Small Cuts - Cutter Not Closing Shapes

[blownss 0]

Hey all

I have the 50" Refine cutter/plotter and I recently got a request from a friend for some decals and his local car club chapter. He gave me a JPG of what he wanted and I recreated with Corel to make an AI file for SignCut. The decals are 2"x7" so the text and stuff is pretty small.

My problem is that it seems that on most of the shapes, the cutter isn't completely making a full cut, and when I go to weed, a lot of the little stuff gets pulled up because it isn't completely cut. I know the file is fine because I've done similar stuff with larger graphics and don't have a problem. It seems to just be with this smaller stuff.

So here is the picture of what I am cutting out. I am weeding out all of the black stuff.

Some of the things that always get pulled up are the little pieces of the 'F' and "E" characters. Also some of the little round headlights do too.

And it's ALWAYS the same pieces, in every cut. So that tells me it isn't just a fluke and its either the software sending the wrong commands or whatever or the hardware not working right..... any ideas? I can send someone the AI file if they want to give it a shot on their plotter.

Thanks!!!

Mike

[dgreenh 9]

Define small. 

Generally any characters that I try to cut that are under somewhere around 1/2" are pure hell to weed.  The main stuff weeds ok, but for the little parts and pieces I have to hold them down with an exacto knife.  It can be done but it is very tedious work.

[kenimes 42]

You could try changing the offset in SignCut to something a bit higher.

[blownss 0]

dgreen, well that image above I was cutting to 2"x7", so whatever that is worth.

I will try the offset setting. Where exactly is that and what should I try and set it to?

[kenimes 42]

In SignCut click Settings, then Cutter and offset is towards the bottom of the screen that pops up. Default should be .010

Maybe try .020, .025, .030, .035 etc.

[dgreenh 9]

2"x 7" makes that top line of characters around .20".  Pretty small but it should be do able with lots of patience and testing.  Slow the cutter way down and play with the offset.  You are going to pull up some of the little stuff no matter how careful you are.. 

Another option that I have used on that kind of stuff is to weed the big parts, put the transfer tape on it, peel the backing off and weed it off the transfer tape, I think its called reverse weeding or something like that.  The transfer tape holds on to that small stuff much better.  You just have to try to keep your fingers off of the sticky vinyl while you are weeding this way, use the backing paper as a hand rest.  good luck.

[blownss 0]

Yeah, I know I can do it with patience and a knife, but I don't want to do the cutting that is what the machine is for.

Plus if he wants 20 or 30 of these at a time, that is a LOT of time with the knife and weeding, when it should only take a few minutes to weed and another few minutes to tape and cut.

I will play with that offset and slow it down....but I guess I'm not going to keep my hopes up. Seems like there are others with the same issues.... :-

[Bigmac 1]

DON'T feel alone I have been fighting this problem since I got started. Everyone talks about making the cutter offset bigger. I have tried this and it don't work. What I have done was set the cutter offset to .001 then set the overcut to .03 that have helped. give this a try and see if it works for you.

good luck  bigmac

[blownss 0]

Thanks Bigmac, I will give that a shot and see what I come up with.

I tried setting the offset to 0.020 and it seems to have fixed the initial problem, but now the decals looks like crap. There are little burrs sticking out everywhere on the decal, so that isn't going to work.

[bruceking66 0]

I'M using SignBlazer, I don't see a setting for Overcut?

[kenimes 42]

I'M using SignBlazer, I don't see a setting for Overcut?

SignBlazer only has Offset, no overcut setting I think.

[bruceking66 0]

CORNHOLE