TaterNuts

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Posts posted by TaterNuts

  1. Posted

    Pretty cool.  One question, how do you tell it to fill in the letters with the pen?  When you normaly cut it just cuts the outline of the letters.  Is the sharpie wide enough that it fills it in?

    In Flexi, there is a prompt for you to 'fill plot', you just set the pen width and it fills it in with colors.

    I suppose in other programs that do not have this option, like winpcsign, for example, you could keep adding 'inlines' instead of outlines... Of course, you would have to make them pretty close together.

    I will be attempting a multicolor sign soon, and of course, Ill video tape it.

    The video was shot first run, I didnt even think to record it till it was almost done.

  5. Posted

    How do you use a sharpie on vinyl?

    Do you put it in the pen plotter?

    Does it make a smooth line?

    Take blade holder out of the carriage, insert sharpie in its place. be sure its up off the vinyl or paper a bit, like the blade holder is...

    Put vinyl or paper in, cut as normal.

    Smooth somewhat... You have to slow the machine down a bit or else you will dry out the pen before ink flows down to the tip.  Practice makes perfect.

    Lines look pretty good from a distance,  you can see faint lines if you 'fill plot' (ie coloring it in), however from 2 or 3 feet away, looks very good.

  7. Posted

    I have modified the friction rollers on my US Cutter Refine MH721 to allow direct to coroplast 'printing' with a sharpie.

    I have often lost sales due to temporary signs for Garage Sales, Baby Showers, Birthday Parties Etc because I could not offer a 'cheap temporary sign'

    Now I may offer these signs without any cost of vinyl, or transfer paper...

    I have made the machine to be able to accept the standard friction rollers or the modified ones...  I had spare rollers laying around from a Master machine that I no longer use, however the rollers are interchangeable.

    This may hold up longer then expected, however I plan on continuing testing...

    Video Coming soon!

  8. Posted

    Hello all... My name is Jason and I have been cutting for awhile now... I have had a brief recess in doing so (year or so?) and hope to be back up in full swing within a few more weeks.

    I started up back about 5 or 6 years ago with and idea... My whole Idea was to sell on ebay part time... Well what I was looking for was something which I could keep little to no inventory on hand, and still be able to turn a decent profit... I thought about it for awhile, thought about drop shipping, i even thought SMC might be a good deal, then all of a sudden it hit me...

    One day at work, one of my co workers showed up with a decal for his toolbox.  I still cant rember to this day what it said. But anyways, Thats where it all started.  I have bought decals in the past, but I could only rember that I could buy them at some flea markets or swap meets and thats when then came to town.  I researched and researched, and like others on this board, didnt know the accurate term of 'plotter'. 

    My job was barely paying the bills, and needed some additional income fast but didnt want to pick up another job.  I scraped up most of the money that I had and found what I thought was a nice little machine on ebay, a 15 inch roland sticka cutter...  once I got the machine home and unboxed, I realized I needed some vinyl for this machine...  I played with the Dr. sticka software, till my next paycheck came in to buy a 10 yard roll of 15 inch vinyl.  Finaly it arrived...  I made a 6 inch decal for my buddy just to try it out and he threw me 5 bucks. (i was just begining, i didnt expect payment, he insisted)...

    Well if anyone has ever used the Dr sticka software, knows that its not very good, thats where it all started... I scanned some images into the software, applied them to glass, took some pictures and my business took off..  I sold on ebay for about a month with only white decals and quickly realized, my $700 15inch cutter was all paid off... My paypal account was at about $750 before I had to pay ebay fees! Ouch, What a rip off... But anyways, I gladly paid my $200 in fees and kept the rest...

    My better half suggested that I re-invest into this business and think about doing them localy.  I scouted some of the flea markets in my area, and for $10 bucks a day, I started doing that localy...  Little did I know that it was going to be a hit.  The owners of the market actually let me set up for free, or for trade for decals for there use... I was there a month before the building was sold out and the business closed....

    A car show/flea market was coming to town and I thought, Hey, Ill try it...  I set up there with 2 tables, and a power inverter running from my car to run the plotter and DESKTOP computer.  Yes, Desktop, LOL.  but anyways, I didnt turn much profit.  My business didnt even have a name except the decal guy.  A gentleman approached me and was talking to me about what I could cut..  Turns out, he was a vinyl cutter as well... He asked me If I wanted to see his booth, I went over there and wow, Tons of boards with pre made decals, tents, awnings and his own trailer.  I complimented him on his stand, as he knew I was envious... I went back to my tables and continued.... It was getting late and I was shutting down and packing stuff up... He came back to my booth, he brought me 10 cds of vectors and all kinds of graphics.  He told me that He normally wouldnt do this but he knew I was just starting out and didnt fear that I would be much competition to him beings how he was from a totaly diffrent state.  I was greatful  for his donation.

