BHDM

Units Per Inch - Adding 1/8th inch to desgin

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I'm having a weird issue with VinylMaster Cut. Basically the program is adding 1/8" to my designs.

I'm on Windows 10.
MH871 MK2 - 6ft USB - USB 2.0
SC 34 - 15ft USB - USB 2.0

I will create a 5" x 5" square in VinylMaster. I will send it to my cutter(s) - MH871 MK2 and SC 34. Both machines will cut the square as 5 1/8" by 5 1/8". So if I make the design 4.875" x 4.875". The square will come out to be 5" x 5".

In the Vinyl Spooler settings (press F2 or go to Cutter - > Configure Cutter), there are unit settings (under the units tab). Mine are set to 1016 x 1016 units per inch / 40 x 40 units per mm.

If I change units per inch to be 1000 x 1000. My 5" x 5" decal will cut 5" x 5" size BUT I will get really bad dovetails no matter what adjustments I make.

I have tried:

  • Adjusting the blade.
  • Adjusting overcut from 2.00 down to .10
    • the machine will cut the design, connecting the line do the dove tail on for example .30 but then on .29 it won't connect the line but still do the dovetail.
  • Adjusting blade offset from .10 to .35
  • Adjust the roller tension.
  • Tighten the belt.
  • Cleaned the machine.
  • Replace the white cut strip.
  • Adjust the speed (10 up to 400mms)
  • Adjust the force/pressure (10-100).
  • Oiled the blade holder.
  • I tried a different blade holder - which helped but the problem is still there.
  • I tried SignCut Pro.
  • I tried unintalling and reinstalling VinylMaster.
  • I tried multiple .svg files. I even created a new .svg file.

I tried VinylMaster on my other computer. Same result. I even used a different USB cable, 3ft.

 

So I either need to make my decals 4.875" tall to get 5" tall or deal with dovetails. I can deal with the former, but then none of the measurements the program is telling me are right.

I'm pretty sure this issue has always been here since I got my MH 871 back in 2016 and started using VinylMaster Cut. I just now noticed it since I actually had to measure a decal for a certain area.

Has any one come across this issue? I feel like I have tried everything to fix this issue with no luck at all.

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Doesn't that software have calibrate the vinyl cutter?  Get that right first, then work on the other problems.  No mention how you set the blade depth. Force is determined how you set the blade depth.  You have to start with the correct blade depth to make the force and the blade offset correct. 

This is the correct way to set your blade depth below:

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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35 minutes ago, MZ SKEETER said:

Doesn't that software have calibrate the vinyl cutter?  Get that right first, then work on the other problems.  No mention how you set the blade depth. Force is determined how you set the blade depth. 

The calibration on the VinylMaster is just blade off set. If I run calibration it cuts a grid of 16 letters and asks me to pick the best one. It is usually A3, upper right. Blade offset is .28 (.011in)

Blade Depth and force, I think are fine. I've read a lot of your posts about blade depth. Making the adjustments you have suggested in other posts have stopped the dovetails other times for me. I have the blade set to cut the vinyl and it barely leaves marks in the backing paper. The force is around 30-40. Peels perfect. Doesn't pull up any edges. But this seems like it is something different.

The problem is if I create a 5" x 5" square in VinylMaster, it will cut 5 1/8" by 5 1/8". Where is the extra 1/8" coming from?

If I change the units per inch it will now cut 5" x 5" but no matter what adjustments I make I get dove tails. The tails are almost like a 1/4 of a circle.

 

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Go to your Vinyl Spooler, Under Calibration, the last option in the list should be Calibrate Cutter Scale, run that routine.

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You were on the right track with changing the units per inch, the calibration routine above will set the units per inch. for reference, my units per in on my MH are 996.08 x 997.6.

Also note, you'll need to do this for each cutter as each cutter is going to be a little different.

Once you get this set correctly and if the dove trail problem comes back that would be an offset setting. Dove tails are a result of too much offset.

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"Blade Depth and force, I think are fine. I've read a lot of your posts about blade depth. Making the adjustments you have suggested in other posts have stopped the dovetails other times for me. I have the blade set to cut the vinyl and it barely leaves marks in the backing paper." 

Unless you set the blade depth like I stated, you will have problems.  You can have the blade way too far out, and still cut only the vinyl, and barely cut the wax paper backing.   Follow the instructions.  We are trying to help you. It is blade offset that has to do with dovetails. You need less blade more force. You should just barely see the blade tip out of the blade holder. You only cut with the very tip of the blade.

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I ran the calibration and it ended up being 991.22 x 991.22. A slight adjustment to my blade offset and overcut (turned them down to BO .26 and OC 1.50) and my MH871 is cutting 5x5 and no dovetails. Time to do the SC34.

Thank you darcshadow and MZ SKEETER for all your help.

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56 minutes ago, BHDM said:

I ran the calibration and it ended up being 991.22 x 991.22. A slight adjustment to my blade offset and overcut (turned them down to BO .26 and OC 1.50) and my MH871 is cutting 5x5 and no dovetails. Time to do the SC34.

Thank you darcshadow and MZ SKEETER for all your help.

That seems pretty high on overcut.  Mine is  0.1 inch

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After making adjustments to both my machines. Setting the blade depth.

Quote

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 or feel the blade tip out of the blade holder

I can not get my SC2 34 cutting correct. It is starting the cut too early which is causing dove tails. The blade will start .5mm (or less) outside of the cut, the machines will then move into the cut, make the cut.

For example, if I was cutting a circle. The blade would come down outside of the circle. Then move into the circle, cut the circle, the circle would be fine but because the blade started outside of the cut, dove tail.

I've tried overcut from .5 all the way down to 0. Same issue. New blade. Same issue. Calibration for blade off set. Same issue.

Am I missing a setting someplace about start cut offset?

cut_2.jpg

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Has the same issue. The blade comes down early, then moves into the actual cut on both the calibration in VinylMaster and when hitting the test button on the machine.

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I am willing to bet these are super small letters and the blade drops and as the plotter moves to the cut it is dragged onto the line being cut - part of how a drag knife cutter works. if these are large letters then there is another problem.   least amount of blade exposure possible minimizes that effect

 

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The letters are small. 1/2" for capital 3/8" for lower case. The cutter does the same thing on all cuts no matter the size.

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That is where the blade drops and is then dragged into the plot area.  A $3500 tangible cutter turns the blade before dropping it

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can you show how far the blade is sticking out of the blade holder? You should just barely see the tip or feel it. You only cut with the very tip of the blade.

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Have you looked at the blade good? Make sure tip is there?  cleaned the holder add a drop of light oil? Tried a different blade holder? 

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contact UScutter then.  Or maybe others can help. You have not shown your settings or anything in your cutting software. Try a different cutting software. I hope that your switching in your cutting software for the cutter that your using.  And using the correct driver. The SC is a Liyu

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Is it just the angle of that photo, that square does not look square to me. Also, the corners look a little rounded. Lets get the rounded corners fixed before working about extra cut. And if that square is not actually square, that's a more pressing issue than the extra cut anyway.

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