Steven Schniers

Completely flummoxed

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I've already got a return label ready to go and am about to ship my cutter back unopened. Before that, however, I figured I'd give one last ditch shot at using this thing. I've watched multiple setup and unboxing videos (both official and unofficial) and I'm completely stumped as to how to put this thing together. I can KIND OF follow along up until the point you need to start stripping wires and drilling in to the machine but after that I'm 100% lost. Has anyone else had any trouble getting their machine up and running? I've used a Roland cutter at a previous job but never had to actually assemble anything. Any tips or links to a particular video that helped you out? I really don't want to return this thing but I also don't want to be out $300+ for something I'm incapable of using (literally everyone I've talked to has advised me to "just return the thing"). Thanks in advance! 

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What videos are you watching where they tell you to strip wires or drill holes? The cutter is good to go out of the box, the only assembly would be the stand and it's pretty straight forward, you don't really need instructions to do that. Doesn't matter what cutter you buy, if a stand is included, you're going to have to assemble it yourself.

Now, the MH is the lowest of the low and does suffer from static electricity issues. The solution to this is to discharge the static from the vinyl to a ground point. The easiest way to accomplish this is to ground the stand which most people do by attaching a wire to the stand and to a ground point on the cutter.

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at 5:23 he strips a wire. I'm assuming that's the ground, then? If so is this safe to run or should I be wary of sparking/electrical issues? I've shown this video to a couple other people and they tell me it's confusing as well, however I'm open to the likely possibility that I'm simply stupid and can't get it (a common problem I have). 

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AUGGGHHHHHHH!!!!! This video has the horrible advise of a half credit card! USCutter, get rid of this video!!! An why tell the proper way to do it using vinyl then tell a way to do it using paper?

Ok, now that that is over, Yes, that is a grounding wire, and what he showed doing is completely safe. the cutter is not plugged in at this point, so there is no power to spark to anything anyway. Once the cutter is plugged in, this is simply a ground wire, if there is ever a spark on a ground wire, something is very seriously wrong with either the machine or the wiring of the house/building.

So other than the setting blade depth thing, what about the video is confusing?

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Steve, Steve, Steve.

Wait just a minute. First off the guy in the video is not drilling into the machine.  He is using a battery powered drill with a Philips screwdriver bit to turn the screws. The holes are already drilled into the frame and base of the machine.  You can use  #2 Philips screw driver to assemble the stand and to attach the wire.  You can use an Xacto knife to cut the insulation off of the end of the wire and scrape a little paint off of the stand and machine.  Scraping the paint will give a better electrical connection between the frame and machine.         

The wire that is being attached is to discharge static electricity that builds up by the vinyl running across the metal and plastic parts of the machine.  Kind of like when you scuff your feet on the carpet then touch the door knob or get a load of sweaters out of the dryer and pull them apart. 

The reason you have to discharge the static electricity, is because it will cause the machine to make cuts in the vinyl that you don't want.

I hope this helps,   now go put that cutter and stand together. 

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