Does anyone know if a Sizzix die cutting machine, and its dies, will cut through chipboard?

Question

Also, what is the difference between the regular Sizzix die cutter and the Sizzix Sidekick? Do they use the same dies? I am not a scrapbooker, and I've never used a die cutter before, but I want to use one for some projects, and I want to know if it will work on chipboard before I buy all the supplies. Someone must know about this sort of thing. Any help you could give me would be very much appreciated. Thanks.

Answer 1

I just tried to cut some chipboard with my regular Sizzix machine and No, it does not cut all the way through. It made a nice clean looking cut on top but when I turned it over,the blades had not gone through. I tried it a couple of times and niether time worked. I was a little afraid it would dull or bend the die blades so I wouldn't recommend you try. The machine I have is the regular Sizzix that has a pressure lever and uses the thick,original dies. The Sizzix Sidekick uses a crank to pull the die through the machine and uses the small,thin Sizzlet dies. You can use both kind of dies in the regular Sizzix....the Sizzlets must be used with a system converter, a magnetic adjuster that costs about $10 and shims which come in packs of about 6. This makes the regular machine more versatile but is more expensive than the Sidekick. The Sidekick can only use the thin dies such as Sizzlets but is cheaper,lighter weight and more portable than the other so they both have pros and cons. Another Sizzix item that you might find fun and interesting are the embossing folders which allow you to emboss a variety of designs onto paper without the hassle of using a light box and embossing tool. If you still want a die cutter, the regular machine can cut through several layers of cardstock and the variety of designs and alphabets is wonderful. I love my Sizzix. Also,they usually cost about $80 but I waited until the craft store Michaels had a 50% off coupon in the Sunday paper and got mine for $40. The Sidekick is usually about $50.

Answer 2

I do not believe it will, the toughest material I have used is hard plastic sheets and it dulled the cutting blade on the die cut. A sizzix die cutter is much bigger that a side kick. You may use the side kick dies in the sizzix if you have an adapter, but not the other way around. If you are interested in industrial cutters try the Ellison site. http://www.ellison.com/catalog/?p=machines They have heavy duty cutters. much more expensive but might last longer. There are 3 sites you might want to check before you invest your money. good luck.

Answer 3

Sizzix machine hands down the best. It is a much better machine. It can take the dies from all the other companies. You may want an old red Sizzix machine if you are only going to be cutting small dies. I would think you could pick one up cheap now with the new models out.