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Has anyone seen this? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJmeXCeh7CM 

This guy never finished the kit but it is a great proof of concept. I can program so I wondered if anyone has any info on this. I would like to make one and open-source it. Any info would be great. I am just now getting my MH and didn't realize it didn't have contour cutting so I plan on modifying it. 

 

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Just buy Flexistarter 12 and you won't need a laser kit.   It turns any vinyl cutter into a contour cutting machine.  The contour cutting is right in the program.  You use the blade to measure the distance and it is recorded right in the software.  Flexistarter has been doing contour cutting on any vinyl cutter for many years now.  Scroll down the ad and read the description. 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/New-FlexiStarter-12-Cloud-Vinyl-Cutter-Plotter-Flexi-Starter-for-Windows-10-8/173528931534?hash=item2867215cce:g:0dMAAOxyq15SP6hs

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Great idea. Saves me time and money. I was prepared to build a motherboard like I did for my 3D printer (needed more features - lol) - this may save me a TON of time. Thank you SO much!

I get involved in overthinking sometimes - we have a full CNC shop and manufacture CNC routers so it is not uncommon for me to completely strip a lower end machine and mod the heck out of it - new control systems, servos and so on. I am a bit of a project nut. I was disappointed about the contour issue and you just saved me a TON of time. 

 

Thank you again!

Gio

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  I have been using Flexi products for over 10 years.  That MH cutter is a bottom of the barrel cutter, with many static , memory, tracking, and communication problems.  Your welcome. 

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Just now, MZ SKEETER said:

  I have been using Flexi products for over 10 years.  That MH cutter is a bottom of the barrel cutter, with many static , memory, and communication problems.  Your welcome. 

I kind of feel like I should have bought the SC now. Ugh. I may be doing some mods anyway but still going to use the Flexi software.

What a shame the machine is so bad. I had seen a lot of good reviews so I thought I was doing the right thing. In my excitement to get my first vinyl rig I started researching how to properly and am starting to realize I may have mad a bad purchase decision. 

If I have issues maybe they will exchange it and if not I can always dump the motherboard and use an Arduino solution - I made a pen plotter / drag knife machine with an Arduino and servos with gecko drives so I am sure this can be "fixed" if I have issues and they wont exchange it.

This would irritate me more if I didn't already have all the electronics laying around to rebuild the control system if need be...

Thank you again for your input. One more question... If they will exchange it which models do you recommend? Is the SC good? Titan? I got the 34" model and need at least that.

 

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It's a cheap cutter, what did you expect a Graphtec?  LOL.  You get what you pay for with any upgrade.   Some people use them,   but you really have to spend some time tweaking them. Best to put a value cutter on a Tripp-Lite Keyspan Adapter, that is the brand name.  These cutters have a cheap Chinese chip set. not TRUE USB like higher end cutters.  We steer people to higher cutters.   Anything higher than an MH.  A servo is always the best..  Most will tell you, buy the best that you can afford.  

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SC2 better , titan even better with more reliable usb circuitry - and titan2 is the cheapest servo motor cutter  and does a great job - just lots more money than the mh - the MH sells so many just on price - people make some money with them and then upgrade.   many many of us worked out way up to the graphtec machines after making the lower end plotters pay for them.

 

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So should I just live with the MH and work my way up or try to get them to trade up to at least the SC? That is at least in the ballpark...

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Working with an MH cutter will give you a very good learning experience. When I got mine I learned how to tweak it to cut smaller detailed work. I made enough  to upgrade to a Graphtec cutter. I also used it for portable cutting for a few years after I got my Graphtec

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9 hours ago, Giovanne said:

I kind of feel like I should have bought the SC now. Ugh. I may be doing some mods anyway but still going to use the Flexi software.

What a shame the machine is so bad. I had seen a lot of good reviews so I thought I was doing the right thing. In my excitement to get my first vinyl rig I started researching how to properly and am starting to realize I may have mad a bad purchase decision. 

If I have issues maybe they will exchange it and if not I can always dump the motherboard and use an Arduino solution - I made a pen plotter / drag knife machine with an Arduino and servos with gecko drives so I am sure this can be "fixed" if I have issues and they wont exchange it.

