slice&dice

OK, Doug, glad you checked back in with that new info. We always like to see resolution, especially when our comments prove to be useful. Your placing the white vinyl down first as an underlayment is the best proposition, especially since any vinyl that has been on a surface for that long will invariably leave a 'shadow' when taken off (left behind from the outdoors exposure to UV light). I just did a sign for a mechanic's garage and had to flip the acrylic substrate over because of that effect. The back was crisp and clean, while the face had the old lettering outlines still 'etched'

In any case, here's two ideas for working with adhesive residue removal, as well as scraping off vinyl decals. 1. GooGone -- (citrus) https://googone.com (my work caddy wouldn't be complete without it) 2. https://uscutter.com/orafol-lil-chizlers-pink These things are awesome, perfect for avoiding the scratches that razor blades will cause. (especially for getting letters off vehicle doors).

Yeah, I have a suggestion. Get new signage.

Alex, in general, we advise against trying to 'fix' something that ain't broke to begin with. That includes updating operating systems and/or software which functions just fine as it is. Some of us still are running old laptop computers with WinXP, and a cut/design program (SBE) that is now abandonware, and ported through DB9 legacy cables (RS232 serial connection). Having said that, if you revert to the SignMaster v3, does the cutter respond properly?

That software is produced/distributed by Future Corp. and it might be worthwhile for you to contact them directly.

As it happens, the cutter is listed in SignBlazer setup, and should run fine using that software.

Hmmmm, I wonder if (free) Inkscape has a similar process?

Regarding the double-cut method ("The trick to that, is cut and paste the graphic so that one sits directly over the other, and the machine will typically cut the first pass, then cut the second.") I would more likely just DUPLICATE the design, and indicate a Zero/Zero offset.

Galt, I used to do reflective with my MH unit, the pressure needs to be set way up, and the blade should be the 65* type (yellow tip cover), not the standard 45* (red tip cover) that regular vinyl uses. You can run the SUMMA with SignBlazer, it's listed in the setup. Selling it would be a challenge, because it's such an old unit. Anyone thinking of getting into this game would likely prefer a current model, for under $1000, instead of an ancient machine. If you have enough room to utilize it, just keep it. By the way, with that much reflective, you might wish to approach local contractors who are building large parking structures or apartments/condos with parking lots, and see if they'll throw work your way.

It seems like you're already well-versed in taking your machine apart, so that's an advantage when going ahead to replace an internal component like the motherboard. Why it failed (if indeed that's the culprit) is unknowable, unless you're an electronics technician with the capability to test the circuitry and evaluate each chip and transistor. Anyway, for $80, it's not a drastic expense to just swap it out, and chances are you'll have the cutter operating fine again. I recall several years ago, when my MH unit suffered a failure (my fault, I broke the I/O port by tripping on the USB cable), and decided to get an entire spare machine when I ordered the part. At the time, the SC was on sale, so I had them ship that along with the I/O board. I ended up repairing the MH, and selling it, keeping the SC in use, and getting a LaserPoint as back-up. A friend of mine wanted to get into cutting, so I let him buy the LP, and I went ahead and obtained the SC2 that is my primary machine now (and that original SC is in the garage, just in case something happens to the SC2, so I can keep slicing&dicing along while figuring out what to do with whatever problem the SC2 may encounter).

Wow, this goes far beyond just a 'roller issue' ---- the machine itself seems not to be able to handle the plotting information properly through the circuits (MotherBoard). A TEST cut that ends up like this is a clue that something internal on the processor has failed. $80 gets you a new M-B. https://uscutter.com/uscutter-sc2-vinyl-cutter-replacement-parts While not a guarantee of alleviating your problem, I sure would invest in that, just to get up and running as soon as I could, and return back to work. Eighty bucks is like one hour's production output, and to be stuck without a functioning machine for very long is a whole lot of money lost.

