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awicky85

need help for vinyl drifting sideways

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Anytime I run vinyl thru it always starts to drift to the side and never stays rolling straight. Ive checked the built in measurment guide for accuracy and place the vinyl dead on the mark but the more it rolls the further off it gets...any tips or pointers towards my problem

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You must make sure it is straight from the beginning..  For only a yard to off track like that, just isn't right,,,  Make sure the end pinch rollers are the same distance from the edge of the vinyl.   I hope you didn't mess with the tension on the pinch rollers.  Don't go by the ruler on the vinyl cutter. Most are not even correct .   Also If you have too much blade exposed you can be throwing the vinyl off.  This is how to set your blade correctly. 

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.  You should just barely see and feel the blade tip out of the blade holder. 

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The SC machine actually has a manufacturing defect that I encountered ---  if the right-hand pinch roller is slid all the way over to the right until it hits the stop (a screw on the back rail) then it will not properly be in contact with the lower (grit-roll). In other words, it goes too far and misses contacting the grit roll.

I literally had to take out the set-screw from the hole it was in, redrill a hole slightly shifted to the left, and reinsert the screw at that new position. That way, you can't move the tension-roller bracket beyond the edge of the grit-roll.

Look at the back of your machine (where the tension rollers are on the rail/track) and you'll see what I mean. I offered this info a while ago with a photo.

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2 minutes ago, MZ SKEETER said:

You must make sure it is straight from the beginning..  For only a yard to off track like that, just isn't right,,,  Make sure the end pinch rollers are the same distance from the edge of the vinyl.   I hope you didn't mess with the tension on the pinch rollers.  Also If you have too much blade exposed you can be throwing the vinyl off.  This is how to set your blade correctly. 

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.  You should just barely see and feel the blade tip out of the blade holder. 

I have not messed with the tension of any parts so no worries there. the issue can be duplicated without even using the vinyl anywhere near the blade. I nornally load in the middle of the machine. Should it be loaded on the side more or does that not even matter?

 

1 minute ago, slice&dice said:

The SC machine actually has a manufacturing defect that I encountered ---  if the right-hand pinch roller is slid all the way over to the right until it hits the stop (a screw on the back rail) then it will not properly be in contact with the lower (grit-roll). In other words, it goes too far and misses contacting the grit roll.

I literally had to take out the set-screw from the hole it was in, redrill a hole slightly shifted to the left, and reinsert the screw at that new position. That way, you can't move the tension-roller bracket beyond the edge of the grit-roll.

Look at the back of your machine (where the tension rollers are on the rail/track) and you'll see what I mean. I used to have a thread running here with a photo, let me see if I can search that and I'll link to it.

Im actually loading from the middle of the machine so i never even get the pinchers close to the edges

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You should have a pinch roller about an inch from the left and right side of the vinyl edge.   My Graphtec only has 2 pinch rollers on a 30" machine and tracks perfect. 

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It is also possible that the entire lower grit roller itself isn't secured on the axle, make sure the allen screws that hold it in place are tight.

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it is entirely possible that the "guide" they are aligning to isn't straight as it is a decal put on by a worker that isn't too worried bout it being dead straight on a value cutter.   put the vinyl in and run it in and out so see which way it drifts - then loosen the vinyl and make adjustments until if feeds straight.  we have seen this many many times as the"guide" is slapped on by eye and not an exact placement like on a high end cutter

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41 minutes ago, Dakotagrafx said:

it is entirely possible that the "guide" they are aligning to isn't straight as it is a decal put on by a worker that isn't too worried bout it being dead straight on a value cutter.   put the vinyl in and run it in and out so see which way it drifts - then loosen the vinyl and make adjustments until if feeds straight.  we have seen this many many times as the"guide" is slapped on by eye and not an exact placement like on a high end cutter

makes good sense

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