Hippie459MN

Cutting issues. Bad cuts (Dove tails)

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I have a first generation MH 871 and this thing is about to end up in the garbage! This has been an ongoing issue and seem like its only getting worse. I know I havent changed the blade in a while so not sure if that could be part of the issue but it makes for really sloppy looking cuts and getting to the point I dont want to cut anything for anyone. I mainly use Sign Blazer but I have also tried using Sign Cut with sometimes even worse results and I am starting to think its the cutter.

 

This thing is leaving little dove tails and it is starting to not finish a cut where it sometimes started. I have attached a picture but I will try to get a better one later. I have wasted A TON of vinyl trying to correct this issue with zero luck. If anyone has ANY ideas please let me know. I bought this cutter from US Cutter about 4 1/2 years ago and I dont ever remember it being such an issue back when I first got it but then again its been so long now.

 

As you can tell by the letter R on the right, for whatever reason it didnt finish where it started. Its getting worse on all the letters and I have decals here I have cut 100 times over and seems like just today its cuuting them awful as well.

 

I am using the COM port. no USB. Was on USB for a long time but had bad results with longer cuts so switched it out. I have also since updated my OS from Vista to Windows 8 and that when most my issues seemd to have started. Any help or ideas here would be awesome.

 

I have tried adjusting the blade offset the best I can for the best corners (Currently .35 in SB and SC).

I have also tried adjusting the pinch roller thinking that maybe its not tracking 100% correctly or something with zero change.

In SC I have tried upping the over cut with HORRIBLE results and the default overcut is still way too much.

I even took the cutter apart twice and cleaned all the wheels and the tracks for the cutter and everything is tight and on track.

I have adjusted the blade depth about 20 times and messed with all kinds of speeds and pressure with no changes.

 

I remeber seeing a few posts somewhere in here some time ago but now I cant find them or if anyone found any sollutions. This is driving me totally crazy.

post-5020-0-79083900-1384621417_thumb.jp

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Is the belt tight on the blade carrier? Is there dirt in the carrier track?

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Also , make sure the set screws in the grit rollers are tight,    Start with a new blade, and adjust it correctly.  Make sure everything is tight on your cutter, just like stated above check your belt for sloppiness.

 

To start with, you should set your blade depth correctly, by taking the blade holder out of the machine, and firmly cut across a piece of scrap vinyl, you will be cutting. You should only be cutting the vinyl and barely a mark on wax paper backing, Adjust blade to get there, Then put the blade holder back in machine, and use the force of the machine to get there, same results, only cutting the vinyl and barely a mark in wax paper backing.

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And hopefully you are not pulling directly from the roll.  You should always pre feed the amount of vinyl for the order.

 

Does it do the same thing on another computer?  You stated this happened when you went to Windows 8.  So try a different computer.   I don't upgrade,  I stay  on a dedicated  Windows XP system  and purchase XP computer for backup.  XP is very stable.

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Well, I went to a friends house tonight and tried it on his new MH 871 (Literately a month old) and pretty much got the same results but it was a bit cleaner. Im starting to wonder if its a combination of the file and the cutter. Whats weird is the text part of the file is right from within signblazer so wouldnt imagine there would be a big issue with it cutting but maybe I am wrong. And no it is not pulling from the roll.

Also today I did try to clean the tracks that the roller sit in and that didnt help but man were they dirty. lol

I tried adding a bit of oil to the blade to help it spin better and no go.

As for the belt, it seems tight but not sure how to gauge how tight it should be. I am going to do some more testing later tonight when I get my kid to bed and report back. I will figure this out if it kills me. lol

Also, thinking of trying out SCAL and see how that works or makes any kind of a difference. Seems like a lot of people are liking it. Hope they have a trial or anything so I can try before I buy.

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I am having this same problem with a MH721-MK2. Roller tracks are clean, belt is tight, blade is a new CCB 60*. I'm using FlexiPRO 8.1 on Windows 7 through a USB connection that I have never had a communication issue with. Overcut and offset are not the issue and I'm cutting at 150mm/s (half the default speed) just so we can elimnate all of the suggestions from this thread...

 

The issue seems to be that either the cutter starts to move onto the next cut before lifting the blade or the blade is not in the correct position when it comes down at the beginning of a cut. If that is the case, I know the blade rotated position is dependant upon the angle of the last cut it left. Is there any way to optimize this between lines so this happens a lot less often?

 

Any more suggestions? I'm open to this being a software issue, but I also have a Master-Desay cutter that does not exhibit this same behavior using much the same setup.

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I am having this same problem with a MH721-MK2. Roller tracks are clean, belt is tight, blade is a new CCB 60*. I'm using FlexiPRO 8.1 on Windows 7 through a USB connection that I have never had a communication issue with. Overcut and offset are not the issue and I'm cutting at 150mm/s (half the default speed) just so we can elimnate all of the suggestions from this thread...

