New SC cutter

[top53 53]

Ordered on Tuesday at 4:00 P.M. received it on Wednesday by 5:pm cut 30" X 16 foot sign by Thursday. You talk about getting the job done. I just wanted to express my appreciation to USCutter for a job well done. I would loved to have had another Graphtec but this will have to do for now, I will use it as a back up. Seems to work fine except it sure is loud.

[slice&dice 2,450]

You will probably also notice that it uses a stepper motor, which leaves 'ridgies' along the diagonal cuts.

[top53 53]

Why does the heart look fine but the fonts look so bad. I am going check this out this afternoon, how big is your font. When I cut the test square it did not have them and it was at a diagonal. O well I completed this job without them and I will check it out this afternoon. Thanks for the heads up.

[mb20music 760]

You will probably also notice that it uses a stepper motor, which leaves 'ridgies' along the diagonal cuts.

There is definitely something wrong here, a properly functioning/setup cutter will not do this.

[MZ SKEETER 4,708]

I used a cutter with a stepper motor before I got my Graphtec, and never had anything like this in any direction. It was not a USCutter model, but was still a Chinese cutter with a stepper motor. And I still have it.. That work would not go out my door to a customer.

[slice&dice 2,450]

There is definitely something wrong here, a properly functioning/setup cutter will not do this.

What could I adjust? It just 'bumps' (chatters) along on the diag. and has been doing so since day one.

[top53 53]

Hi, just got back. I ran a cut 12" font "W,X" and my SC Cutter does not do that. You may need to make some adjustment. See pic.

[speleopower 46]

Hi-My 34" SC machine does not do that at all.

-Scott

[Binford 53]

My SC 34' does not do that , maybe adjust your Gram pressure or your speed ... just a Idear

[slice&dice 2,450]

Hmmmmmmmm, sorry for the thread hijack.

According to you good folks posting here, these 'jaggies' are not a normal operating circumstance, so I decided to look into eliminating them.

After reviewing some other threads here, I discovered that the belt that moves the carriage (blade-holder) head has a tensioner adjustment, accessible by removing the entire left hand (power plug/onoff) side cover.

Added some slight tension, and my crazy wigglies are now gone.

[speleopower 46]

Excellent! I was planning on taking the side panel off of my SC and see what adjustments there might be.

-Scott

[top53 53]

Glad you got it fixed. Do you have much work that you will have to redo.

[slice&dice 2,450]

Nah, as it happens, that picture I posted isn't even from my machine -- it's a photo that was copied from another thread by someone else, showing a REALLY REALLY drastic example of the jaggies. (Horrific, in fact)

My own machine produced very minor & almost imperceptible ridges, so minor in fact that I couldn't get my camera to record an image to show what was happening. I could only see them with my reading glasses at close range, and for sure the signs that I was making don't look bad at all.

Unless you are taking a very close look & inspecting the edges of individual letters you won't see jaggies, and nobody does that with signs meant to be viewed from 30-40 feet away.

Anyway, now that I've corrected the tensioner, even those minor steps on the edges are gone.

I just figured it was "normal" until the folks in this thread pointed out that I should be getting a totally clean cut.

Which I now do obtain, so thanks everyone who offered their 2c.

[GET Longboards 0]

About how many turns did you do on the tensioner screw?

[liquidfusion 69]

Great info being conveyed here, Its appreciated...

Bruce

[slice&dice 2,450]

About how many turns did you do on the tensioner screw?

One-1/2 rotations.

Also, while I had the opportunity, I drilled a new hole for the set-stop screw on the rear rail that provides a limitation to the motion of the right-hand pinch roller as it slides over. (The factory-placed location of that set-stop was too far to the right, and allowed the roller to reach a spot that MISSED the grit rollers!!!!!)

[GET Longboards 0]

One-1/2 rotations.

Also, while I had the opportunity, I drilled a new hole for the set-stop screw on the rear rail that provides a limitation to the motion of the right-hand pinch roller as it slides over. (The factory-placed location of that set-stop was too far to the right, and allowed the roller to reach a spot that MISSED the grit rollers!!!!!)

Awesome I will have to tighten that up and see if i can fix the slightly jagged edges im getting. I also noticed the pinch roller issue. I guess thats what you get when you buy a budget cutter.

[speleopower 46]

I ended up tightening the belt a little on mine tonight. I didn't really not a difference other than it seems a little louder.

Does anyone know what the tension should be on the belt?

-Scott

[GET Longboards 0]

I ended up tightening the belt a little on mine tonight. I didn't really not a difference other than it seems a little louder.

Does anyone know what the tension should be on the belt?

-Scott

Were you having issues before?

[speleopower 46]

Very slight issues with having small "hairs" attaching letters to the main part of the vinyl or what seem like blade offset issues but don't change regardless of what offset I set.

It seems to be more of a problem with cutting fonts than cutting vector images I have created. And of course the smaller the font the more noticeable the problem is.

The worst is when I try and cut lower case "a", "e" and "i".

-Scott

[GET Longboards 0]

Very slight issues with having small "hairs" attaching letters to the main part of the vinyl or what seem like blade offset issues but don't change regardless of what offset I set.

It seems to be more of a problem with cutting fonts than cutting vector images I have created. And of course the smaller the font the more noticeable the problem is.

The worst is when I try and cut lower case "a", "e" and "i".

-Scott

hmmm have you made sure the fonts are clean. I find sometimes that the fonts arent the greatest. What cutting and designing programs are you using?

[speleopower 46]

I am using Signblazer for cutting and Inkscape/Signblazer for design.

Yes I'm of the opinion it is the font causing me the most grief. Tonight I cut 6 sets of the following letters "ifgtae" using different speed and offset. One font will be nearly clan while another font has slight issues. The font I have tried cutting the most is Arial rounded MT. All of the "i" letters and "a" letters have minor issues and it doesn't matter what blade offset or speed I run at the issues are always at the same location on the font.

When I zoom in real tight with Signblazer and look at the letters the font appears clean. I do not know how to edit a fonts nodes.

-Scott

[GET Longboards 0]

I am using Signblazer for cutting and Inkscape/Signblazer for design.

Yes I'm of the opinion it is the font causing me the most grief. Tonight I cut 6 sets of the following letters "ifgtae" using different speed and offset. One font will be nearly clan while another font has slight issues. The font I have tried cutting the most is Arial rounded MT. All of the "i" letters and "a" letters have minor issues and it doesn't matter what blade offset or speed I run at the issues are always at the same location on the font.

When I zoom in real tight with Signblazer and look at the letters the font appears clean. I do not know how to edit a fonts nodes.

-Scott

a couple of options you can select in cutter set up is like fastest path, normal, and best tracking. Also to edit the nodes click the button 6 to the left of the select button.

[Binford 53]

Scott i get that to , with the smaller the Font .. on my SC... just like you ... but with Vector images always comes out wonderful... Your not alone buddy A-E-I its more noticeable with smaller the font but Big fonts come out real good .. Thanks

slice&dice for the info brother

[speleopower 46]

Yup the vector images I have drawn seem to turn out pretty much good not matter how small I try and cut them. It's the fonts that are cut cutting clean and yes the larger the font the less noticeable the tiny hairs are.

Any ideas on how to "clean up" fonts? That is something I have no idea how to do.

-Scott