timmywill1 1 Posted July 7, 2015 Hey Everyone! After being apart of the sign world for about 6-7 years now and learning how to use a multitude of different software and plotters( mainly roland, mimaki and utoh), i have decided to try my hand at doing some vinyl stickers and vehicle lettering at home! I have purchased a MH721 series ( I am assuming the MK2) from the usc website along with the starter set of the oracal 651. I would love to eventually upgrade to 751 but cant afford. Before i find out the hard way.. would i be smart in buying the Keyspan adapter right off the bat BEFORE the plotter gets to my door? I am currently runnign an instance of 64bit windows 7 ultimate with 8GB ram and quad core 4ghz processor. also, Ill be designing in illustrator cs6.. im hoping to figure out the SCALPRO plugin for adobe and cut from there. allllll advice welcome! Thanks so much! -Tim Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
slice&dice 2,450 Posted July 7, 2015 Tim, my man!!! The MH runs like a champion using the SERIAL cable provided. If your computer doesn't have a serial port, just buy a serial card and pop it in. $6. delivered --- http://www.ebay.com/itm/Moschip-PCI-Express-X1-PCI-Ex-DB9-RS232-Serial-Controller-Adapter-Card-/151730666523 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
timmywill1 1 Posted July 7, 2015 Tim, my man!!! The MH runs like a champion using the SERIAL cable provided. If your computer doesn't have a serial port, just buy a serial card and pop it Computers got a serial. Thats good to hear as ive been wishy washy about buying the mh for a week now. I know its not going to be like my mimaki gc160fx at work but thats my bosses expense not mine lol! Any good advice you can give me andnwhat to expect with the mh? I know the grounding is important.. How about tjay anti static kit tthat uscutter is selling? Worth it? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
slice&dice 2,450 Posted July 7, 2015 The best advice I can give you regarding the MH is unwind the amount of vinyl you are using from the roll (don't have the vinyl unrolling by the feed mechanism of the cutter), and use anti-static dryer sheets stuffed into the ends of the cardboard tubes. 651 is fine. Download and install SignBlazer ELEMENTS --- even though you're going to be working in the Adobe/SCAL environment, it's still worthwhile to have SBE around whenever you want to just knock out something basic in 3 minutes and don't feel like screwing around with Illustrator. I live and breath SBE, and every day I open my sign shop, I look up to the heavens and thank Jerry. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
timmywill1 1 Posted July 7, 2015 Good advice! Thanks. Looking forward to this adventure with the new machine. Already have a few smaller jobs lined up that i can fine tune the cutter with! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wildgoose 4,200 Posted July 7, 2015 Welcome Tim. You and Slice know each other??? I think having the MH will be enlightening after having access to high end cutters. It will do you good in the long run because you will probably gain some tweaking ability and a better appreciation for the servo cutters at work. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
timmywill1 1 Posted July 7, 2015 <blockquote class='ipsBlockquote'data-author="Wildgoose" data-cid="398154" data-time="1436245644"><p> Welcome Tim. You and Slice know each other???<br /> <br /> I think having the MH will be enlightening after having access to high end cutters. It will do you good in the long run because you will probably gain some tweaking ability and a better appreciation for the servo cutters at work.</p></blockquote> No sir we dont know each other. And im always open to hone the skills and lesrn new things for sure 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cal 393 Posted July 7, 2015 Welcome aboard, from middle Georgia Cal Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
greenmachine 52 Posted July 7, 2015 Welcome from NY. greenie Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
timmywill1 1 Posted July 7, 2015 wow. I was mistaken. I actually purchased the MH 871** didnt realize the model number denoted the size... mine is 34" overall.. cuttign max 31.5 .. whoops! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Command 97 Posted July 7, 2015 Welcome in from NJ/PA mate. I have a MH cutter from years ago that I cut my teeth on. The comments above are right about it making you appreciate a good cutter, but it certainly is capable of fair quality once you get the hang of it. See you around! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rlvied 292 Posted July 8, 2015 Welcome to the forum. Great group of people here Bob from De. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
timmywill1 1 Posted July 8, 2015 two quick questions for people running the USCUTTER- what does "Refine" mean? essentially the Mk2? the Original MH series have the memory Upgrade.. but not the Refine ( which I THINK i bought?) also.. The only spot I have to run the cutter ATM in my house is a carpeted room.... If i set up the ground from cutter to stand and then place the wheels of the stand on top of some spare ceramic tiles... should i be ok? or how about one of those plastic chair mats in offices so the desk chairs dont ruin the carpet? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Command 97 Posted July 8, 2015 two quick questions for people running the USCUTTER- what does "Refine" mean? essentially the Mk2? the Original MH series have the memory Upgrade.. but not the Refine ( which I THINK i bought?) also.. The only spot I have to run the cutter ATM in my house is a carpeted room.... If i set up the ground from cutter to stand and then place the wheels of the stand on top of some spare ceramic tiles... should i be ok? or how about one of those plastic chair mats in offices so the desk chairs dont ruin the carpet? I'm not sure about the difference in the model names, as I'm thinking nothing has changed in years. As for static, I think your setup is going to help. It should mitigate a lot of the risk of static causing mis-runs and stoppage. Unfortunately it will likely still have some issues with humidity and static so long as it is not internally grounded. Also, a drier sheet placed in the roll might help. The MH series is notoriously temperamental. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites