Li'l Popeye

Hello from Europe

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Hi,

It's me; John! From Netherlands.
I'm not a professional signmaker, just a hobbyist, I wouldn't even call myself a signmaker.
About me:
Born in 1976, occupation: welder/mechanic.
I have had a Roland CX-24, with flexisign 7.5 pro software, working with a Compaq laptop running Windows XP since 2007. Purchased to make our own decals for our pulling tractor

Fast forward to 2021....Because I couldn't get it to work with a new PC with windows 10 and no serial port, I have sold the complete Roland setup for €500,- and bought a new cutter for €250,-.
The new cutter is a Vevor KI-720 A. It came with Signmaster software and USB connection cable. It looks very similar to MH cutters, and my guess is that they might be fabricated at the same company or at least in the same country.
Anyway; while searching for any info about these cutters I came across this forum, so here I am.
I also purchased a cheap heat press recently for €80,-.

The Vevor cutter is working perfectly, now. I did have some problems, but solved them. Some problems have been fixed because I found the same issues that people were having with their MH cutter here on this site.

I will make some new posts about the problems, issues, spare parts and breakage I have had already, as it might help someone.

Groeten en houdoe! (it's Dutch...)

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John, Thanks for coming along and making these posts.

Anecdote:  I have a friend who intended to buy a USCUTTER  machine to do a specific project she had to quickly complete, but at the time, the 34" unit she wanted was out of stock, and she liked the look of the Vevor machine (870) and figured what the heck -- and went with that. I helped her set it up, showed her how to run the software, and provided tutorials on signmaking techniques.


What turns a hobbyist into a 'professional signmaker' -- money!

 

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39 minutes ago, slice&dice said:

What turns a hobbyist into a 'professional signmaker' -- money!

Ah! I'm a hobbyist!

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Hey Pop, that's what many of us here first thought -- "It's just for the fun and to putter around with"

Then, friends and neighbors and relatives discovered our talents and started asking for stuff, with payments.

Just yesterday I whipped up DOT# magnets for 2 trucks that my good friend owns. He gladly paid me the $100 for the 4.

While I no longer maintain a retail sign store, I have the equipment and materials in my basement now and continue to prepare work whenever I run across it. USCUTTER is a great source for my magnetic sheets (I buy it on the roll), banners, coroplast yard signs, A-Frames, and of course, vinyl & app tape. Walk around the town you live in there, keep your eyes open for opportunities, and jump on them! It will surprise you to realize that people will readily give you "professional" work that pays, so long as you produce what they need, and during this global pandemic, businesses are using signage in so many ways they never did before to attract their (dwindling) customers.

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You're right.
Before I got my first vinyl cutter we had to go to a professional signmaker each time we got a new sponsor for our pulling tractor. Each time they had to make a design and the decals (read:$$$'s). That's the main reason I purchased the second hand Roland. When the Roland was in my possession, people/friends/family knew about it and occasionally they had a little paid job for the cutter. Together with the savings that's how the cutter paid for itself. I bought it in 2007 for €750,- and sold it in 2021 for €500,-. The Roland never was on a stand.
The new cutter I have (got it of Aliexpress) was €234,14 ($266.79), incl shipping, software, usb cable and stand. I know it might not get near the Roland build quality, but untill now, the cuts do not disappoint me. And it operates with my new pc. I already purchased spare blades and a roll of cutting strip from the same website.
I did have some (mechanical) problems with the cutter in the beginning, but fixed the issues. I also did a lot of testing and playing with settings like offset, blade depth, force, speed, pinch roller pressure, etc. If the settings are off, you run into problems.
I already did a couple small paid jobs and bigger paid job (car and trailer lettering). So this cutter is halfway paid for already.

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