This would irritate me more if I didn't already have all the electronics laying around to rebuild the control system if need be...

Thank you again for your input. One more question... If they will exchange it which models do you recommend? Is the SC good? Titan? I got the 34" model and need at least that.

 

replacing the mother board with an arduino won't make the MH any better. You might be able to program smoother acceleration that might help slightly, but not enough to make it worth it. To make the MH truely better you'd need to replace the motors to start, get better rollers, bearings, belts, etc.

Depending on what you're doing the MH can do quite well, and you will get a better understanding of all the little settings and tweaks can have an impact on the results that would be masked by a higher end machine.

If you can exchange it with out much cost go for it, but don't be disheartened if you have to keep it. It has served me well for several years although I only use it as a hobby and don't usually make anything too big.

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Only truly good thing is that you really aren't out much cash. You can practically pay off that thing on one decent job. 

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Talked to some techs at US cutter and found what to do. After I received my machine and played around it was not bad at all. CNC milled a new tool holder from aluminum though because the plastic one was pretty bad and would not hold at 90 if tight. About an hour of work for a HUGE improvement. The next day the real good stuff happened and what the tech and I discussed was about to be a project. I LOVE projects... 

So since my last post I was able to get a Titan 3 MB, carriage, LCD with a few other minor parts and received them yesterday and already had some servos that fit. Under 400.00 in upgrades.  We stayed up all night doing the rewire and testing. It worked GREAT. All I have left is to put it back together fully and build some custom cabling and mill a plate. I now have an odd 34" Titan 3 for under $900.00 so in all I saved around $450.00 for a pretty good quality machine that auto contours. Not bad. 

If anyone is interested in the part file for the upgraded MH holder or, when I am done putting this back together, how we did the Titan 3 upgrade please let me know and I will take some time to do an instructional with pics. 

It is a one day upgrade if you have access to a manual mill or a CNC. 

I will post pictures when everything looks factory again. I am 3D printing an adapter to make the LCD look right when mounted...

Honestly though, after milling a new tool holder for the MH it probably would have sufficed but I couldn't resist the challenge! The MH was not a bad investment as is from what little I ran it before gutting it. 

Oh - I am still going to get Flexistarter. Software looks pretty solid.

Thanks to everyone for the input!

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That's pretty rad!

I've had a MH871 for a few years now, and I just realized the blade holder clamp tilts when you tighten it! UGH.

No wonder my tiny letters are always popping out on me.
Was thinking of the MK2 carriage, a new 3D printed clamp, or somehow fitting another clamp to it -  but now I see your post and I' wanna see that!

 

Cheers,

®

 

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On 9/16/2018 at 2:33 AM, Giovanne said:

Talked to some techs at US cutter and found what to do. After I received my machine and played around it was not bad at all. CNC milled a new tool holder from aluminum though because the plastic one was pretty bad and would not hold at 90 if tight. About an hour of work for a HUGE improvement. The next day the real good stuff happened and what the tech and I discussed was about to be a project. I LOVE projects... 

So since my last post I was able to get a Titan 3 MB, carriage, LCD with a few other minor parts and received them yesterday and already had some servos that fit. Under 400.00 in upgrades.  We stayed up all night doing the rewire and testing. It worked GREAT. All I have left is to put it back together fully and build some custom cabling and mill a plate. I now have an odd 34" Titan 3 for under $900.00 so in all I saved around $450.00 for a pretty good quality machine that auto contours. Not bad. 

If anyone is interested in the part file for the upgraded MH holder or, when I am done putting this back together, how we did the Titan 3 upgrade please let me know and I will take some time to do an instructional with pics. 

It is a one day upgrade if you have access to a manual mill or a CNC. 

I will post pictures when everything looks factory again. I am 3D printing an adapter to make the LCD look right when mounted...

Honestly though, after milling a new tool holder for the MH it probably would have sufficed but I couldn't resist the challenge! The MH was not a bad investment as is from what little I ran it before gutting it. 

Oh - I am still going to get Flexistarter. Software looks pretty solid.

Thanks to everyone for the input!

I'd love to see the cnc'ed mount, I'm looking at modding mine so I can print with sharpies easier.

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