Cameo Not Cutting? Might Need to Clean It Out!

I use my Silhouette Cameo all the time—seriously, almost every day! And 99% of the time, it cuts perfectly without any issues. But this morning, after a streak of successful cuts over the last few days, suddenly, it just wouldn’t cut at all! And of course, this kind of thing always seems to happen right when you're up against a deadline!

I went through all the usual troubleshooting steps—swapped in a fresh auto blade, checked the blade cap, made sure the blade was seated correctly, changed the Electrostatic Protective Sheet (since I was using the Electrostatic Mat on my Cameo 5), and even tried different paper. Still, nothing worked!  

Then I remembered the small "well" or hole on the left side of the blade housing, where the Auto Blade taps to adjust itself. When I checked it, I noticed it was filled with tiny bits of paper, glitter, and what I like to call "crafting dust." It wasn’t completely clogged, but it was about halfway full. Not the best photo, but you can still see the debris on the right side of the well.  

I turned off the machine, unplugged it, and moved the blade housing over to the right to get better access. Then, I used a straight pin to carefully clean out the well—it was packed with debris! After that, I grabbed some canned air to blow out the remaining bits. Once everything was cleared, I placed a sheet of chipboard (which is what I was cutting) back on the mat, and it cut like butter! Back in business! When that well is filled with debris, the Auto Blade can't adjust properly when it taps, causing cutting issues.

I know there are other reasons why your machine might not cut properly, but this small detail is often overlooked. So, I wanted to share this quick tip—or a "Public Service Announcement"! The next time your machine isn't cutting cleanly or not cutting at all, give this trick a try!

Until next time --

PS -- Here's a sneak peek of what I'm working on for my October All Things Silhouette Club!