need my MH721 to cut sharper corners. settings other than offset?

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hey guys-

so i've been searching and reading as many threads as i can take in.  (stating the obvious here, but this forum RULES.)  lately i have been trying to educate myself on the particulars of the settings of my mh721 with use in signblazer to produce the sharpest cuts possible.  all i'm really seeing is the topic of offset to correct the problem.  i have used trial and error to get the offset as close as possible (~.5mm), and it does fairly well, however it isn't as sharp as i think it might be able to be.  granted, i am cutting some rather small and detailed images and the rotation of the blade will inevitably cause some inaccuracies.  i totally understand.  i'm just wondering if there are any other settings, tweaks, etc that i may be able to try to get that will get me closer to perfection.  i'm not asking for perfect, but i'd estimate that the accuracy i'm getting is about 90%, and i'm just looking for that extra 4-5% that would make a difference.  

i have also read about the blades and the differences between the 45 degree and 60 degree blades.  it makes complete sense that the 60 degree blade may have better luck as the angle is steeper.  i'm not completely convinced that it would do it, however, as there is so little of the blade that actually does the cutting.  

any ideas?   better/different blades and/or different settings that you seasoned vets would like to share?  thanks guys!  

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no tips/tricks?

[Dakotagrafx 7,297]

personally I use a cleancut 60 degree blade for everything and am happy - the offset will have the biggest effect on the outcome

[freezermink 3]

i may try the 60 degree blade.  if nothing else, it'll be nice to have a spare around. 

i was just messing with speed settings as well. with small font cutting (approx 3/8in block letters) it seems to make VERY little difference whether i set it to 4in/s or 48in/sec.  same results almost exactly.  depth variances get me the same result.  it must be a blade issue of some kind. 

[freezermink 3]

here's a pic of what i'm talking about... keep in mind that this is a macro shot of the 'a'.  the size is approx 8mm tall x 12mm wide.

you can see that the middle cut in the 'a' isn't incredibly accurate, and there is that strange cut where i'm guessing it starts/stops. 

[Dakotagrafx 7,297]

I would say that is where the cut is starting and at 5/16" tall letter that might be what you can get with your cutter.  when you step up to a cutter with a better motor like the roland or graphtec you will get the other small improvement you are looking for.  call Ross at cleancut and he will set you up with the best 60 degree I have ever seen

http://www.cleancutblade.com/

[freezermink 3]

ah i see.  so it may just be a product of the cutter itself.  makes sense.  it was one hell of an inexpensive cutter considering all it can do.  i don't have many projects with a need to cut this small, so i'll not worry too much.  I will, however, order up a blade from cleancut and get that in asap.  thanks dakota-

[Dakotagrafx 7,297]

no problem

[Stlouistech 2]

I got a blade from clean cut and all I can say is WHY IN THE h3LL did I wait this long to order it.

[Dakotagrafx 7,297]

sharp little buggers aren't they.  don't forget to back your pressure off when you install the cc blade or you may cut thru and break the tip

[signme 1]

I have had the same issues with crappy cuts. I uninstalled and reinstalled the software and it usually fixes it. Also at that small you are asking alot out of the plotter.

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oh i completely understand.  its fairly precise stuff.  at this point i'd rather know that my limitations are on the hardware end, and not my knowledge about this process. 

i did just reinstall the program just a week or so ago, so i'm not sure that would fix it.  worth a try i guess! 

thanks guys. 

[gadget1961 5]

i have the same  cutter and i have not had a problem with the small detail stuff , its the weeding that is a little tricky as with a bright light and a little time on your hands , , just need a sharp cutter , i have a Roland blade and remember to change when it starts tearing ,( weed well and prosperous )

[freezermink 3]

well i have an few updates.  i talked with the guy over at cleancutblades, and he was extremely courteous and helpful.  i ordered up a blade and he even got me the forum discount and free shipping.  can't ask for more than that.  so the blade is on its way.  while we were discussing the issues, he mentioned blade depth and it got me thinking.  so for the last few hours i have been doing some blade depth testing and HOLY CRAP does the depth make a huge difference.  i had it set to about 1/2 a credit cards depth, as most threads on this site had informed me, and it was working just fine, or so i thought.  i cranked it down and kept getting progressively better results.  the blade is now down to a point where i can barely see it in the holder at all... its cutting fantastically.  its not perfect, but its MUCH better.  attached is an example i just cut... 'motorsports' is ~8mm high.  (it was right on the roller path, but eh, it was just a practice cut.)

[Dakotagrafx 7,297]

1/2 a credit card is way too much blade

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agreed!  never again will i trust the credit card rule.  we should find all the listings on here and put a disclaimer on them.  heh.

doing some more test cuts with the same 'motorsports' logo down to ~6mm in height, everything still looks great, and suprisingly weeds as easily as if the letters were 4x as large.  it is oracal 651, so that helps i'm sure.  i'm still excited to see what the 60 degree blade will do, but i think i've gotten that extra bit i needed. 

[Lyn 0]

I am really new to this and have a Highlight HL-721B, which I think is fairly similar to the MH721 (I am in Australia). Can you let me know what speed and force settings you are using to get your letters nice and sharp? I think I am using too much blade and, after reading this post, will try having less blade showing but I am interested to know the best force settings. I have my speed on the lowest possible when doing small letters but am still having trouble with the corners not cutting properly.

Thanks.