Newbie from South Florida

[DarkHorse 0]

Good morning, all! I'm at my wit's end, and I haven't even started yet. I ordered a new cutter (Laserpoint 2 [Laserpoint 801]) and received it last week. Of course, there was no instruction manual included, so I downloaded the one online. Lo and behold, the cutter illustrations and instructions in the manual DO NOT MATCH THE CUTTER I HAVE AT ALL. I sent an email on MONDAY to US Cutter customer service and this is the response I got, finally, on Wednesday (emphasis added):

 

"Could you please send me the first and last name on your account? As for the user manual there is no user manual for the new Laserpoint 2. Because the model is so similar to other models they adapted the same user manual."

 

I immediately replied with the following and have gotten ZERO back from them to date:

 

The first and last name on the account is Lisa XXXXX.

 

Firstly, as I stated in my inquiry, I did not receive a pen cartridge with the machine.

 

Secondly, regarding the machine’s operation: Specifically, I need to know how to use the control panel on the front of the cutter…which buttons do what? How do I align the material? How do I make a test cut? How do I adjust the blade pressure? How do I put the cutter in jog mode? There are far fewer buttons on the cutter that I have than on the one for which I downloaded the manual, and the operation of those buttons most definitely is NOT intuitive. There is no test button. There is no on-line button. There is no mode button. There is no pause button. There is no target button. There is no + button and there is no – button (there isn't an "UP" or "DOWN" button, either). I don’t consider that “similar” in any way to the cutter represented in the manual I downloaded.

 

The manual they are referring to that they claim is for a model that is "so similar" is entirely useless.

 

For what it's worth, my cutter has the following buttons (pic attached): "Reset" "Select" "Enter" and four directional (arrow) buttons. That's it. There is no logic whatsoever to the functionality of those buttons, and I'm usually very adept at figuring things out.

 

Can someone PLEASE provide me some information? I can't even get the knife to go down...there is no "down" button! I've figured a few things out (like how to change the pressure) and I can ALMOST get a "test" cut, but the pressure is set at over 700 which, from reading other stuff, isn't at all where it needs to be. I have also downloaded and reviewed the "newbie" instruction manual, but that also has more buttons than the cutter I have.

 

This is EXTREMELY frustrating, as I am in smewhat of a time crunch. I am terribly disappointed in the responses I've gotten (or, rather, NOT gotten) from US Cutter customer support, so I'm reaching out to this community in the hopes that someone can help me.

 

Thanks in advance to anybody that can offer some help!

 

Lisa

 

 

[slice&dice 2,450]

Welcome.

 

View the video from 11:40 --- 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-vtIkJ4Kec

[jaybyrd 3,770]

On the disc that came in the box there shuold be a user manual for that machine. I have that model and if memory serves there was a file on the with all the info to run this machine.

[jaybyrd 3,770]

It is a blue disc. go to lp(english) then manual and finally users manual for LP. pg. 6 describes control panel operations. If you have any questions just let me know and I'll see if I can answer then

[skarekrow 1,842]

Did you see this ?

It's the user manual for the Laserpoint.

 

http://support.uscutter.com/index.php?/Knowledgebase/Article/View/194/61/05-laserpoint-users-manual

[jaybyrd 3,770]

Did you see this ?

It's the user manual for the Laserpoint.

 

http://support.uscutter.com/index.php?/Knowledgebase/Article/View/194/61/05-laserpoint-users-manual

That is for the LP1. Totally different setup.

[slice&dice 2,450]

Scarekrow, yes she saw it, and downloaded it and discovered that This manual they are referring to that they claim is for a model that is "so similar" is entirely useless. (quoted from the opening post)

 

The 3 buttons on the LP II operate in exactly the way as those on my SC.

(using a menu to navigate through the items) ----

HOWEVER, with that being said, the SC manual that's available for download on the USCUTTER support page actually features an (older) button configuration that's NOT the same as what these actual machines have on them now.

 

So, I looked through various models' manuals in PDF format and discovered that the TC cutter instructions regarding the control panel are the same as what the LPII has.

(Page 15 - 17)

http://support.uscutter.com/index.php?/Knowledgebase/Article/View/198/43/02-tc-series-users-manual

 

That is the correct answer to Lisa's issue.

[jaybyrd 3,770]

Everybody keeps overlooking that the correct manual is included on the dic that has the drivers on it. Unless they don't ship with the disc anymore. It'll take forever with my slow Internet but if anybody needs me to I will upload the user manual.

[DarkHorse 0]

Thanks, everyone for the info. I feel like I'm getting a little closer, but I still can't figure out how to make the blade contact the vinyl! Everything seems to be working OK, but the blade is not contacting the vinyl (I can't use a pen for testing because I wasn't sent one with the machine). Except for Sure Cuts A Lot Pro, there was no disc with it, either.

