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Kittycut

Can the Copam cut offline side to side?

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Guest HowardI

The copam is completely PC (or Mac) controlled and can not be used offline. 

Howard Irwin

Support Specialist

US Cutter

425-481-3555

888-298-8143

  - Option 2

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Guest HowardI

When you say offline, do you mean manual cutting?  Or do you mean from a memory card or something like that?

The only one you can use a memory card with is the new craft robo (not the old model for 219.99).

Howard Irwin

Support Specialist

US Cutter

425-481-3555

888-298-8143

  - Option 2

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Kittycut,

If I understand what you are trying to do (from your other post about cutting strips across the roll) the main thing is to not need a computer to make the machine run.  The second thing is to cut completely through the material (no backing sheet on what you are cutting). 

If the Craft Robo will run stand alone you still may have a couple of things to overcome ot make it do what you wish.

To make the material feed through the Copam it has to be held by the pinch rollers at each side  - the blade will not cut beyond the point where the pinch rollers are holding the material - that means you can't cut completely across the full width of material.  If the Craft Robo uses a full width drive to feed the material it may cut all the way across - check to see.

Cutting material without a backing sheet is possible - but it destroys the cutting strip.  If you can complete the run of strips you need to do before having to replace the cutting strip that may be acceptable.

Here is a cutting guide made for Quilting that may be of use to you - no computer needed - but it's not automatic.

http://www.guidelines4quilting.com/Videos/Guidelines6x12Ruler.html

If this isn't what you are trying to do please give more details -- Mike

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Thanks for reply again, Howard.

What I really need is what Mike says:

Kittycut,

If I understand what you are trying to do (from your other post about cutting strips across the roll) the main thing is to not need a computer to make the machine run.  The second thing is to cut completely through the material (no backing sheet on what you are cutting). 

As you say, the Copam can do only the cut from pinch to pinch, so is not what I need.

The rolls wide measure is 120 cm (about 48"), so the Robo is excluded.

Thanks for the link Mike, but to do that job manually, suposse too many time.

I guess there are some kinda of plotter that can do that but more than posible it costs some good moneis :)

Thank you very much anyway.

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I don't know of  plotter that will work right out of the box.  You might be able to modify it to cut past the pinch rollers by taking off the magnets which make the cutter head "know" where the pinch rollers are located.  You may have to "fool" the machine by mounting the magnets on each end of the desired cut to make the cutter stop before it runs into the end of the machine.  The outfeed stacking will be a jumbled mess and will have to be manually pulled out of the way to prevent interference with the movement of the cutter head.  You could use a thin strip of plastic to protect the cutting strip and replace it often without having to glue in a new strip.  I think something like the cutting mat material used for rotary cutters if thin enough could be temporarily mounted and may last long enough to be of use.  You may have marks where the pinch rollers roll across the material as it feeds.  You will have issues with tracking of the material getting gradually skewed and requiring stopping and readjusting.  All of that and still you need a computer to run it on any cutter I am aware of.  I  run my cutting software (VinylMaster Pro 2.95 and SignBlazer Elements) on a $50 desktop computer - is a computer out of the question?  Is it expense or complication you seek to eliminate?

Good luck - if you find something that works let us know.

-Mike

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Guau!

You have discovered to me a lot of things about the plotter. I didn't know about the magnets in the pinchs as signal for the cutter head.

I see it is a real headache what I want to with the inapropiate machine.

The computer is not a problem here, the problem is that there is no way to cut the stripe complete to the end, with or without computer.

I really appreciate your help.

I'm looking some other possibilities and I let you know what I find :)

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Guest HowardI

an MH1351 would do this if you can use the computer.

Just be aware that this will ruin the cut strip and you will have to replace it frequently.  It does not have sensors or restrictions on cutting beyond the material.

Howard Irwin

Support Specialist

US Cutter

425-481-3555

888-298-8143

  - Option 2

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I have to make some tryes with the Refine. Let see how long the cutting stripe resist.

I have found a machine that can do the cut but it seems to have not rollers. The rollers of the Refine and this electric trimmer together is what I need. I can't believe there is not a simple machine to cut stripes..

I have searched a web for american users just in case someone is interested:

http://www.thefind.com/search?query=electric+rotary+trimmer#page=3&local=0

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There is another thread that has a link to some real neat " fixes " 1 is using DOT grade reflective tape to repair cuts in the cutting strip . Seems if you put that on the strip before damage , you could keep from damaging the strip . If you just need the stuff cut , could you make or modify a paper cutter ( the  type that has a bed & a pivoting blade ) or something that has a grove in it so you could use a box cutter ?

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I don't know if anyone has noticed but, on the Copam there is a cutting channel built into the front plate (just in front of the cutting strip). All you need is a razor knife and you can cut the material off square by inserting the knife in the channel and cut it off. This may not be automatic but it works very well. On many plotters the automatic sheet cut feature costs extra so, often you will see a channel somewhere on the machine for this purpose.

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Good point JimE.  Sometimes we forget that things that are obvious now that we have experience were so bewildering when we first got our machines.  Thought I would post this as well.  Besides the cutoff channel there are two indexing strips with hashmarks along the top and front of the outfeed surface.  It wasn't obvious to me until my son showed me to line up the edge of the vinyl with matching hashmarks on both index strips to make it square to the machine.  Hope this is helpful to somebody as well (if you hadn't known it already)

-Mike

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CONFUSED?:thumbsup:? If he needs that many strips why not go buy a roll of striping vinyl? ???nuline makes it in many colors.

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If you use 30" vinyl, you are only going to get 30" strips at best. Just send a file from Corel with a strip the width and length you want, and stack them on the width. if you set the distance between them tiny, you won't have much loss of vinyl.  If you don't want to use the entire width, save the scrap for more strips or another project.

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