restless-rooster

tips for vinyl not feeding straight

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Hey guys

I have an mh 871. When I cut large items (20 inches longer or more) my vinyl doesn't feed straight. I line it up to where it's butted up against the edge and my roll is straight. By the time I am done, my roll is about a half inch away from the edge where I butted it up. It's making it a pain with one particular design that I am doing because it makes the final lines not match up.

Does anyone have any tips on how to keep it straight?

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check your pinch rollers, sounds like one or more may be loose and allowing the vinyl to slip a little.

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3 things , are you pulling the vinyl first so the machine is not pulling the vinyl off the roll? How did you set your blade depth? Are you running the vinyl back and forth first to make sure you have it loaded straight to begin with.? Butting it up against anything doesn't mean it is straight

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<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote'data-author="dakotagrafx" data-cid="380358" data-time="1418740787"><p>

3 things , are you pulling the vinyl first so the machine is not pulling the vinyl off the real? How did you set your blade depth? Are you running the vinyl back and forth first to make sure you have it loaded straight to begin with.? Butting it up against anything doesn't mean it is straight</p></blockquote>

I am not pulling the vinyl off the real, I figured the roll was straight so I should be good. I thought that's why the stand had the rollers to be honest but I'll try it like that.

Blade depth is fine I believe. Half a credit card and my test cut by hand was good.

And I didn't feed it back and forth. I'm thinking step 1 and 3 that you mentioned should help.

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Half a credit card is way too much,for blade depth..  that is an incorrect instruction that keeps rolling on.  Here is how to set your blade correctly.  You should barely see the tip of the blade or feel it out of the blade holder

 

 

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.

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Have no experience with a MH, Some machines just feed better than others. Some roll holders are just junk. Is it as bad with a sheet, as it is a roll, or vice/versa? 

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<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote'data-author="Mz SKEETER" data-cid="380377" data-time="1418750304"><p>

Half a credit card is way too much,for blade depth.. that is an incorrect instruction that keeps rolling on. Here is how to set your blade correctly. You should barely see the tip of the blade or feel it out of the blade holder<br />

<br />

<br />

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.</p></blockquote>

I will double check it. My cuts come out fine though, it's the feeding that's the issue. Unless that could somehow be related.

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<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote'data-author="knucklehead" data-cid="380378" data-time="1418750643"><p>

Have no experience with a MH, Some machines just feed better than others. Some roll holders are just junk. Is it as bad with a sheet, as it is a roll, or vice/versa?</p></blockquote>

The mh series is a cheaper model so it could be that. I haven't tried with sheets though, I've been using rolls.

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<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote'data-author="Mz SKEETER" data-cid="380377" data-time="1418750304"><p>

Half a credit card is way too much,for blade depth.. that is an incorrect instruction that keeps rolling on. Here is how to set your blade correctly. You should barely see the tip of the blade or feel it out of the blade holder<br />

<br />

<br />

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.</p></blockquote>

Also, is pulling the vinyl off the roll like you mentioned a better way?

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The vinyl should always be free and slack,  from the roll,,,pulling on the roll will cause the vinyl to shift....Always prefeed your vinyl..  It will actually put rollers marks in the vinyl which your pinch rollers can follow again..  Rollers marks do not hurt your decal.. unless severe.. When you take the wax paper backing off and apply the decal, the roller marks will be gone. 

 

Too much blade exposed can cause a drag in the vinyl, instead of just gliding thru it and cutting, Vinyl is very thin, you only cut with the very tip of the blade. The blade should spin freely in the blade holder...

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<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote'data-author="Mz SKEETER" data-cid="380377" data-time="1418750304"><p>

Half a credit card is way too much,for blade depth.. that is an incorrect instruction that keeps rolling on. Here is how to set your blade correctly. You should barely see the tip of the blade or feel it out of the blade holder<br />

<br />

<br />

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.</p></blockquote>

I followed all of your steps that you mentioned to me and it cut perfectly.

Thank you for all of your help.

I will be taking a shot at a 2 color layered decal soon...I'm sure I'll have a question about that too.

Thanks again.

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and that dang 1/2 credit card myth strikes again - it just won't die.  thanks skeeter

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Those instructions ( half the credit card thickness ) for setting blade depth was on us cutter site I dont know if its floating around somewhere.

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I remember trying the half credit card thing when I started too (some directions) but thanks to the forum got straightened out by Mz Skeeter. 

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Just for reference, a credit card is about 1 millimeter thick, or about 40mils. So half a credit card, 20 mils, is about 8x thicker than a typical piece of vinyl.

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