[DarkHorse 0]

Jaybird, my control panel is TOTALLY different from the one in the manual. That's kind of my whole reason for posting here! Slice&Dice pointed me to a manual that explains the button operation, and also provided a helpful video link. But I still can't get the blade to contact the vinyl unless I set the pressure to 800 and even then it doesn't cut through the vinyl.

[jaybyrd 3,770]

have you tried the test button on the cutter? I didn't link to the one as uscutter, somebody else did. I know they are different because the one that was linked to was a LP1 which I have also owned. My LP2 came with a disc and I guess the best resolution here is to upload the manual I am referring to. if the blade does not drop during the test function you need to call usc support because the carriage is messed up. They had to send me 1 when mine arrived this spring for that same reason. Give me 5 or 10 minutes and I'll try to get the usermanual uploaded.

[DarkHorse 0]

Jaybird, thank you so much! Yes, I've tried the test button, and the carriage moves, but the blade does not drop. It barely scratches the vinyl with the pressure set at 800. It also moves around like it's cutting when I send something from the computer but, again, it doesn't really cut.

 

Would it be easier to email the manual to me?

[jaybyrd 3,770]

It is too big to upload here, even zipped. pm me your email and I'll send it directly to you.

[jaybyrd 3,770]

I have zero experience hosting a file anywhere so if someone would like to help out I'll send you the file and have you post a link here or better yet maybe I can get with bannerjohn or dakota and see if we can get it added to the instructional section here.

[slice&dice 2,450]

OK, we've got the buttons sorted out.

 

Now, I am questioning the indication of "pressure" at 800, because that sounds more like the top speed setting, not pressure.

 

Anyway, I am now thinking that Lisa's problem about the blade not coming into contact with the vinyl surface has to do with the way the blade cartridge itself is inserted within the carriage bracket.

 

There was another recent thread covering this (with illustrations) --

http://forum.uscutter.com/index.php?/topic/42375-blade-holder-isnt-coming-down-enough-for-blade-to-touch-vinyl/?p=331810

 

and

 

http://forum.uscutter.com/index.php?/topic/42375-blade-holder-isnt-coming-down-enough-for-blade-to-touch-vinyl/?p=331819

[DarkHorse 0]

Slice&dice, my blade cartridge is inserted correctly (I triple checked it) but I can see how someone could easily make that mistake!

[slice&dice 2,450]

Hmmmmmmm,  I'm not sure what to tell you.

 

When you turn on the machine (or press RESET) the entire carriage will perform a self-adjustment, returning to the home position and raising & lowering the blade once.

 

Is that happening?  (In other words, I'm trying to verify that the Z-axis is functioning at all)

It's hard to tell from your description of the problem whether or not the electromagnet inside the carriage is working, and the blade is rising and falling, for instance during the test cut process.

[DarkHorse 0]

The blade is NOT rising and falling at all.

[slice&dice 2,450]

All right, that clarifies things.

 

Here is what you are experiencing -- it's called a Z-Chip failure.

You can confirm that on your own using a 9v battery.

 

http://forum.uscutter.com/index.php?/topic/35653-mh-721-not-cutting/?p=271090

[jaybyrd 3,770]

Slice, the electromagnet can cause what she is describing as it did in mine. When I called tech and told them they said it was a known issue for the carriage. Can you push the blade holder down manually and if so does it pop back up on it's own? If the answer to either of these is no then you have a carriage issue. Beyond that 1 last test is to power the electromagnet (located behind the cover) with a 9 volt battery and if still no success it's definitely in the carriage.

[DarkHorse 0]

No, the blade holder does not pop back up on its own if I push it down manually. Guess I need to call tech support on Monday.

 

I must give everyone here kudos...you guys (and/or gals) are awesome! Thank you, everyone, so VERY much!

[jaybyrd 3,770]

There is a screw to adjust it so it ride in the center of the holder freely. I can take pictures tomorrow but if you loosen that so it movers up and down freely and then retighten it you should be good to go. Really depends on how comfortable you are with what you are looking at.

[jaybyrd 3,770]

I found this in my photobucket acct. If I remember right the rod located on the left is where the adjustment was to make it stop binding but I can't be sure til I get to the store tomorrow.

[jaybyrd 3,770]

Ignore the assy. to the right rear in the picture, that is of my graphtec carriage.

[slice&dice 2,450]

So what you are suggesting is that the electronics are OK and the Zchip is likely sending a signal properly, but the holder mechanism is physically being constrained from easily sliding up and down on the rod?

 

Seems simple enough to fix.