newbie - having to use way too much pressure and frustration ....

[binklewis 0]

Hey all - newbie here ... I'm about to pull my hair out .. I recently purchased a 25" laserpoint II - first complaint - whoever thought it was a good idea to make me try to accurately drop a flipping screw thru 2 holes and only screw it into the bottom one (cross bar install) needs their head examined - I was soooooo infuriated with that stand install - something that should have taken me 30 minutes took me 4+ hrs - here's why:  when it was finally together and time to put the cutter on the stand braces - the screws on the bottom of the cutter got in my way on one side, so the cutter wouldn't sit level.  I ended up having to take 3 screws out, one of which I'm pretty sure was holding something in place - so there's my caveat :-).  I tried it every which way - backwards, the whole nine yards - there is just something defective with either the stand braces or my cutter - i'm positive of it - I will not entertain user error at this point :-) 

Anyhoo - once I finally got the thing on the stand, it appeared to be functioning properly, then it was time to set my blade depth.  I've done the manual method, keeping it just under the credit card width, but here's what's going on: 

1. I've had to set the blade depth more than I should (CC depth or more), AND i'm having to use pressure of 300g or higher to get anything to cut and weed cleanly.  It will cut at 200, but it's not thru the vinyl for my design and half of it comes up when weeding. 

I'm seriously frustrated with thing, especially given the fiasco of the stand installation.  I'm willing to concede I might have done something by pulling that last screw out, but honestly - it's probably just holding a board internally in the unit in place, which is probably held on by at least 2 or 3 other screws - I just can't see that having anything to do with my blade depth and pressure issues.  This is a brand new unit, brand new blade (45 deg).  I've same the same issues trying to cut regular vinyl and HTV.  If I set the pressure at what the rest of the world is using (100-120), not only does is it NOT cut the vinyl, when I do the test pattern it barely puts a scratch in the square, triangle doesn't even show. 

Is there some kind of adjustment I can do for the blade holder? That seems like the logical culprit to me. The pinch rollers appear to be working fine - i'll cut up to 18" wide without any bunching or feed issues. 

HELP !!  

 

[Dakotagrafx 7,297]

first get over that credit card business = it has nothing to do with setting a blade depth correctly - here is skeeters instructions we have posted hundreds of times and is even stickied 


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.

[Dakotagrafx 7,297]

you will probably have to open the cutter now having removed the screws as you could have removed a brace or pulley holder causing your problems - most of the time if a screw is not allowing it to sit right the person has the brackets on the wrong way on top of the stand . .  .

after you make sure all the internals or connected properly then you will make sure that the carriage wheels are all on the track as they tend to come off during shipping from time to time.

the other mistake newbies make is messing with the pressure roller pressure adjustment causing feed issues

from your description if all the internals are indeed attached then I am betting your carriage is off the track

Take a deep breath and troubleshoot slowly and carefully - this is a userforum manned by volunteers and uscutter staff stops by maybe once a year so be kind to the help

[binklewis 0]

Thank you for the quick reply Dakota :-) I may be a cutter newbie, but I promise you something is wrong with my stand (well aside from the double hole "drop the screw wrong, tip up the leg, let the screw fall out, retrieve, rinse and repeat" fiasco :-)).  I followed the video exactly, with the mounting brackets on the high side facing inward as explained (I think I even reversed them) - there is actually no other way to mount them and have the cutter actually mount on anything.  Anyhoo - I digress - rant is officially over - problem is SOLVED !!  

I could see where the whole screw removal might open me up some major "operator error" scenarios, but amazingly, I found the solution on a youtube provided by uscutter, which I really wish they would have put a yuuuuuuge STOP sign in the box and make everyone who buys this model watch, seems like they must get a lot of calls on this.  Turns out the carriage was stuck because the copper coils were rubbing up against the outer shaft - I had to pry from the left side to re-align it.  Once I did that - voila ! I am now finally in the "normal" "hey my blade is off" mode, but at least I can adjust the speed and pressure like a normal person and get a good cut :-)  First cut after I fixed it I was able to pull the weeding off without half of it coming up - imagine that :-)  I didn't think it was stuck because it was cutting, albeit very erratically as I now know in hindsight.  A friend asked me if it was moving up and down and I was sure I had previously seen it do that (probably not :-)), helped me zero in on the problem. 

