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Update! Since we're in Hawai'i, Graphtec recommended that we check with a local authorized repair shop rather than send the whole thing to continental US. We called up the recommended shop and after hearing of our issue asked, "when did you last replace the plunger?" They noted that those can stop working, preventing the blade from spinning/rotating. We ordered a new plunger from them and we're back in business! We finished out the 15mil synthetic job and are getting through the 10mil job as I write this. The old plunger has been marked and is still good enough for most of our paper jobs. I did let the boss know about the other blades you folks recommended. Thank you

. Has this cutter ever cut correctly? Is it new or used? Your cutter is a value cutter with a cheap Chinese chipset on it,, will take a bit of fine tuning to cut correctly. Best to use with a Tripplite Keyspan Adapter and your null modem cable. Setting your blade depth correctly is the first thing you have to get correct, You do not use the depth of a credit card or post it notes. That is way too much blade exposed out of the blade holder. You set the blade depth to the vinyl you will be cutting.( Instructions below). For blade offset, start at 0.25mm and adjust at 0.05 to be correct. Show your test cuts from the TEST cut feature on the machine. That has to be correct first, before you cut anything. Square should be square. You could also ad a little overcut in your cutting software, but that is not going to fix what you have going on. You have to start with the correct blade depth first. this info has been posted on here hundreds and hundreds of times, it applies to any brand of vinyl cutter, except a Graphtec has a ZERO blade offset. Something that you will have to do if you haven't, if that cutter is on a stand, it needs grounded to the stand, or static from the vinyl, will stop the cutter. The tracking is not good on those cutters for larger designs. The memory is also not good for larger designs. To start with, you should set your blade depth correctly, by taking the blade holder out of the machine, and firmly cut across a piece of scrap vinyl, you will be cutting. You should only be cutting the vinyl and barely a mark on wax paper backing, Adjust blade to get there, Then put the blade holder back in machine, and use the force of the machine to get there, same results, only cutting the vinyl and barely a mark in wax paper backing. You should barely see and feel the blade tip out of the blade holder. Regular sign vinyl is only 2-3 mil thick. You only cut with the very tip of the blade. When you think the blade is so far in the blade holder, that you think it would not even cut, that is probably correct.

My cutter appears to be one of the numerous re-branded versions of the ct630. It's currently running v2.01 firmware and generally seems to work ok but i am a n00b at using vinyl cutters. I have my own eprom burner - so while it's not worth it to me to pay for a programmed chip with unknown improvements, I'm curious enough that if i can get an image of the firmware i think it would be neat to see what the difference may be.

So, what kind of stories do you have out there of your first vehicle wrap experience. I'll go first. I did the quarter and a door on my truck today, and lets put it this way, if we count how many wrinkles are there you have Barbara Walters! Ok, all bad jokes aside, jeez I thought this was going to be a little easier. Probably doesnt help that I have to cut 60" vinyl on the ground, and the wind would not cooperate by stopping! Wrinkles, blems, and cuts oh my! The real question is should I press on and potentially waste the rest of the $250 spent for the Hexis, or should I cut my losses now?! Hmmmm....

If that's the case I'd try changing the hole size. Some duct tape with a hole punched in it would probably do the trick. The hole might get larger over time but it'd be an easy fix. Or a small circular piece of polycarbonate (Lexan) with a hole drilled in it and then taped in place. You can get 1/16" thick sheets from amazon for about $7. Could probably even cut a circle out of a plastic party cup. Another option, and it's bit more extreme, drill small holes in the suction cup part so that it doesn't make an air tight seal. If the suction is strong enough it should still pick up paper.

paper will dull blades very fast.

I would replace them anything less than a 1/4. Try again. mark-s

Good morning, Seattle. A few questions for you ---- what was your wife intending to accomplish with a cutter? When you say it's "too much" are you referring to the overall size? What made you believe your spouse was requiring a cutter at all? Also, there is a section of these Forums dedicated to Buy, Sell, and Trade which would be the logical place to post your offer. Beyond that, try Facebook/Meta marketplace (or Craigslist, if you dare) and make sure the price is right. There are SC2 machines as low as $340 from the USCUTTER warehouse, so your offer to sell should be less than that. I'm thinking around $250 is in the ballpark. You don't mention here, but when advertising, don't forget to mention it comes with a fresh (Unregistered) copy of VinylMasterCUT. I will say one more thing. When someone comes to look at it to buy, they'll want to see it working, not just sitting there with a zip-tie (anyone can zip-tie a broken/malfunctioning unit and say it's 'new' ). In order to provide a live-action demonstration, download and install SignBlazer Elements and choose LiYu as the cutter model, which will get the cutter to respond. Good luck.

Will do. Many thanks!

No discrepancy. The $982 is for CUT V1-V4, to XPT. V5. Choose XPT V1-V4 to XPT 5. (far right). You are paying for almost all of XPT 5, upgrading from bare bones CUT for $982. Each version has a different price for upgrade. Click on the versions, they are each different. Page default is on CUT.

Here is the thread that people posted of work spaces, a while back.

There is already a thread here that people showed their shops, you will have to find it. Also, there is only a couple handfuls of forum members that answer questions anymore. I never went small. I started with large graphics and never looked back. My average is 20" wide by 8 feet. L. Clear up to 27" w x 16 feet .L. I prefer making my money fast. Less work, more pay. Large detailed graphics is my niche' I work out of a 13' x 14' bedroom, 8 ft table, 30" cutter, old XP laptop. I have been at it for 16 years, online only. Good luck.

Signblazer is an unlimited trial now. It has been for quite sometime. It cannot upgrade. There is not any support for it. The owner passed away, years back.

Where

Wow...first post and reviving a dead thread!

Not sure how you sized the logos. But when I do race cars or any vehicle, I usually take a picture of it with a piece of 8.5x11 piece of paper taped to it. Then I do my design work. The when the design is ready for print or cut. I make an 8.5 inch line. Then I size the picture with the design to match the line using the piece of paper. Car looks good.

I found this used cutter for sell. I see its a cutter and printer. did a lil online research, saw most complaint was for the cost of using it for printing and heads going bad. can anyone school me on this machine? ins and outs and what would be a decent price if its a decent cond and working machine. owner told me he never used the printing feature

All the wraps I have ever seen they only did seams at smart locations like where the side panels meet the roof etc... Never seen them have an overlap on door panels. Maybe he has an undersized printer? For what those costs I think I'd make sure it made me happy. Tell him that if he wants to leave it the way it is he needs to add some more vinyl that says "This crappy wrap job was done by....:" so he can get proper advertising for his efforts. Ha ha!

A couple example pictures would go a long way for opinions.........BUT it doesn't sound like i would be happy with it either......

I've just had my first ever (spam link removed) returned and I'm very unimpressed with the job. The wrapping guy is pressurising me to sign it off so that he can get paid but I feel really reluctant to do so. He tells me that my expectations are too high but I find the finishes around certain areas unacceptable. It's been vinyled in two horizontal sheets with about an inch overlap, made to look even worse as the pattern doesn't line up. In addition to these finishes, the logo and contact details are vinyl cut and placed onto the wrap and so have lost the effects that I placed on them and he has lost some clipping paths on an image that I used on the rear, so the background colour doesn't come through. Are my expectations really too high?

Ya do not apply that material wet. It is re-positionable also start at the top, work your way down, pop it off if you get a wrinkle and work it out. Watch a few vids and see what they do.

I would assume he is using a wrapping cast, 60" hexis

ok so you are not talking about a wrap. you are applying large cut vinyl pieces. a WRAP is done by using printed vinyl on vinyl + laminate made just for doing a vinyl wrap. ex printed IJ180cv3 with 8518 overlaminate. not standard cut vinyl. if you wet install wrap vinyl you will never get out all the water from the micro air release channels. it will cause the wrap to fail!!!

I've done many full color wraps NON PERFORATED and haven't had an issue 1 doing them wet..... Soak it down, position it, squeegee the snot out of it as you heat, not a problem at all... Never a wrinkle or complaint.......

I would say yes, Greenstar is a cheaper vinyl, A good name brand vinyl would be a good way to set up your machine..