Vinyl Plotter Cutter Questions

[upgr...@gmail.com]

First I should mention that I'm not sure if this is the appropriate
group to post this question to, so I apologize if this is off-topic.

I am getting into airbrushing, and I airbrush bodies and canopies for
remote controlled model cars and helicopters. I am basically wanting
to be able to make my own masks for use with an airbrush, then just
dispose of the mask after one use. I'm not that good at hand cutting
masks with frisket film, so I'm thinking about a cutting plotter to do
the job for me.

I know very little about a cutting plotter, however I know the basics
of a pen plotter that I used in a high school lab class years ago. I
have some basic experience making curves, etc with Photoshop, and can
adapt to other software rather easily. Can you guys give me some tips
on what to shop for, and what I'm getting myself in to?

I have Google'd a little to see whats out there. My budget is around
$400-500 for everything I would need, not counting the cost of the
vinyl, which is pretty low. An 8" unit would probably do most of what
I want, but a 10" or 12" would be great. It seems like I would have
difficulty finding a new unit priced in my budget, but I see lots on
eBay that have a nice price. Experience tells me that I shouldn't buy
something I know little about on eBay, as its easy to get burned and
not know it. Any comments?

Are cutter plotters high maintenance? Any chance of one that is Linux
friendly? Do they make vinyl with low-tack adhesive for use in
masking, and is it priced higher than regular vinyl? Am I expecting
too much for my budget range?

If it makes any difference, I don't care too much about speed. If I
can cut a simple or moderate stencil covering roughly 8"x10" in about
half an hour or a full hour thats ok. Oh, and how do the sheet-fed
models cut a smooth curve? I've seen a flatbed pen plotter work, but a
sheet fed I don't really understand.

Thanks,

--Farrell F.

[Lee Blevins]

<upgr...@gmail.com> wrote:

What you want is common. Painting masks are cut on vinyl cutters now.

[Eric]

Lee Blevins wrote:

However applying vinyl is a skilled job.

When I last airbrushed we used a rubber paint-on mask. It goes on just where
you want it and follows the non-flat contours of a model. Getting fiddly
bits of flat vinyl to go around rivets and curves requires more skill than
just painting it on. How would you mask up a T-62 or Matilda II turret?

--
Eric

[upgr...@gmail.com]

On Dec 2, 1:06 am, Eric <e...@nospam.com> wrote:
> Lee Blevins wrote:

right now im hand cutting frisket film and its a bitch. a friend of
mine had some scrap vinyl from his little 3" cutter plotter, and it
seems to be a little easier for me to handle. right now im just doing
easy work on relatively smooth surfaces. i was looking into liquid
mask if i get into scale modeling, but for now i just wanna do some
simple paint drip and flame effects, etc... and i like to be
different, so i didnt want to go with off the shelf masks.