Thanks again for the quick response and reminder of the community and volunteers - lots of awesome tips and information from everybody here.  I still detest that stand install, but i'll get over it - i'm honestly a very positive person and very much appreciate everything here that helps us newbies join the vinyl fun :-).  Just finished making a t-shirt - awesome sauce :-) 

 

 

[Wildgoose 4,200]

Seems most of us have had a fun time somewhere along the way. I first bought a Creation P-Cut and I think I put the stand together about 3 times to get it right. Just loved the Engrish translation of the manual. 

Just wanted to chime in and make sure you caught Dakota's correction of the blade depth. Absolutely the most common mistake by new owners period. No credit card depth, no half credit card depth. Wrong wrong wrong. It's seems like a small thing but the blade depth is one of the very most important things to get right. I would not waste my time writing something you already heard if it weren't THAT important and something MOST newbies get wrong. I did not see you respond to that part of his post and am worried you are fixated on the stand issues and maybe missed it. 

Good luck with your new purchase. Cutters are probably one of the funnest things on the planet once you figure out how to use them. 

[Dakotagrafx 7,297]

9 hours ago, binklewis said:

Thank you for the quick reply Dakota :-) I may be a cutter newbie, but I promise you something is wrong with my stand (well aside from the double hole "drop the screw wrong, tip up the leg, let the screw fall out, retrieve, rinse and repeat" fiasco :-)).  I followed the video exactly, with the mounting brackets on the high side facing inward as explained (I think I even reversed them) - there is actually no other way to mount them and have the cutter actually mount on anything.  Anyhoo - I digress - rant is officially over - problem is SOLVED !!  

I could see where the whole screw removal might open me up some major "operator error" scenarios, but amazingly, I found the solution on a youtube provided by uscutter, which I really wish they would have put a yuuuuuuge STOP sign in the box and make everyone who buys this model watch, seems like they must get a lot of calls on this.  Turns out the carriage was stuck because the copper coils were rubbing up against the outer shaft - I had to pry from the left side to re-align it.  Once I did that - voila ! I am now finally in the "normal" "hey my blade is off" mode, but at least I can adjust the speed and pressure like a normal person and get a good cut :-)  First cut after I fixed it I was able to pull the weeding off without half of it coming up - imagine that :-)  I didn't think it was stuck because it was cutting, albeit very erratically as I now know in hindsight.  A friend asked me if it was moving up and down and I was sure I had previously seen it do that (probably not :-)), helped me zero in on the problem. 

Thanks again for the quick response and reminder of the community and volunteers - lots of awesome tips and information from everybody here.  I still detest that stand install, but i'll get over it - i'm honestly a very positive person and very much appreciate everything here that helps us newbies join the vinyl fun :-).  Just finished making a t-shirt - awesome sauce :-) 

 

 

the video you linked to is by some user called alaska wild - not uscutter - I believe one of our former mods had posted about loosening the screws to adjust this instead of prying on a plastic part to bend a metal part . . . anyways glad you got going.  relax and enjoy.  the credit card thing is a cricut throw back I think, that causes us the most problems followed by people opening up the cutters and reducing pressure on the grit rollers then ranting to no end about tracking. so I apologize as the credit card thing was a trigger last night.  on the screw thing a magnetized screwdriver does make that bit a little easier

[binklewis 0]

The dude in the video says "Hi this is Kyle from US Cutter" - so I assumed he was a tech with them :-) 

[Dakotagrafx 7,297]

Once I turned on the sound I got that but they have gone thru a lot of techs and not all have been top notch,  I was told this guy is good and the procedure s sanctioned.  There have been some dandies over the years though