.php?id=10038&mode=view

    Helicopters
    http://www.helifreak.com/showthread.php?t=592298

    The model railroad thread has some valuable best practice type stuff for getting good cuts, and the solder one the guys are printing from Linux using an open source software and getting much better cuts than using the tools that are bundled with the cutter. Very interested in following up with this.

    +++++++++++++++++++++

    So what have I done? Well, I've only had my Cameo a couple days but here goes. I scanned my buddy's Baby Pac Man and traced the problem area with Inkscape. Took about 15 minutes. I exported that to DXF, imported that to the Cameo software, then scaled it to the same width as I measured with a steel rule, to the nearest 1/2 mm. Then I printed on regular computer paper, just to test.

    more to come!
    Dan

    CAM01447.jpgCAM01447.jpg CAM01452.jpgCAM01452.jpg CAM01454.jpgCAM01454.jpg CAM01453.jpgCAM01453.jpg
    #2 9 years ago

    Last night I spent some time getting my Silohouette Cameo on a dedicated computer running Ubuntu. I'm hoping that by doing this I can up the ante of my cuts, because other users are able to eliminate the use of SilStudio and use more professional tools.

    robocop-middle3.pngrobocop-middle3.png

    So tonight I'm hoping to start cutting masks for an impossible to find plastic for my Robocop. I actually need 5-6 of these, because this thing gets absolutely pounded during gameplay.

    Wish me luck. Anybody who doubts I can get accurate enough cuts to rival the original silk screen prints, check out this blog....

    http://custom.ultramini.net/ritagliare-parti-modellismo-silhouette-cameo/

    #3 9 years ago

    Well, I'm taking a break from my cameo... I had to bite the bullet and order a better material to work with. Badger Foto Frisket DOES NOT work with the cameo. Too thin and flimsy. I'm taking advice from both Lonzo and Mk1Mod0's and I ordered Oracut 813 and some proper release tape. I'd like to test out the Gerbermask per rufessor at some point also, but one thing at a time. Stay tuned. For now I'll keep tracing my Robocop plastics so I'll be ready when the time comes.

    #11 9 years ago

    Wow rufessor, just back from a fishing trip this weekend and what a great write-up to come back from! Thanks so much for putting all this together. I got the transfer tape from SignWarehouse and hope get my mask soon. I also want to get a batch of the stuff you're using. Compared to other pinball-related stuff, all of this is super cheap. My mask was like $25 and my tape was another $25.

    I'll document using your methods for my project when I get the goods. Thanks again!

    Dan

    1 week later
    #12 9 years ago

    Well, I'm waiting for my backordered Orucut 813 to arrive from Sign Warehouse in Texas. Sigh.

    So in the meantime, I decided to try something crazy. I was reading the web about airbrush masks on a non-pinball site and saw somebody refer to using contact paper to make them. Contact paper? I remembered seeing rolls of con-tact brand contact paper at the Dollar Tree. So for a buck, I thought I'd try it out.

    IMG_4340.JPGIMG_4340.JPG

    You know, it's not half bad. Took me a few cuts to dial in the thickness. Blade setting of 2, Speed of 3, Thickness of 4 is just about perfect with this stuff. For just messing around and getting to know your new machine on the cheap, I highly recommend a roll. Took me a few adjustments to get the scale just right for my playfield repair, but I feel like it's close enough. I'll re-cut when I have the good stuff, but for a test fit, why not?

    IMG_4341.JPGIMG_4341.JPG
    IMG_4343.JPGIMG_4343.JPG

    Good luck to all,
    Dan

    4 months later
    #19 9 years ago

    This is great info. I'm picking some up right away. I am actually going to post some good results I got painting keyline circles using Oramask, but I can see why for more detailed outlines this stuff is boss. thanks so much rufessor!

    1 month later
    #27 8 years ago
    Quoted from Mk1Mod0:

    Here's a few samples of the home made stencils I did for my latest projects.

    Umm, okay so now I feel inadequate in every way.... Sheesh. That's amazing.

