5.06 Chipboard Tips
Selecting Chipboard
• There are many types of materials considered to be chipboard, so consider the following:
If the chipboard is thicker than the maximum blade length, then it cannot be cut.
If the chipboard is quite stiff and cannot easily be bent, then it also cannot be cut.
If the chipboard has been exposed to humidity, then it will not cut well. Refer to the “oven drying
method” mentioned in Section 5.01.
Thin flexible chipboard is the best choice. It’s worthwhile finding a particular brand of chipboard to use in
your projects so that you will know which blades and settings work best each time.
For a thicker look, consider cutting two copies of the same shape from thinner chipboard and adhering
together, especially if the design is somewhat intricate.
Just like with some textured brands of cardstock, some chipboard types will yield cleaner cuts on the
bottom side. So, mirror your images first after verifying so that you can use the other side of the cut
shape.
Cutting
• As with all materials, set the blade exposure so that it’s equal to or only a tiny fraction longer than the
thickness of your chipboard.
• Thick chipboard can easily come loose from the mat. Use an extra sticky mat. Also, using masking tape or
blue painter’s tape around the outside edges of the chipboard will help prevent the chipboard from slipping
during cutting. However, also make sure you brayer the chipboard down very well to keep the chipboard in
contact with the mat’s adhesive.
• You can also apply a stabilizer such as freezer paper or Heat n’ Bond to greatly improve both the
consistency of cutting, as well as the intricacy of what can be cleanly cut.
• The SOLO offers some very slow speeds and cutting chipboard may require these. Don’t hesitate to reduce
the speed to a setting of 4 or slower, if you find the cutter is struggling to cut the chipboard or the shapes
being cut are distorted.
Troubleshooting
• If the test cut was perfect, but the shapes failed to cut cleanly, the mat may not have been sticky enough to
hold the chipboard throughout the cut. Refer back to the Cutting section. Also, try slowing the Cut Speed if
the shapes were fairly detailed and the uncut sections were on tight curves.
• If a stuttering sound is heard during the cut and/or the shapes are distorted, then the blade is being forced to
cut faster and/or deeper than possible and “something had to give.” Try using more passes at a lower Force
to make sure the blade is able to gradually cut through the material.
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