The Brother Scan N Cut has a huge amount of potential it's just a matter of extracting that potential and adapting it to our models and dioramas.
I've only been experimenting with cutting and designing for a very short time using this machine but I'm already extremely excited about the possibilities I will soon unlock! One of the things I love most about using this machine is its WIFI capabilities, the only wire I have to connect is the power cord, the rest is done on the computer and then sent directly to the machine using the internet... It's as simple as that!
Compared to cutting out paper templates by hand the scan'n'cut can get extremely intricate cuts. Obviously there is a limit to just how intricate but as you can see from the photos of the palm leaves it certainly does a good job.
The main learning curve is not actually using the machine, it more to do with creating the files that you want to cut. If for example you want to cut basic shapes then simply using the online software (that comes provided with the packaging) to create those shapes is easy enough however for things like palm leaves you'll definitely need some skill in other drawing programs like Adobe Photoshop or Coral Draw.
These units aren't cheap, I can recommend the use of such a tool however I definitely don't use it as much as I thought I would. Basically I've used this unit to create large leaves found on tropical plants like palms. If you're building a layout located somewhere that features a lot of these types of plants it could be a good purchase.
I know these can be used for all sorts of things like cutting out paper templates for buildings and such but to be honest I just haven't found that I have a need for it. Most of those jobs are simple shapes to cut which can be done with a good sharp knife quite easily, and not to mention 3D printing has taken over quite significantly. Even 3D printing a palm leaf is not out of the question!
That said, these definitely have a place for many modelers and if you invest the time and effort they can find a useful place on your work bench.
I've included some .SVG palm leaves below for anyone who wants to give these a try and make some fantastic looking palm trees.
Download the files associated with the project. All files are included in a zip for convenience.
