Just a Trick

[Guest debogus]

Some thing I learned ,especially for multiple copy's.

move the start location on pieces that keep lifting during the first pull.

Also for small stuff or the constant PITA

Cut the vector and overlap the start and stop points by a little and leave the vector open.

You can make the tiniest of details play nice.

[SSW 0]

Not sure I understand what your saying??

[Guest debogus]

All of the plotters drawings are vector line drawings and have a startstop point.

By design the knife blade may leave the tiny area at the start stop  point not cut(its tiny)

On most items this just tears, because there is enough material grabbing the telfon.

But on smaller details there just isn't and it ends up being pulled up with the waste.

The dots of I's the dots on ? especialy if the little bugger has square corners and  the vector starts at the corner

This is never a problem with anyone else ?

[SSW 0]

Yes!  I have this problem alot.  When I go to weed smaller letters, the letters come up with the excess.

I'm still not 100% sure what your talkin bout.  Maybe a video?

[SSW 0]

How do you determine where its going to start/stop cuting?

[ff958 0]

Can't you adjust your blade offset to help with this too?

[Guest debogus]

blade offset ? Never have messed with,Will have to look into that.

So changing the offset would make the cutter over lap the ends of the cuts?

OR if the startstop node is on the corner of a little square piece.

But after reading this one, I don't have a offset problem , the problem is  that the drawing doesn't have the offset of the blade ( or a little more) built in.

OR the node is in a stupid place.

The size of the start stop can be as much as the correct offset ( or more depending on its rotation)and this sometimes is enough to grab that little piece.

http://www.tubelite.com/docs/support/graphtec/TNC_004_Accurate_Blade_Setup.pdf

[ff958 0]

I think I understand what you just said  :-?

You are right if you have a bad vector and the nodes do not line up right then you are right you can not correct this with the blade offset setting.

The blade offset is not how much the blade sticks out of the holder, but is a setting that the program uses to make sure the cuts are complete. On the box the blades come in it sometimes tells what the offset should be for those blades, 45 and 60 degree are different.

The blade offset is set in the setup screen after you hit the cutter button on Sign Blazer, mine is set at .25mm for a 45 degree blade.

I hope this makes sense, I am not always the best at explaing these things.

[SSW 0]

So how do you know where the cutter is going to start/stop?

[Guest debogus]

I have Vinyl express its a flexi product. Notice  the little circles on the lines and I have them mostly on the left side of objects, as I weed right to left.

On the dots of the I is where I cut and overlap so I can weed fast with no problems ,no mater what size

[SSW 0]

I'm using inkscape...

[tekcorps 50]

Some please step up and correct me if I'm wrong here... but debogus, I have never noticed or not if that is the actual start and stopping points of a cut. I have flexi and use it, those dots or circles tell you that is where the path is closed or joined. Something I notice on your image is that your little glider thingy shows two circles, that tell me that you have a overlap path there somewhere. That might be part of your cutting problem.

As far as where the cut starts and stops it is possible that is where it does start and stop, I do not know that for a fact and never paid attention. But you do have a very valid point if this is so of how and where you close your path according to your weeding technique.

Now I'm curious! LOL  

Something that I might add is... if your blade depth, offset, type and cut speed is correct it should not matter where it starts or stops.

Looking closer are your image, the other circle might be the close of a compound path there, hard to tell with black line. Something looks funky there... like a overlapping line.

[Guest debogus]

On flexi  I would imagine its the same as VE . On any outline as your cursor hovers over it right clck, in that menu should be "change start point" the little circle will move there.

It does start stop there.

And for the tiny stuff if you cut it ( with the little scissors) it will turn into a open path and then you can overlap them just a little.

Havent played with ink scape  will have to check if the same applies to that one

Ok heres one close up  of the "I" dot and spread a little for clarity.

[Guest debogus]

I started doing this when I started trying to make some of my designs smaller or when people would ask for stuff with  a line of one size and one under it that was 1/4 size Then you scale it and turns into a big pain in the ass. Weeded fine just a little larger what the hell . Started looking at what was the problem.

Now most things arent a Problem .

you know Tricks

[tekcorps 50]

Ok, found it in flexi and lxi. I read manual in flexi and yes that is the start and end of a path if joined or the start of a open path. It also says you that is the start and stop point of the cutter.

If your blade is correct type and setup correctly and no overlapping paths and your path is closed it should cut like butter. Regardless...

I reverse weed the small stuff. Usually works pretty good. I will try your trick next time I do small stuff and see if it helps. 

[Guest debogus]

one more expalination of my therorys ...the Why?

even proper set up ,perfect world the blade wont hit the red point every time unless it was already pointed that way .On a swivel knife its probably pointing the direction of the last cut

Only time this can't happen is on a mechanical tangent machine or a hot knife type.

Its a small amount, but some times that is the culprit.

[ff958 0]

I kinda see what you are saying now from your other posts, about having to move your stop/start point to overlap you cut lines, and you are right if you don't have a closed path then you will have problems weeding.

In your last post that is where your blade offset comes in. By adjusting your offset you are telling your cutter it needs to move past the last node by X amount. Like with mine it is set at .25mm.

[MrMopar64 47]

I've used overcut in Flx 8.1 to solve that problem. Is that not what overcut is for.

Thanks

MM64

[Guest debogus]

Dont know have a older version, sure as hell not going to buy the newest version(have the sign expess copy so upgrades I believe are out) unless I can get that feature on flexstarter.

That would make life easier on smaller pita stuff.

[MZ SKEETER 4,709]

I have Flexi starter 8.6 and it has overcut on it 

[sarconastic 29]

Overcut in Flexi does this like SpeedDoggy said, and still has a closed path. it jsut tells the cutter to overlap the end with the start point by what ever amount you determine.

Offset does not make your start and finish point overlap. it sets the amount of travel the cutter has to add or subtract to allow the offset of the blade point time to rotate to create a sharp corner. If your offset is off your not going to get a good cut and weeding is going to be a pain. you will have little tails, rounded corners, cuts that don't close etc.

Kevin

[Guest debogus]

have Flexi starter 8.6 and it has overcut on it

 

Cool ,thanks ,

and I seen you can get it with contour cut also  ,and its around 100 bucks.

[MZ SKEETER 4,709]

yes,  you can get it on EBAY for about $100  and it does have contour cut.