Li'l Popeye

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Everything posted by Li'l Popeye

  1. Hello, A couple of months ago I purchased this new Vevor KI-720 cutter, which came with Signmaster software and USB cable. Out of the box and everything connected the feed rollers did not rotate, while the display was showing that they should. It wasn't able to feed vinyl. What I did was opening the cutter to find the motor that drives the feed rollers, to measure if there was any power getting to it. When I opened the bottomplate, I saw that the entire power supply was loose inside the cutter, while it should be bolted down to the bottomplate. This might have happened during shipping from China to me. Because the power supply was loose it must have bumped the connector to the feed roller motor, because that connector was loose and some pins of the motor were bent. Easy fix: straightened the pins, connected the connector, bolted the power supply down to the bottom plate and it functioned. I also had minor problems with getting the Signmaster software to recognize the plotter, as I was not able to select any plotter in a drop down menu. I contacted Future software, opened a ticket, and they helped fixing the issue within a day or 2. I had to download and install new Signmaster software and after that it worked and I was able to send designs to the cutter. ^Power supply loose inside of cutter. Also connector of feed rollers motor came off. ^New Vevor vinyl cutter. ^Sending design to vinyl cutter with signmaster software. ^Little bit of customization... 20210419_213954.mp4
  2. Li'l Popeye

    need to replace pinch roller

    >>>Link to pinch roller assembly<<<
  3. Li'l Popeye

    Some work I have done.

    Hello, I'm new here, but have been making decals since 2008 once in a while with a Roland CX24. Since 2021 I use a Vevor KI-720 vinyl cutter. Here is some of my work. ^Decals on this car and trailer have been made with the Vevor vinyl cutter. The trailer original was white, we have wrapped it with black vinyl before applying decals. ^Our pulling tractor. Decals have been made by ourselves. ^One of my homemade minibikes. "Herbie" theme applied. ^Another homemade minibike of me with all decals applied. ^Applying decals to minibike parts. The grey background is also vinyl. Popeye's head consists of: Black, white, light pink, pink, yellow and brown. ^Designed with combination of Gimp, Inkscape and Signmaster. Cut with the new Vevor vinyl cutter KI-720. ^My first ever HTV job. These are 100% polyester safety vests. I have made some tests before with normal t shirt.
  4. Li'l Popeye

    Some work I have done.

    Yes, same as Brazil is near USA...
  5. Li'l Popeye

    Grounding without a Stand

    It's facing backwards because the USB cable is not long enough... It cuts just as good this way.
  6. Li'l Popeye

    Grounding without a Stand

    Here's my plotter with stand. Correction: the rolls are not plastic, but black alu or steel. The bearing holders of the rolls, that come into contact with the frame are plastic. My concern is: if I (and I will) place a grounding wire between the stand's frame (alu) and the plotter's frame (bolt), the static build up of vinyl will go through the plastic bearing holders?
  7. Li'l Popeye

    Grounding without a Stand

    I have not experienced any static issues, so far. But reading this forum, I must be the only one. Better safe as sorry, so I was asking.
  8. Li'l Popeye

    Grounding without a Stand

    Hi, I was wondering this, too. Some experience grounding problems, but the cutter is grounded through the plug connection with wall socket. I assume inside the machines the "ground" cable is connected to machine's frame? That would make that the machine is grounded. But as I understand correctly, the static issues is that the stand is not grounded? So a small piece of wire from stand's frame (aluminium) to machine's frame (steel bottomplate) would get rit of any static charge built up? Does it matter that the rolls that the vinyl roll is placed onto are made of plastic?
  9. Li'l Popeye

    Vevor KI-870A - Problem w/ Calibration

    I have a KI-720. Offset setting is wrong. For cutting vinyl you need another offset setting as for the pen. At your picture on the right is for offset calibration. To me it seems that A-0 and A-1 are best performed. When performing this calibration process you have the opportunity to enter the values (A-0 in this example). And it should be all good. Set the offset setting for the purpose that you are going to use the vinylcutter. If you're going to cut vinyl, use vinyl for the calibration process.
  10. Li'l Popeye

    Some work I have done.

