The other day I shared with you an overview and demo of the Photo Sleeve Fuse from WRMK. Today, I’m giving it the full work out, including cutting other plastics with it!
Disclosure: Samples provided for review purposes; however my opinions are honest and my own and based on my first-hand experience. I was not financially compensated for this review/video nor does the product company have any control over it’s content. Some links below may be affiliate links and I will be compensated with a portion of the purchase price- usually 5-7%. So thank you for your support!
Here’s how it’s described
We R Memory Keepers 662567 – FUSE Photo Sleeve Tool. You will love how easy this tool is to operate, and it allows you more freedom in your projects because you aren’t bound by the dimensions of photo sleeves that manufacturers make. You can come up with any shape or design you desire. It’s amazing what you can do with the We R Memory Keepers photo sleeve FUSE tool.
- (1) tool
- (1) fusing tip
- (1) cutting tip
- (1) ruler
- (1) stencil
- (1) tool stand
First let’s take a closer look. It’s a very simple tool- there is a colored plastic hand grip (teal or purple, depending on the one you get) , and “wand” area, and then a replaceable tip. The standard kit comes with a sealing/cutting tip and a perforating tip. The HSN bundle comes with an additional diamond and striped wheel.
You screw in a tip, plug it in, and wait for it to heat up. There is no on/off switch nor is there an indicator light that tells you when it’s ready to go. I’d love to see these features added.
Pro tip: you really MUST use a heat-resistant mat with this tool if you want to protect your table top. There is one with the HSN bundle (see that video here) or the Plaid Hot Glue Gun Helpers Mat
Then you are ready to go! I made you this 5-minute video so that you can see it in action.
Here are the samples that I shared in the video:
Close up of the wavy and straight perforation wheel. This is used to separate areas and fuse them into pockets.
Test on scrap plastic before you work on your project. Here you can see most of the decorative tips.
Remember that there IS a learning curve, especially with the speed at which you move the tool, pressure and angle. I recommend holding the tool 45-90 degrees, and counting 1-miss-iss-ip-pi…. it helped me!
My free hand is rough, but I think I’ll get better. And I’m thinking about trying it with dies!
It will also cut & fuse sandwich bags, poly bags (like for packaging) and clamshell plastic. The clamshell is rough, but it can be done.
The next wave in crafting. Fusible die-cuts and cards- what a concept!
You will see the fuse marks; but I think that it’s part of the aesthetic, much like seeing stitch lines.
I’m going to spend a little more time with this tool- I’m thinking that it might be good for cutting stencils, and of course I’ve already wondered how it compares to a woodburning tool. Do you have any questions? I’d love to hear from you as I’m working on the follow up!
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I bought the fuse when it first came out, and yes it is a learning curve. I had a hard time using the stand, it was not really secure, did you have a problem with it?
Great review. I have played with this and found when to go fast and when to go slow. The cutting edge seems to be better at a slower pace. But I use my steel dies as a guide when making a shaker card. I just press them on to the pouch and can go around the edge, leaving a small edge so the die will cover the pouch lines. My problem is if the shaker contents have any thickness to them, it makes the pouch hard to seal flat and then it is lop sided. I am using a ceramic tile for my cutting service. It seems to be working and I found it in the garage! Thanks.
I just bought the bundle from HSN, after seeing your review the other day. It was very much cheaper than the MSRP. Thanks for the heads up. I am wondering about a comparison with a wood burning tool also. The difference sounds like it could be the rolling aspect of some of the tips — none of the tips on my wood burning tool can rotate. I’ll be interested in your tests. Thanks for all you do. Did you attend Adventures in Stamping in Akron?
I have a hot knife, would the attachments for the fuse work on something other than the fuse?
it is a wood burning tool!
I tried mine and they did!
Did you try this with page protectors? I was thinking of making storage sleeves for my clear and cling rubber stamps. Because once you take them out of the original packaging it is impossible to get them back in! They need a slightly roomier sleeve/storage bag. I was thinking about sleeve protectors as the plastic is sturdier than plastic bags. I then plan to add a cardstock background so the stamps would be easier to see and separate from the next set. This tool seems to offer a great opportunity for custom packaging.
Yes, one of the samples shown is a page protector.
Where do you find the purple one? Has anyone tried fusing to the right side fusing two pages together.
That was a version that was sold on HSN. I’m sorry, but I don’t quite follow your second question….