MissFrida

Which Cutter to buy? for my needs....

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Greetings everyone,

I have a home business making securment straps from webbing for truckers to secure their loads with. I am getting ready to expand that to include making "Wide Load" signs for them.

   These signs are very simple, they are an  aluminum panel that I cover with professional grade reflective vinyl and then I will be cutting the lettering out in regular black vinyl to attach to the reflective. 

   My question is this:

      1. I will not be doing fancy graphics or printing of any kind, just simply cutting out block letters, so which machine would any of you recommend? We will be making about 5 to 8 signs a week is all. I sent an email to US Cutters and the guy that responded had no clue, he suggested I contact this forum, this did not instill a lot of confidence in US Cutters.

      2. I also asked for a list of all the items I would need to get set up, and get started, i.e. supplies, tools, table covers, ext , he did not even address this issue, i guess they don't want to make a sale or something. Can anyone here help with this?

 

Before I started my securment business i did a lot of research, as I am doing here. US Cutters came highly recommend. Was I misled?

 

Anyway, any help would be most appreciative

 

Thank you God bless,

Miss Frida

6:19 Industries

    MB900361474.jpgWe have this hope as an 

anchor for the soul, 
firm and secure.
 Hebrews 6:19

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  Sometimes the BEST advice is not what we want to hear . The person gave you the best advice . I am sure there is nobody that has the collective experience of this forum , let alone somebody who only sells or works on cutters . Simply , buy what you can justify spending , any cutter will do what you want . Get a 24" cutter . I think buying a Copam , which is the bottom of the business class cutter is best . Many use the hobby class cutters with great results .The letters are required to be 8" minimum in most states & 10" minimum in some . It is a state to state issue . Same goes for " Oversize Load " vs " Wide Load " . What the oversize permit says is what is required or the driver gets wallpapered ( DON"T ask me how I know :) )

 

 

The reference you got about USCutter is correct , best company I have dealt with !!!

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and as far as your supplies, what others may use, you may not. you will use application  transfer tape and vinyl, as supplies.    The rest are extras, you may or may not need or already have, squeegee, scissors, exacto knife.  Flat surface like a table. The rest is up to you, what makes your life easier. You will see that, when you get started.

 

And like Rodger said, any cutter will do what you want.  Buy the best you can afford.

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Thank you all for taking the time to help. By the way the letters will be 12", that covers all states. My son, who owns 2 trucks and 3 specialty trailers and drives all over the USA and Canada ( 17 years) does nothing but over sized loads. Making the signs is his idea.  :rolleyes:  I can't tell you the width of the letters,  he told me, I wrote it down and now I have misplaced my notes. That is what I get for cleaning off my desk.  B)  

Thank you all again, 

God bless, 

 

Miss Frida

6:19 Industries

    MB900361474.jpgWe have this hope as an 

anchor for the soul, 
firm and secure.
 Hebrews 6:19

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If the letters are 12" high, then they will naturally scale to width across, depending on the font used.

 

You could manage this job easily with the 24" (MH721) unit at $260. (including shipping)  but be darn sure to have that unit grounded properly, and verify the tracking is set up accurately from the get-go, because you're gonna be running through a fair amount of length of vinyl at a time to make these wide signs.

 

keep+on+trucking.jpg

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You could manage this job easily with the 24" (MH721) unit at $260. (including shipping)  but be darn sure to have that unit grounded properly, and verify the tracking is set up accurately from the get-go, because you're gonna be running through a fair amount of length of vinyl at a time to make these wide signs.

 

yes, I meant to mention this when I responded to this in the other forum, if you buy the cheaper hobby cutters, def be sure to ground it well and properly.  And don't just assume that you know how to do it, ask specifically where the grounding wire should go.  This is coming from a guy with extensive industrial technology experience, I burnt out my motherboard and ruined a lot of vinyl because I assumed I the grounding wire in a sufficient location and was absolutely incorrect. (I unknowingly attached it to the screw which the motherboard was attached to, because it was the only shiny one within reach of the cord, and assumed that was correct, since the others were all black; nope).

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yes, I meant to mention this when I responded to this in the other forum, if you buy the cheaper hobby cutters, def be sure to ground it well and properly.  And don't just assume that you know how to do it, ask specifically where the grounding wire should go.  This is coming from a guy with extensive industrial technology experience, I burnt out my motherboard and ruined a lot of vinyl because I assumed I the grounding wire in a sufficient location and was absolutely incorrect. (I unknowingly attached it to the screw which the motherboard was attached to, because it was the only shiny one within reach of the cord, and assumed that was correct, since the others were all black; nope).

The biggest mistake made is people ground the cutter (whick is already gounded thru the plug) - when the problem is the static that builds thru the stand and rollers then discharges thru the cutter - on the cheaper cutters you have to make sure to ground the stand to the cutter to disappate that energy so it is not stored.     

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