    Thank you, In this video I'm making decals for this minibike that I have sold to Norway. It was a Herbie themed minibike, but I have converted it into a Norway themed minibike. The video should start at the part, where I'm making decals. This was when I still had the Roland CX-24 cutter and the laptop with Windows XP and Flexisign.
  11. Li'l Popeye

    What makes of t shirts?

    Hey, I'm from Netherlands and I recently ordered from Wordans. They seem to have a UK based website, too: https://www.wordans.co.uk/ Good luck!
  12. Li'l Popeye

    Who is your GOTO for Shirts

    Anyone ever go-to https://www.wordans.com/? I recently got in my order. I was surprised by the prices as I couldn't find anything with same prices on the same shirts here in Europe. I guess they sell in USA, too.
  13. Li'l Popeye

    Some work I have done.

    Thanks, We have stopped with tractorpulling a couple of years ago. It was a bit time consuming... I recently did another job; a 2-color flex transfer on T-shirts. Material used is Siser PS easyweed. ^First design, cut and peel the material (Siser easyweed). ^First I pre press the shirt a couple of seconds at 150-160 degrees celsius. As I have seen that at Youtube video's, it is supposed to get moisture out. Then I press the black for just a couple of seconds (2-4 sec). Just a tack press, what I call it. ^Peel the transparant coversheet of the black and put the red vinyl? on. ^Last press; both black and red, 150-160 degrees celcius for 15 seconds. I set temp to 160, but it varies between 150-160. Pressure of this cheap press is hard to set correct, as it bends flexes a lot. If I set the pressure correct with a piece of paper, the pressure applied to a shirt is not enough. I have tried that with my first tests and the vinyl did not stick after the press, it came right of. Now I set pressure in a way that I feel resistance when I pull the handle over. ^I hope it stays on. I tried to peel it off, without result, so I guess it's good. ^Let's talk pricing (to compare Dutch/Europe price with US price): These Shirts: €3,65/each ($4.28) Siser PS easyweed: €8,60/mtr x 0,5 mtr ($10.08/mtr x 0,5mtr) $10.08/mtr x 0,5mtr equals: $0,0065..../square inch Black and red material used for each shirt: €0,95 ($1,11) Total material cost/shirt: €3.65+€0.95=€4.60 or ($5.39) That is without costs for labour and costs for machines.
  14. Li'l Popeye

    Hello from Europe

    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...)
  15. Li'l Popeye

    Hello from Europe

    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.
  16. Li'l Popeye

    Hello from Europe

    Ah! I'm a hobbyist!
  17. Li'l Popeye

    Blade dragging fix

    Hello, I had a problem with my blade dragging slightly over the vinyl between several cuts. Like the blade/carriage arm wasn't retracting all the way up, between cuts. Blade depth was set correct. Here's how I fixed the issue. I noticed that the blade holder was not perpendicular to the carriage arm and with the carriage arm up, there still was 1-2 mm's left for the carriage arm to go up, but it didn't... ^Blade holder not perpendicular with carriage arm. This is the "up" position... I took my tools and opened the carriage arm assembly, to find that the little spring wasn't retracting the assembly up all the way. Also not possible to get more spring tension by turning the "spring tension" screw. ^Handle with care, these delicate pieces. Take good notice when assembling back together that it moves freely. While the arm was off I filed the slot, where the blade holder fits in, until the blade holder was perfectly perpendicular to the arm. After the arm was installed back on, I cut a piece of the spring and adjusted the screw in such a way that it retracts the arm all the way up between cuts. ^Blade holder perpendicular to the carriage arm after I filed the slot. Also the shortened spring now retracts the arm all the way up. After these "fixes" there is about 2 mm's more clearance between tip of blade and cutter strip. Blade is now: -not dragging and -not leaving cut marks between cuts. Fixed!