Graniteguy

Thank you for your kindness. I still have a lot to learn. JT

For me, Sign Go Lite has been a real workhorse. I use it to drive my Ioline Super 88. It is a very good value for the money. I heartily recommend it for a start up software package. The trace feature doesn't have the resolution I need, so I use Inkscape. It isn't super great either, but the price is right and it will save files in .plt format that Sign Go can open for cleanup. I've finally progressed to the point where I want a little more power in the image processing area. I'm looking at Imigaro Z for vectorization and cleanup. Time saved and wear and tear in my hairline will pay for it in less than a year. ProCut 8 is what I want to move to for driving my plotter. It has some great features like superior text tools and cut positioning to optimize material use. JT

I'm using Sign Go to run my plotter, Corel Paintshop Pro and Inkscape. When I convert photos or other images to vectors it's a laborious several step process. I'm changing to Imigaro Professional Z and ProCut 8 as soon as I can afford it. Imigaro Z will save me hours of cleanup time, and ProCut 8 has a lot of options I like, such as cut optimization, which saves vinyl, or sandblast resist, in my case. For about $1,000, I get two programs that will pay for themselves in saved time in a year or less. Check out both programs on youtube. JT

Bummer. Been there, too. It might just be the electronics. Maybe you can switch the board on the drive. What kind of media do you sandblast?

OK, I've started an album in the gallery. I'd like to see examples of everyone's work, too. As I said, I am interested in what's possible with glass. I hope you all are enjoying a football game today.

Glass is something I've wanted to try, especially carving some really thick stuff. What are you guys using for resist? Weeding can be a real bear for me too. I usually use a fine pick and magnifiers. Try holding down the little parts with the point of your pick while pulling up the letter or number. I've also found that weeding after putting the cut stencil on the item to be blasted, makes weeding fine detail easier. The backer is made to release the resist pretty easily. The resist's adhering to the backing depends on the amount of surface area. Little pieces don't have much area to keep them on the backing. JT

Great! We're off to a good start. You can see one of my pieces in the introductions part of this forum, the thread is "New to this forum". I'll get some other shots together and post 'em in the gallery. Most of the photography is on another comp. I'm watching the Seahawks/Vikings game with a laptop on my lap. JT

I had a problem with a new roll of Anchorblast lite. It wouldn't stay on the backing during detailed cuts. I tried the same cut with a scrap from the previous roll, no problems. I called US Cutter here in Redmond, WA. Curtis told me to bring it in, they'd have a look, so I did just that. When the guys at the store saw the problem, they handed me a new roll, no hassle. The new roll works perfectly, just like all the other products I've gotten there. I can't think of a company I've worked with that is easier to do business with. Rock ON! JT

Yep, the brain is the best place. You can make an image your own by adding to or taking away from it. Learn to vectorize and change pictures. Eventually you'll be making your own originals. JT

Congratulations! May there be a blizzard of 'em in the future. JT

That's why I like living in Western Washington. It doesn't snow much, doesn't get very cold, no hurricanes, no tornadoes, no poisonous snakes, no alligators, crocodiles, boa constrictors, etc. Yeah, it rains a bit, but I seem to be able to deal with that, at least most of the time. All in all, this is a pretty benign corner of the country, weather wise. Folks are nice, too. JT

Here's just one youtube shot of Imigaro Z: Have a look, if you haven't already done so. JT