 

The issue seems to be that either the cutter starts to move onto the next cut before lifting the blade or the blade is not in the correct position when it comes down at the beginning of a cut. If that is the case, I know the blade rotated position is dependant upon the angle of the last cut it left. Is there any way to optimize this between lines so this happens a lot less often?

 

Any more suggestions? I'm open to this being a software issue, but I also have a Master-Desay cutter that does not exhibit this same behavior using much the same setup.

what size are the cuts?  How old is the plotter?

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Cut size does not matter. As mentioned before it just makes weeding small cuts difficult. Big cuts are easier to weed but they still end up with this pigtail at the end/begining or incomplete cuts on circles.

 

Plotter is less than a year old and has always done it to some extent but I do feel like it is getting worse. Either that or I am finally getting fed up with it.

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Through hours (literally) of reading on this forum I have found many different suggestions for fixing this issue but none are working for me, or seemingly anyone else with this issue.

 

From reading I gather that some higher grade cutters have a function built-in to the firmware that arranges cut order to optimize blade position to reduce or eliminate this issue from happening. I guess that this lack of finesse in firmware programming is to be expected with a $300.00 cutter.

 

I cannot WAIT to purchase a servo motor driven cutter from another company.

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the servo motor makes a big difference no matter where you buy it - I don't buy a kia and expect a Cadillac ride.  but I guess next time I will buy a Dodge from another dealer cause I didn't like the ride in the kia . . . .after only 11 days of getting used to it.   Good luck

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If you go to SAI, (Flexi tech support and forum..),  they will tell you that Flexisignpro8.1 is only compatible with XP and older windows.  Flexisignpro was not even compatible with VISTA  until version 8.5.  Just throwing that out there, from the SAI forum...and SAI tech support.    Others have tried it with newer windows, and it is hit or miss. 

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lets see $300 plotter, $2500 software - - - any bets on if sai will give support   ^-^

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lets see $300 plotter, $2500 software - - - any bets on if sai will give support   ^-^

LOL, I went the other way.. $3000 Graphtec vinyl cutter,  $100 Flexistarter cutting software.  Got a deal  later on a legal Flexidesigner 10 for $120.  Perfect cuts.... ;D

 

Expensive cutting and design software,  cannot make a hobby/value cutter, cut any better than it is designed to do.  :rolleyes:

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Expensive cutting and design software,  cannot make a hobby/value cutter, cut any better than it is designed to do.  :rolleyes:

 

I beg to differ, see my previous statement where a 10+ year old Master/Desay (~$500) does not have this same problem at all.   That cutter is also run with Flexisign 8.1 :rolleyes:

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I beg to differ, see my previous statement where a 10+ year old Master/Desay (~$500) does not have this same problem at all.   That cutter is also run with Flexisign 8.1 :rolleyes:

 MH and Master.....2 different cutter brands. With the MH being the cheapest and least accurate of any vinyl cutter sold on the USCUTTER website. And it is listed, as such on the UScutter buying guide on their website.   :rolleyes:   Even Graphtec and Roland cut different, function different. With the same cutting software.  So, does your $2500 Flexisignpro8.1 make your Master cut like a Graphtec?  NO.....It can only cut like a Master.   Flexistarter10 would also make the Desay/Master run the same.  for $100.   Same drivers. And actually is compatible with Windows 7. Yes, Flexisign has more cutting and design features, but still will not turn your Master into a Graphtec  or a Roland. Not even a higher end  cutter with a stepper motor, like a Copam. Or why would you say  "I cannot WAIT to purchase a servo motor driven cutter from another company.".... ?   Your Master, cuts like a Master... .That is what it was designed to do...

 

I use the same Flexi software on my Seiki vinyl cutter, BUT it sure can't make my Seiki, cut like my Graphtec ,,,,,

 

Did you ever try a different blade holder? If the Master and the MH cutter use the same type of Roland blade holder, try the blade holder from the Master in the MH... Have you tried a cutting software that actually is compatible with Windows 7?   Are you using the correct driver for the MH MK2? Also according to the UScutter setup website, the baud rate should be changed from 9600 to 4800,,  did you do that?  Have you tried adjusting the blade depth?  I have written those instructions many, many times on here.

 

Here is a trial version of Signcut Pro, with the correct driver, and compatible with your windows7..Trial good for a week.

 

You could see if it makes any difference, And wouldn't cost you anything.

 

http://www.signcutpro.com/try-signcut/

 

 

And here is the UScutter set up for the MH MK2 and Signcut with windows 7.

