cricut blade installation

Apr '07 RebeccaMarie

Anyone who has a cricut, please help...I just bought one the other day and cant figure out how to install the blade..
I'm unscrewing the little silver thing, and it keeps coming off, but if I dont unscrew it enought, I cant get the green thing to fit in the black hole thing...anyone getting me?

I'm so lost!
Apr '07 Victoria13

RE: RebeccaMarie: Anyone who has a cricut, please help...I just bought one the other day and cant figure out how to install the blade.. I'm unscrewing the little silver thing, and it keeps coming off, but if I dont unscrew it enought, I cant get the green thing to fit in the black hole thing...anyone getting me? I'm so lost!

Ok...let me think,

The blade should be inside the metal thingy...there are numbers at the one end on a dial...that sets how far the blade sticks out....the blade sticks out the other end.

If you look inside the cricut....there is a holder for it...you have to twist the metal screwwy thing, and then swing it open....place the blade holder in there - the thicker part not the thinner (it should be snug) then swing the latchy thing back and tighten the screw....

oh god...those are awful directions....it's really not that hard, honest!!
Apr '07 Booknook200

RE: Victoria13: Ok...let me think, The blade should be inside the metal thingy...there are numbers at the one end on a dial...that sets how far the blade sticks out....the blade sticks out the other end. If you look inside the cricut....there is a holder for it...you have to twist the metal screwwy thing, and then swing it open....place the blade holder in there - the thicker part not the thinner (it shou...

Yeah, pretty much what she said. That little silver knob thing, swing it to the right after unscrewing it just a little bit, not enough for the screw to actually come out though. Once you swing the silver knob thing, the section opens up into like a swing arm sort of, you place the gold blade holder in there, with the arrow on it facing you. Hope this helps and enjoy your cricut!
Apr '07 SuzeeQ

RE: Booknook200: Yeah, pretty much what she said. That little silver knob thing, swing it to the right after unscrewing it just a little bit, not enough for the screw to actually come out though. Once you swing the silver knob thing, the section opens up into like a swing arm sort of, you place the gold blade holder in there, with the arrow on it facing you. Hope this helps and enjoy your cricut!

I had the same problem until I found the holder to swing out.
Apr '07 RebeccaMarie

RE: SuzeeQ: I had the same problem until I found the holder to swing out.

Thanks...I still couldnt get it, so my bf was like "give that to me, I'll do it"
sure enough, he did, and because he got it in, he wanted to be the first to try it out...

The first time we ran it through, it didnt cut the paper, so I adjusted the blade length and the pressure knob, and it worked.

What blade length do you normally keep yours on>?
Apr '07 Bellanca

RE: RebeccaMarie: Thanks...I still couldnt get it, so my bf was like "give that to me, I'll do it" sure enough, he did, and because he got it in, he wanted to be the first to try it out... The first time we ran it through, it didnt cut the paper, so I adjusted the blade length and the pressure knob, and it worked. What blade length do you normally keep yours on>?

I normally keep my blade depth at 6 and the speed/pressure settings around 4. I cut mostly Bazzill textured cardstock. For other papers I will adjust the blade depth down to 4 or 5.

As you play, keep track of the settings that work best for you. Before you cut something on a paper you can't replace if it doesn't work, do a test run on other paper.

There's a ton of good information out there on the Cricut - there are yahoo groups and an active forum/message board system on the cricut website itself.