    I am still using Oramask as well, and for circles and basic outlines it's crazy good. I had to quit trying to use it for lettering, though. Had the results rufessor posted above. For the really fine detail the contact paper from dollar tree actually works very well, but I'm worried about residue so don't use it except for practice.

    Pictured are my latest results using Oramask on F14 (the black keylines around the inserts). I wiped all my progress from before with alcohol and started from scratch. It's ready to clear and then I will probably waterslide the lettering. I really just miss it and want to get it back together and play sooner than later.

    Dan

    IMG_4905.JPGIMG_4905.JPG
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    IMG_4906.JPGIMG_4906.JPG

    2 weeks later
    #32 8 years ago

    I normally scan on a flatbed, import the scan into Inkscape, and just trace it. You get good at knowing where to draw a point and how to drag that point. It takes practice. I knew nothing and completely traced a Jolly Roger backglass from pics only, no scan at all. Learned a lot.

    That was pre-pinside for me, deets on that here.
    https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/rec.games.pinball/KGzXBfhmvNU

    Lately for text I've been finding the closest font in whatthefont and after typing the text just converting the text to a path and dragging the points to perfectly match the scan. It saves quite a bit of time over drawing each letter completely by hand. As pkiefert says the autotrace function can be useful, but I've never found it saves time in the long run once you learn to trace/draw by hand. It's either just trace/draw or autotrace and correct mistakes. Early on autotracing was quicker, now I'm faster to just trace/draw it manually.

    Feel free to send me a scan and I will trace the shape you need.

    Dan

    6 months later
    #64 8 years ago

    Just this? http://mirror2.ipdb.org/images/1308/image-17.jpg

    Send me a pm, I'll cut it for you.

    1 month later
    #68 8 years ago
    Quoted from groobo:

    Thanks guys for all your input.
    Cameo has been on sale for some time now, got the starter pack but did not try cutting yet.
    I have a very clean F-14 with the lifted inserts and worn decals and some damage on side cabinet. The inserts have been re-glued but I was still hesitant on the course of action with the decal. Your experience shared here is beyond helpful, and I am sure it will save me a lot of frustration getting this done right.
    Cheers!

    Send me a PM when you finally decide to take the plunge and I can share some files that will be a big help.

    #69 8 years ago

    Pinball buddy of mine recently shared some results of a Cameo job to restore lettering that was about 75% gone. In the first pic you see the shelf paper we used for test fitting. We also printed PDF to bond paper to get approximate sizing and were able to get almost a perfect result.

    20151207_220417-1024x1365_(resized).jpg20151207_220417-1024x1365_(resized).jpg
    IMG_3754_(resized).JPGIMG_3754_(resized).JPG

    1 month later
    #84 8 years ago

    I also use Inkscape. I normally put a square 20mm by 20mm in with my project, and after importing I have to scale the whole project until the square is the correct size. This is because the free version of Silhouette's tool loses scale on purpose to try to get you to purchase/upgrade.

    #91 8 years ago
    Quoted from BJM-Maxx:

    You can tell Inkscape your DPI under Settings. Then you don't have to scale anything.

    Inkscape isn't the issue. In inkscape you can save your file with a scale but when it's opened in the Silhouette software it's "lost on purpose" to try to get you to buy the pro version, which of course will keep the settings.

    #93 8 years ago
    Quoted from BJM-Maxx:

    I meant when you import images, InkScape has a weird default of 72 dpi. The current 0.91 version now asks if it can use information in the file to determine dpi which usually works fine.

    Cool, I'll give it a try.

    #95 8 years ago
    Quoted from bronco-jon:

    Hi Curbfeeler, fellow pinsider GPS replied to a thread I posted about a decal I would like for my pin and says you might be able to help?
    .....All I have is this image I found on line. I need it between 8 to 10" in height by whatever width looks right with the height.
    Is this something you can help me out with here? Thanks, Jon

    MousinAround-Wheel-JR_(resized).png

    I can help with masks for painting but would be out of my elemental with a decal.

    2 weeks later
    #98 8 years ago
    Quoted from eh97ac:

    We need to have a repository

    CEASE AND DESIST!

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