Refine 721 blade installation

[TeresaMc 0]

OK...just got my cutter, go the stand together and all seemed to be going well....until...I have no clue how to install the blade.

I thought I put the blade in the holder, undid that screw knob on the front and it looks like it should slide in there and screw back around it to hold it in place but the holder is WAY to long to fit.

Help!!!!

[Guest fivestar]

Adjust the blade with the silver and gold nuts on the holder.

[TeresaMc 0]

That isn't the issue....I am having a hard time explaining....the cutter holder(not sure if that is what it's called, but the little plastic and silver and gold thing that holds the bland will not fit into the bracket....it is too long to fit in the bracket.  If I take the caridge off the track and put it in the bracket then try to replace the caridge it is dragging so hard on the vinyl it won't move( not the blade, the black plastic part of the holder.

[Guest fivestar]

Put the bracket back on the tracks and make sure it moves up and down.  You can take your fingers and should be able to move it up and down.  It may be stuck in the down position.  Also there's a little "lip" on the holder that rests on the bracket then the blade should stick out just a tiny tiny tiny bit.

[TeresaMc 0]

The blade holder bracket does move up and down but it is all the way aup and then some.....before the blade even thinks about moving.

[BannerJohn 1,324]

any way you can take a pic and post it? I've seen more tha one person put the blade in the wrong place, or the blade holder in upside-down.

To install the blade,you don't take the holder apart. You don't unscrew anything. You just put the blade in the holder,use the screw adjustment to expose more or less of the blade.

[TeresaMc 0]

I finally got that.......I was trying to put the blade holder down in the groove in the bracket not just resting on top of it....

Got the test square cut, not connectivity issues

Not sure where to set the port, etc as I downloaded the software a week ago and picked some random info.

[BannerJohn 1,324]

I had a feeling it was something like that. And don't feel bad...my own brother who is very smart in most ways,has an executive job with a luxury hotel..had his blade in the wrong end of the holder,and the holder in upside down. It is not as obvious to everyone as it should be. A few pics and a real manual coming with the cutter might help.

[BannerJohn 1,324]

what connection metod are you using? USB? Serial?

[TeresaMc 0]

Trying to use the 26 pin cable......with LPT1 I think is right?

[BannerJohn 1,324]

that wouldn't be my first choice but it should work if all your setting are right. In the SignBlazer setup,make sure the com port is set to that,and the baud rate matches the refine (9600 by default)

[TeresaMc 0]

Settings seem to be all set up right.  It trys to send the file...and after about 5 min I get an error message "Can not open the output device. Cannot initialize cutter."

(My port is set to Blazer.LPT1, Baud Rate 9600)

[kenimes 42]

Make sure your Parallel port mode is set to ECP, and that you have no Printers or Faxes also using LPT1. Maybe try changing it to LPT3 in your Device manager, and set SBE to LPT3.

[TeresaMc 0]

The parallel port was set to ECP, I even tried uninstalling and reinstalling the port...it just didn't like it.

So this morning I tried the USB connection, expecting problems....and yippee...it works.

Of course I got it to work about 10 minutes before I had to leave for work, so now I can't wait to get home and cut, cut, cut.  (And learn better vinyl conservation because I sure took alot of vinyl to cut 2-6" numbers)

[kenimes 42]

Any connection you can get to work is good.

[BannerJohn 1,324]

Let me add...I never could get my refine to work with LPT or Serial but USB was a breeze. Still working fine after a year or so.