 

http://www.uscuttersupport.com/downloads/Support_PDF/USBSetup/MH/MH_USB_WIN7.pdf

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I beg to differ, see my previous statement where a 10+ year old Master/Desay (~$500) does not have this same problem at all.   That cutter is also run with Flexisign 8.1 :rolleyes:

Master cutter and MH cutters are completely different caliber of machines. I have owned both and the Master was a lot nicer cutting machine than the MH.

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Master cutter and MH cutters are completely different caliber of machines. I have owned both and the Master was a lot nicer cutting machine than the MH.

 

Hey, I got a master still. Took me months to set that thing up right. I "thought" it cut great.

Now I compare what I had cut with the master and what the graphtec does with the same file, same software.

Pretty easy to see the difference.

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If mine hadn't committed suicide and jumped under the falling file cabinet I may have been using it still. Not a Graphtec but for the price it was a solid machine.

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If mine hadn't committed suicide and jumped under the falling file cabinet I may have been using it still. Not a Graphtec but for the price it was a solid machine.

If you ain't got video of that happening, I don't want to know.

I have had things do the same in there suicide attempts, but no video.

So I ain't telling.

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In the back of the box van when I did flea markets. Nobody saw a thing but that fireproof file cabinet must have been out for vengeance because it nearly bent the carriage to the point of laying on the rollers

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Still have the file cabinet  ;D  Cutter just didn't have the upper body strength to catch the cabinet when it crashed.

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I have the same problem as the original post.

I have adjusted the offset and blades and tightened the belt. Still has the same problem.

Start-Stop cut seems like its 1/64" or so off. Is there  a way to recalibrate the cutter?

I need to put 3in1 oil in the blade holder but the blade seems to rotate smoothly anyways.

I spoke with a guy from uscuter in Redmond Washington and he said he didnt think 3in1 was needed in the blade holder but i dunno how much he knows. He seemed pretty knowledgeable about things.

Also, I asked the guy from us cutter what the laser was for and he told me contour cutting. What is the point of contour cutting with a machine that cant print ink?

 

My Plotter sc801 using Signblazer Elements 6.0.21

Im using illustrator cs6 for designs although even when I put an "A" in signblazer and have it cut it has the same exact problem. Looks just like the photo in the original post.

 

Thanks guy,

Cole

 

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I have the same problem as the original post.

I have adjusted the offset and blades and tightened the belt. Still has the same problem.

Start-Stop cut seems like its 1/64" or so off. Is there  a way to recalibrate the cutter?

I need to put 3in1 oil in the blade holder but the blade seems to rotate smoothly anyways.

I spoke with a guy from uscuter in Redmond Washington and he said he didnt think 3in1 was needed in the blade holder but i dunno how much he knows. He seemed pretty knowledgeable about things.

Also, I asked the guy from us cutter what the laser was for and he told me contour cutting. What is the point of contour cutting with a machine that cant print ink?

 

My Plotter sc801 using Signblazer Elements 6.0.21

Im using illustrator cs6 for designs although even when I put an "A" in signblazer and have it cut it has the same exact problem. Looks just like the photo in the original post.

 

Thanks guy,

Cole

pictures help - is it not cutting all the way thru to the end like you need to add to the overcut or adjust the blade properly or is it not meeting like off to one side of the original cut like slippage (never let the plotter pull the vinyl off the roll) - need more info.  offset has nothing to do with cuts being off and the oil is only if you have the blade not turning freely.  part 2 people print on t-shirt transfers ont heir desktop printers and then contour cut around it especially for dark transfers.  on that note usc doesn't support contour cutting with the sc according to their ad

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Im having this same issue as it looks just like the original persons posted photo (Hippie459MN) on the first page of this post.

Start and stop of a cut is off by 1/32nd or 1/64th and leaves little "dovetail". Also if you look at the B at the top there is a small slice, I have that problem as well.

I have been told I need to add an overcut? I may need other plotting software as I dont see signblazer having that option.

Also, I dont let the plotter pull the vinyl from the roll. I have it unrolled with no tension.

I looked in the cut setup for the driver but do not see where it would be listed.

 

 

 

I have the same problem as the original post.

I have adjusted the offset and blades and tightened the belt. Still has the same problem.

Start-Stop cut seems like its 1/64" or so off. Is there  a way to recalibrate the cutter?

I need to put 3in1 oil in the blade holder but the blade seems to rotate smoothly anyways.

I spoke with a guy from uscuter in Redmond Washington and he said he didnt think 3in1 was needed in the blade holder but i dunno how much he knows. He seemed pretty knowledgeable about things.

 

My Plotter sc801 using Signblazer Elements 6.0.21

Im using illustrator cs6 for designs although even when I put an "A" in signblazer and have it cut it has the same exact problem. Looks just like the photo in the original post.

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