    My business soared to a whole nother level... I found my 15 inch cutter was getting too small for what I needed.  I found another cutter on ebay and bought it... a 24inch Master brand plotter, with WinPCsign...  It was hard to learn that program, but I feel I am quite skilled in it now....

    But anyways, Im rambling...

    My business consists of now 24 inch refine, 24 inch Master, 36 inch master, a dozen tables, 3 awnings, 2 might pro heat presses, a hat press, winpcsign, flexi, signblazer, adobe illustrator, etc. Tons of vinyl and shirts and hats, Thousands of images, 3 computers and a nice little chunk of change in the bank...

    All part time... Just doing this when I feel like it or whatever, I have a full time job that Keeps me occupied most of the time.

    For bad luck reasons, I have not been cutting decals for about 1 1/2 years now, but hopefully up and running again soon....

    Oh, the business is T-Town Graphix now...

  12. Posted

    Well Hello all... Its been awhile since I have been an 'active' member of this board....  Well, for those who know, I stopped making vinyl awhile back, and hopefully, Ill be back up and running here in a few weeks....

    I have alot of catching up to do...

    Well first off, The reason why I stopped cutting vinyl was alot of reasons... I cut vinyl part time at a local flea market here in toledo ohio.  I had a full time job to take care of my home bills till my vinyl business kicked off, but with two children, it really wasnt paying all the bills....  I had a job which I worked at for nearly 10 years before they decided to let me go... That was December of 06.  The flea market ended up closing down and I really didnt have room in my small apartment to set up all my equipment.  I did some graphics and signs for some repeat customers, but between trying to find employment and finding a place to set up to sell my graphics, I didnt have much time... When I go places and see some of my customers, They all ask when Im going to back up and running.

    Also, another very important reason why I quit cutting was a major computer crash... My computer went out, hard drive crashed...  I always said to myself that I should back up the files, but never did...

    So...  I got a brand spanking new laptop, Most of my software re-installed... Still dont know where all my graphic clip art cds are... But its all coming together...

    Hopefully this trade center is going to get approval to open up here in toledo so I can get a booth there. Im going to start small at first, just doing some custom car decals, small signs, etc, till I can build up some capital... Hopefully if everything goes well, Ill be doing it all... Shirts, Large signs, Store fronts, t shirts, etc...

    Oh, another thing, Got me a brand new digital video camera... So hopefully, I can make some more 'instructional videos' for those who have seen mine....

    Good to be back.

  13. Posted

    Long story, but Ill try to sum this up the best that I can.

    I worked at a Oil change place, like jiffy lube or valvoline, but for semis...

    I wont name any names now, lol...

    but anyways, I worked there for almost 10 years started in feb of 98 and they fired me for some really messed up crap which i didnt do... but anyways, highest paid, labor cutbacks, didnt want to pay unemployment, they canned me...

    anyways, I was anrgy... upset... I made a decal of calvin peeing on there logo...

    I put it on my toolbox...

    I got a new job, in another establishment.... about 6 months later, Im getting called into the office from the president of the co.

    Turns out my old employer filed a complaint about me and there logo, they actually had there team of attorneys trying to get me in trouble....

    Since I did not do it for compensation, there was really nothing that they could do about it.

    anyways, BBB was involved, the whole nine yards...

    I took the decal down upon my own will...  Didnt want to get fired from my new job...

    Just becareful guys... If something smells fishy, dont do it...

    I used to sell on ebay, but after several of my auctions got taken down, and 2 cease and decist (sp?) letters, I decided to call that quits....

  14. Posted

    Yes, its called copyright infringment.  It is punishable by federal law...

    What is copyright infringement?

    Copyright infringement happens whenever someone makes copies or commercially exploits a work without the copyright owner

  15. Posted

    all dependant on what kind of software you use...

    I use mainly winpcsign, so yeah, you can make it in exactly the same place on both layers.

    I would create a line color of lets say blue on the shadow, and then a line color of white on the foreground image. then i would add registration marks in lets say color black.

    then when i send to the plotter, I will select to cut black and blue for the first cut. then when i load my second color, i will select black and white. therefore the plotter cuts everything black and blue, and the black and white.