Just be sure that the center pressure (spring) roller is NOT placed at the white mark/decal affixed onto the carriage rail at the midpoint. That spot is a "dead zone" of the lower grit rollers (a seam between them) and will cause problems.

I have a similar problem sometimes with my SC2. I don't reboot the cutter, just unplug and plug in the USB again.

Whenever there is some sort of connection issue, it's best to go to the tried-and-true SignBlazer which is like the can-opener of cutters, and it allows you to at least troubleshoot to see if the cutter (hardware) is somehow at fault, or if there's something else going on.

I would say not. They are designed for cutting very thin vinyl. The cutting blade is barely exposed, almost not enough to even see the tip.

"Accoutrements" ? Isn't that illegal? Oh wait, that's "Paraphernalia"

As Skeeter noted, you might have some success with CREATION within Flexi.

Creation PCut.

Mz.Skeeter, what are they going to spend the remaining $1500 on? (The CameoPro is a great suggestion) That heat-press idea is sounding better and better. The challenge will be reminding students to MIRROR their cuts on HTV. (Maybe put a sticker on the machine?) Eric can also stock up on t-shirts in various colors & sizes so the students have 'em right there to use.

The (de)activation requires an internet connection. Let's start with that.

While I have no mac experience, I do know that the SC2 runs on my PC with SignBlazer set to "LIYU" model. If you download and install SBE to the windows machine, you should get it running without any issues.

Hi Eyeball, that's an interesting question. How about this --- remove the roller brackets from the stand. Build (with wood 1x6's) a 'RACK" that will accept these brackets. With a little engineering, and ingenuity, you'll have a media feeder roller assembly for mounting on the tabletop. Have I done this myself? Nope. Does it seem fairly straightforward and easy to accomplish? Yep. That being said, I did build an application-tape feeder with 2x4's and a dowel. I clamp it to the edge of my 4'x8' work table and it's excellent for doing long banners or signs, pulling the transfer tape off the roll and laying it down over my decals. I suppose you could do the same arrangment for vinyl, but that requires you to remove the dowel from the roll core each time you switch colors, and I imagine it's better to just have the vinyl rolls sitting on top of the feeder rollers that you took off the machine stand (as described above). In any case, always pre-feed your material and don't have the cutter trying to pull vinyl from the roll directly.

Howdy Mike. First piece of advice, when sending the design to the cutter, always remember to MIRROR. Secondly, a good picker tool for weeding. Some prefer a fine tweezer, others like a pointy spike, and yet others just use the xacto knife. Maybe get her all three, and see what she's comfortable with (weeding HTV is slightly different than regular vinyl). Thirdly, the press itself. Do you believe that hats will enter into this equation? If so, consider the 5-in-1 package, which is currently on sale for $400. https://uscutter.com/USCutter-Perfect-Press-Digital-5-in-1-Heat-Press The cheapest option is $95. (USCUTTER offers a $15 discount on the sale price $110 press purchase when you subscribe to their newsletter) But keep in mind that the size on this basic press is only 9x12 and that's kinda tiny, although still useful for pocket logos and maybe bags. Ask the wife what her vision is, as far as production and designs. Most people in this game are using 15x15 It's up to the two of you to decide how much to sink into this venture from the get-go. You can start with a hundred bucks (see above) or make a choice to throw about $500 at it now and have a wider option for future work if she likes it. As for myself, I do not own a full-size platen press. My only equipment is a small hat press that I grabbed from craigslist for just $50 several years ago, and I do a few hats now and then for fun. (and it allows me to do a shirt pocket logo, which I've produced for a few people) HTV is a fascinating world, there's lots to love about it. (and don't even get her started on DTG printing!)

It's commonly referred to as "Distressed" font style. There are online video (utube) tutorials on how to achieve this effect.

My suggestion is to either pay the $60 for a fresh new copy of the VM v.5 software, or install the outdated and unsupported SignBlazer and just use that to run your cutter. (what model is it?)