haumana

LaserPoint (I) Blade Carriage

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Does anyone know which blade carriage would be the replacement for the original LaserPoint?

The plastic piece that collars the blade holder has broken off, and it doesn't look like there's a direct replacement for that piece, and probably needs the whole carriage to be replaced ... I just need to know which one to replace it with, since I can't only find LPII and other carriages. ^_^

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it would be made by creation - the new one is a different company so would probably be different,  might have to go straight to china since it has been so long since usc carried the creation plotters like the original laserpoint and pcut.   I think I have seen post in UK that some suppliers carry the creation plotters too 

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Sorry, I knew I should've posted pics too :P

I just got off the phone with USC. I think the tech was trying hard not to laugh. He said that because my machine is so old, that they no longer carry any parts for it, and recommended that I get a new machine. I was trying hard not to take it as a sales pitch :lol: "Since the original LaserPoint, there have been several iterations of that machine, and US Cutter stopped selling parts for you machine a while ago. Since it's considered end of life, we do not have parts for your machine at all." He couldn't give me a part number because he said that once a new iteration is put into the system, and the website is updated, the purge all the info from "obsolete" machines. "I suggest you just search eBay or Amazon for it." I guess they didn't have that much faith that their first generation LaserPoint was going to last. I don't consider any cutter I buy to be disposable, regardless of price.

Umm ... if it's towards the end of life, would that be when you actually need parts for it? My machine looks out of the box brand new, with an exception of a little dust, a few thin slices in the cutting strip, and the black anodize paint on the bottom of the blade holder being slightly rubbed off from so much use.

 

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IMG_5696.JPG

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sales staff don't normally last long enough to know about the older plotters even 2-3 years ago - but that is why we all stay on here and appreciate skeeters search skills!   you could try jb weld until the new part comes in but then again you have the graphtec!   I've used jb weld for anything from exhaust manifold on a 65 mustang to digital camera battery doors and tabs on plotters that broke off.  it is incredibly tough, sandable and drillable 

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Oh yes, I am very familiar with JB Weld. JB Weld is my friend :P

So I've never had the need to dismantle my cutter in any way shape of form, do you think it's okay to JB Weld it in place, or should I attempt to remove the blade carriage? I was thinking of just putting a spot or two of epoxy with a toothpick, then pray for surf.

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you might put something like vaseline on the blade holder or even something real thin like a small piece of tin foil over it and just coat the broken edge with jb weld - worth a shot as right now it isn't very useful.   heck even do it without the blade holder in there but a small spacer on the screw down part so it will be wide enough to get the blade holder in but can still be snugged down.   and order the replacement part in the mean time.

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Have a local 3D-printing person scan the part, and make you a new one. As it happens that's exactly how USCUTTER got into the 3D-printer business for a while, because they needed to fabricate parts like this in-house, and saw some opportunity to sell the 3D machines & materials to the public.

Actually, years ago, USC sent me a 3-D printed replacement arm for my MH unit (the plastic on those arms was brittle and they had a bad tendency to break while tightening the knurled set-screw, and they ran out of stock on that part from China, and simply made their own). However, today, I don't think that USCUTTER even has one single 3D-printing unit left in their possession!

 

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oh man, I'd even be happy if they had the means to 3D print a replacement for me some how.

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I had a very well meaning person on the forum try 3 different materials to 3d print a gear for littermaid litterboxes - never found one that the teeth didn't break off within a day - but had they found the material it would have been a big seller - I went thru about 8 litterboxes one year (littermaid warrantied about 6 of those) then I gave up and bought a litter robot.   so for some things 3d printing great (like the blade holder holders that same person sold on here and sells on ebay - great product.

on uscutter and 3d printers that was brandon that ran off all the moderators and long term users off the forum when vinylforum was created. after they lost about $500k they dropped that idea and he left to become president of one of the big 3d printing companies 

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1 hour ago, haumana said:

oh man, I'd even be happy if they had the means to 3D print a replacement for me some how.

I believe that getting a local 3D maker to scan and print this would probably cost more than the $35 for the entire assembly from Amazon as Skeetz linked above.

I never understood the attraction of 3D printing as a hobby. Honestly, how many little plastic useless doo-dads do you need?

NRTaTpAZyYg_large.jpg

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18 minutes ago, slice&dice said:

I believe that getting a local 3D maker to scan and print this would probably cost more than the $35 for the entire assembly from Amazon as Skeetz linked above.

I never understood the attraction of 3D printing as a hobby. Honestly, how many little plastic useless doo-dads do you need?

NRTaTpAZyYg_large.jpg

I agree, now the metal 3d printing would be cool but very very expensive for the parts 

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The part looks simple enough, if you could get measurements I could probably make a 3D model and try printing you something. PETG material is pretty strong and I think this part would hold up well. I'd be happy to give it a try. Once it prints if I think it'll work for you I'll send it, just cover shipping. :)

 

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4 hours ago, darcshadow said:

The part looks simple enough, if you could get measurements I could probably make a 3D model and try printing you something. PETG material is pretty strong and I think this part would hold up well. I'd be happy to give it a try. Once it prints if I think it'll work for you I'll send it, just cover shipping. :)

 

your a good person shadow - and there may be a market for your work afterwards!

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10 hours ago, darcshadow said:

The part looks simple enough, if you could get measurements I could probably make a 3D model and try printing you something. PETG material is pretty strong and I think this part would hold up well. I'd be happy to give it a try. Once it prints if I think it'll work for you I'll send it, just cover shipping. :)

That would be super awesome! You are a very good person Darc!

I will be (attempting) to remove the carriage on Monday, so we shall see how that goes. It does look like there's a ribbon cable that might be attached to the clamp, but I'll have a better idea when I get it removed. I totally understand that cutters have some kind of life span, and that plastic doesn't last forever (except when it's dumped into the ocean and harms sealife), but it makes me sad that after babying my machine for years, and that it might be on it's last leg :(

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Why would you need to remove the entire carriage? That plastic arm/retainer is already off the machine (one screw holds it onto the carriage). Send the broken part to darcshadow, let him scan it and print the part. The hardest thing is getting that metal knurled set-screw to thread into the hole (looking at the stock photo, it appears there's a metal screw-in piece within that hole; however, in your photo, no such thing exists).

 

By the way, we've already exceeded the value of $32 with the amount of time this discussion has taken up.
Time is money. In fact, this entire problem was resolved correctly in Post #3

 

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Because I until I can get a closer look at it tomorrow, I don't know for sure, if the part that Skeeter posted will fit.

And from the broken piece that came off, it looks like it might be all one plastic piece (carriage and all), and if that's the case, it will need to come off. It looks like there's a wire ribbon that is embedded in the plastic piece. I will be able to get a grasp on it tomorrow.

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