darcshadow

Anti Static Kit

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Can't blame anyone for trying to make a buck, but really? $15 for two magnets and a piece of conductive string? I also like the note at the bottom of the page. "If static problems continue then attach a grounding wire to a screw on the bottom of the machine and the other end to a screw on the stand of your vinyl cutter (or some other ground)." Why not just do that first.  lol

 

http://www.uscutter.com/Anit-Static-Kit-for-Vinyl-Cutters

 

*note, the web address has anti spelled wrong.

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cutter pros have it without the magnets for 6.99 or you can get a whole roll of 72ft for $66  -  this would be a good money maker  for a problem that is well documented over lots of years that could have been fixed with metal to metal contact from the cutter to the stand and metal roller bearings like graphtec uses instead of plastic plugs so common on the value cutters.  it might add a dollar to each cutter after redesign but it is a great business selling mb's and static kits.   rantoff.gif

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Hey I almost got sucked in until I saw they only had the largerror one in stock at $25. Even I'm not that big of a sucker but I really am sick of my q75 zapping the crap out of me.

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Your q75 should be hounded thru the plug and not zapping you jay. Check you wall plug to make sure it is really grounded

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Not the factory stand and think that's the issue but Mzskeeter also made a post a while back about getting zapped by her fc.

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Static has been so bad this years I can feel it when screen printing too.

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I agree with the extra bad static this year -printer room got it's own humidifier cause the furnace one can't keep up.  furnace is getting it's yearly service this year while we are at the funeral today and I asked the people to put a new controller on the humidifier so it will run even when the furnace is not heating ( new model controller).

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You getting zapped by anything is most likely not the object zapping you, but rather you zapping it. To test, before touching the thing zapping you, touch something else to ground yourself and discharge any static you have on you, you'll probably get a zap, then touch your equipment, you shouldn't get zapped then.

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Only thing I get zapped on is the cutter. And it is so bad that siser is actually clinging to it instead of gliding smoothly across the cutter. Never had it before but since I'm not getting zapped anywhere else I'm voting on it zapping me unlike when you're charged and get shocked whenever you touch something grounded.

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hmmm, that's odd. The cutter should be grounded through the power line. So if it building and holding a charge there is a grounding issue somewhere inside the unit, or possibly even the wiring of the house/building. I lived in a house for a few summers that had the ground wire miswired and it was actually hot.

 

I see your earlier post said you don't have the factory stand, but that shouldn't matter if is the cutter that you are touching when you get zapped. If the stand is not grounded it would build up static from the vinyl then discharges into the cutter through the knife blade and possibly damaging the circuitry on the cutter head. Grounding the stand to the cutter allows the discharge to happen at safe levels and through non sensitive circuits. However it sounds like your cutter itself is not grounded so there is no place for the static to go other than into you when you touch it.

 

If you have a DMM (volt, current, resistance meter) I'd suggest taking a reading between the 3 pins on our outlet. Between Neutral and ground typically is at or be near 0V. Between live and neutral should be around 120, and between live and ground will be around 120 assuming neutral and ground are near 0. If the outlet measures good, move onto the power cable. Switch to resistance on the DMM and measure from pin to pin on each end of the cable. Check for near 0 ohms on each wire, and make sure there is not a short between any of the wires. If that rings out good then I suspect there is a grounding issue internal to the cutter itself, possibly a faulty internal power supply.

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Don't know the why but it grounded and I call say from all the rewiring I've had to do in here that the panel is fully grounded and everything in here that was existing is 12/2 with ground however as you eluded I haven't pulled receptacle cover yet to make sure it's actually connected to the plug.

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this is awesome info. I too am getting a shock when touching my cutter but before buying decided to come here and check it out. SO- the cutter gains static while cutting the vinyl ? that is why the string would touch the vinyl. HHMM. I like the dryer sheet idea. I do have it grounded to the stand having followed the instructions when I bought it but now I also do as suggested and touch something else before touching my cutter. This is what causes the board to fry - correct ? I am so afraid of that happening. Any more tips available?

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Not the factory stand and think that's the issue but Mzskeeter also made a post a while back about getting zapped by her fc.

I think my biggest problem is me... I use a towel and wipe off my table, which is that plastic crap/, then I go over to my cutter and move the media basket. I know I'm going to get it.

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I think my biggest problem is me... I use a towel and wipe off my table, which is that plastic crap/, then I go over to my cutter and move the media basket. I know I'm going to get it.

Mine is my cutter punishing me for making it do so much work. It is a sadistic machine.

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theresat, the cutter shouldn't be building up static, it should be grounded and all static will discharge into the ground. The vinyl as is unrolls and moves around will generate static. Since the vinyl is usually touching the stand, and the stand is metal if the stand is grounded the static from the vinyl will be discharged through the stand and safely into ground. If the stand is not grounded the static will discharge though the nearest conductor, which is usually the metal blade on the cutter. Because of this, the circuit board on the cut head can get zapped causing strange cuts, or a completely blown card.

 

So long as you are not touching circuit boards, or anything too near the circuit boards, you getting zapped, or more accurately, you zapping the machine, shouldn't have any damaging effect to the cutter. 

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