Foiling - Lesson 3 - Foiling Die-cut Shapes

Today's tip - On many of the YouTube videos showing the GoPress&Foil being used you will see the platform being wound back and forth through the die-cutting machines. I try not to do this as when you wind back towards the flap hinges you are putting pressure on these hinges - this pressure increases with thicker layers in the platform.

Today's fact - At the time of writing this tutorial there are 36 colours of GoPress foil available.

This lesson follows on from Lesson 2 and uses the same technique.

For this technique you will need:

• your GoPress & Foil machine - plugged in and waiting
• a metal shim - as detailed in Lesson 2
• pieces of card shim as described in Lesson 1
• a die-cutting machine (such as a BigShot, GoCut & Emboss, or Cuttlebug) with the platform and plates
• GoPress foil (I am using Petal Pink Iridescent)  (and sharp scissors to cut the foil).
• at least one thin metal cutting die and some cardstock to cut (I am using Sizzix Thinlits dies 661190 Tim Holtz Wildflowers and cutting from smooth white card purchased as an A3 sheet).
• glue suited to adhering card to card e.g. PVA glue, or Tombow MonoAqua or MonoMulti (Note - you could also use Ultimate Crafts DieCut'NBond adhesive tape if you are familiar with using this.)
• The knobbly protective mat and tweezers that came with the GoPress

What to do:

Three small single-thickness die-cuts and
two taller single-thickness die-cuts

• Use your thin metal cutting die in your die-cutting machine to die-cut five of the same image from the same type and thickness of card. Or if like me you dislike doing the same thing twice, cut two images using one die and three images using a different die. We are going to join these to make images of different thickness so that you can see if two layers of the die-cut shape are enough for your die-cutting machine or if you need to use three layers of die-cut for the best result from YOUR machine.
• Now use your adhesive of choice to adhere two matching images together - one on top of the other.
• Next use your adhesive to adhere the other three matching images together - one on top of the other and one more on top of these.

  

  PVA glue, small three-layers-thick piece
  and taller two-layers-thick piece

  
  
• Set these aside to dry and then return to this lesson.
• Welcome back!
• Press the ON button on your machine, and wait until flashing light turns green.
• Place the metal shim onto the hot surface of the platform and wait for the light to return to green.
• Cut foil to the size of one of your your die-cut pieces (lay the right side of the die-cut piece on the not-pretty side of the foil and cut foil to fit).
• Lay the foil pretty side down onto the metal shim.

  

  Foil really is pretty side DOWN
  this one is pink on both sides, sorry.

• Place the die-cut piece right-side down onto the foil. 
• Add one or two pieces of card shim. (Note - see My Results section below for more detail on the shims I used.)
• Close the platform and wait until light is green again. 
• Now wait another 15-30 seconds to allow the layers to heat through.
• Remove platform from GoPress and wind it SLOWLY through your die-cutting machine.
• Be aware of the pressure in your die-cutting machine - try to learn what feels 'right'.
• Return platform to GoPress, remove die-cut from heat and allow to cool for a few seconds.
• If your piece has foiled correctly the die-cut will appear to be bonded to the foil - gently peel away the foil backing from the chipboard piece. If you can see it is not properly foiled as you start to peel, then replace foil and return to machine with one more thin shim.
• Write on the shims that you used to describe clearly what they are to be used for. E.g. "Shim for Foiled Die-Cuts of 2 layers of Prisma Smooth Card in Blue BigShot". 
  
• Repeat this process with your other thinner or thicker die-cut piece.

Troubleshooting: 

All answers below assume the layer was heated for long enough and you have wound SLOWLY

• Image has not foiled - Not enough pressure. Add another layer of shim.
• Image has foiled unevenly - Try adding one very thin layer of shim. This may be due to 'soft spots' on your die-cutting machine rollers. Also try winding the platform through from one side of the machine then turning the platform and rolling in the opposite direction.
• Image is foiled well but deeply pressed into the shim and the shim has been foiled - Shim is too thick - try a thinner shim.

My results:

For my first piece - three thicknesses - two pieces of thin (Muesli bar box) shim left parts of the image not foiled. I added one thickness of Bazzill - foiling still incomplete although I could feel what I thought was sufficient pressure. Rather than add another shim I tried winding from the other end of my BigShot - success!!

For my second piece - two thicknesses - much more difficult to get complete foiling. I managed with one thin shim, one thicker shim and two pieces of Bazzill after winding once from each end of the BigShot. The layer felt to be at the limit of what I am comfortable winding through my BigShot. the thinner die-cut also resulted in foil going on to the shim. I will be using three die-cuts glued together in future.

DIE-CUT SHAPES SUMMARY:

Layering - from platform up:

Heat required - machine is ON

Metal shim - heated

Foil - coloured side down
Die-cut shape of three die-cuts glued together

Shim - make a note of what you need 

Close platform, reheat, wind SLOWLY through die-cutting machine
You may need to reheat and rewind the other way