Do you hate cutting intricate dies?

Hi friends! The other day I was wandering through a big box craft store and saw a die cutting accessories that piqued my interest. It claimed that it would help intricate dies cut cleanly. I decided to give it a try because it if solved the issue that my 12-year-old Big Shot has with cutting theses kinds of dies it would be totally worth the price!

Today I am reviewing the Chrome Precision Base Plate from Sizzix. It is designed to apply a bit more pressure and bite to lacy intricate dies so you can cut them easily and cleanly with fewer passes in the die cutter. See how it works in the video below.

Supplies featured in the video (affiliate links used)

• Sizzix chrome precision base plate
• Sizzix die cut brush and mat.
• Big shot die cutter (this one is newer but mine has seen daily use for 12+ years so I can’t complain that things loosen up a bit over time)
• pokey tool to help paper release from die or poke out little stubborn chads.

Things to consider before investing in a chrome precision base plate:

• This works the same as the old precision base plate so you don’t need to replace it unless it is worn out/warped. The Chrome version purportedly never needs to be replaced.
• Use this with the tabbed platform and not with the magnetic platform as I did because the pressure could break the magnets (advice from a viewer)
• Once you use a die with this cutting plate you will need to continue to use it with this plate as it slightly dulls the blade so it will forever need the bite of the chrome plate to cut. This is not a big deal if you plan on keeping the die, but if you plan to sell it you might not want to use it with this plate. That said etched dies like these wafer thin dies cut more with pressure than sharpness so I don’t know if this is really a big concern. If you can’t get a die to cut properly in the first place it is a risk worth taking for me, but I would not cut dies on it that you don’t need to such as basic shapes.
• I have also heard from a viewer that this can warp your dies but they will still cut fine. I did not have this problem but it might be because my machine is on the loose side.

For me the Sizzix Chrome Precision Base Plate was totally worth the money. I have shied away from using intricate dies after having such a hard time cutting the beautiful Cheery Lynn doily die I bought many years ago but now I can enjoy that die as well as others! Maybe it will be helpful to you as well. Happy crafting!