A few weeks back I purchased a Silhouette curio 2 and have been ruuning it through it's passes. I've cut, etched and embossed. I've stippled (very time consuming) and sketched. I already had a Cameo and was familiar with the software so I really wanted to test the things that were different. Please note the cut setting are very different on the Curio 2 than the Cameo. Most of the paper cut at blade depth 2 or 3. I do have a paper that is hard to cut and I put that at a 5 You do not want to damage the static mat.
Let's start with how the curio 2 looks different from the Cameo. Most obvious it has a much bigger footprint because it is a flatbed cutter. This means the item you are crafting stays in place on a hard surface while the blade moves back and forth. It measures 24 inches wide and 20 inches deep and 9 1/2 inches tall. The Curio 2 has 2 beds to cut on. A static bed and a debris tray. Because it is a flatbed cutter you can etch on sold surfaces like acrylic and wood, that would never be able to be put on a mat and run through a Cameo. To emboss and deboss there is a soft embossing mat.
No sticky mat is needed when using the static mat. The static charge holds the paper in place. It was a little weid the first time I used it I just put the paper down allowed the charge to build and off it went. I will admit I had to resist the urge to hold it in place. This allows you use very light weight papers and the paper does not curl from being peeled off the sticky mat. The first time I used the machine it took about 3 minutes to charge. I would say it takes about a minute now that I have used it several times. I was able to get paper up to 300 GMS to stick to the static mat. The 325gsm paper had to be taped down.The acetate did seem to take longer to stick. I also noticed regular shaped paper stuck faster and better than scrapes. The embossing mat does stick to the static mat.
The other option is the debris tray. This is a plastic tray that can be used instead of the static mat. It is easily switched out by opening 2 clips on the lower top of the machine and sliding the tray stright out. Be careful not to bend the pins of the static mat. This is good for thick items like acrylic or wood. (I haven't tried wood yet) Items will be to be taped down when using the debris tray. I taped a sticky mat to the tray and lay items on the mat. If you are etching the etching dust may stick to the mat making it less sticky so you may want to tape your items down instead.
In the video below I show you many items I test cut then demo cutting, embossing and etching. I hope this helps you decide if the curio 2 is a machine that fits your needs.
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