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AmericanWarriorDecals

Cuts not lining up...

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I have had nothing but problems with my refurbished cutter since I got it. I spent hours trying to get some cuts to line up and enter up having to make a triangle and now a rounded one. Everything cut fine for the most part. Now when I go to run the cuts in getting the lines to not line up anymore. With no change of settings whatsoever. I'm starting to feel like I'm going crazy. This is what it's doing and I don't know what to do I told the customer it would ship out today and it's already 10pm... And I have more people waiting. I changed the mother board. Set up the software with the offset of the clean cut blade and now it's not lining up still... Any ideas or does my cutter have deeper issues or is it just not a reliable cutter I'm about to pull my hair out... It was lined up before

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***An update***

Seems that if I cut the decals one at a time it works. If it cuts more than one at a time the lines get all messed up. Even then. There are varying over cuts randomly though out.

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how is the cutting strip - and to make sure - you are not making the cutter pull the vinyl off the roll are you?  how big is the decal?  have you checked belt tension and make sure grit rollers are all tight?  looks like some kind of slippage to me - we usually see that on value cutters that people mess with the pressure roller tension

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I don't think that is your problem but it also looks like your offset needs tweaked - remember the numbers are a guidline and not a hard number that is effected by the individual blade grind, wear. etc  there are variables

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I can't remember what cutting program you are running. Have you tried any other program options? I know that sounds silly but I once had a beta version of SCALP and noticed certain things were not like I was used to. If you are running any version of SCALP I would question the program a little. If you are running Vinyl Master it's probably fine. I run SignCut Pro and they have a 7 day free trial. If you decide to test that out I would call the tech line and talk to them about the Titan before downloading just to be sure they have a driver for your machine. The Titan is a USCutter house brand and not everyone has caught up with the new offerings. 

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good thought goose - we have seen several issues with scalp on things like that and inconstant problems

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I agree with Dakota about the offset needing tweaked. If those letters were directly typed and not traced they don't look crisp enough. 

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I kind of think you have a little too much overcut too. The start and stop points should just touch, not overlap. Even though I see they don't line up, if they did you would get a little double cut going on at each of these locations. This can effect your weeding lines too. 

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I use SCALP on 4 cutters - 2 Titans, 1 MH and one SC  I never have issues with the alignment. - I am running windows 10 on all of my laptops. 

 

I think dakotagrafx is correct it is most likely your offset. Also make sure you blade is set correctly and tight the holder on the Titans can come loose when they are new ( brass locking nut ).

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So I had an issue where there machine slammed the carrier agaisnt the metal several times and completely loosened the tension belt.  They told me how to fix it and I opened up the side and tightened it up all the way.

 

I'am using SCALP3 and I'm not very thrilled with the program and its constant crashing.

 

The cutter strip was brand new, however the send me the new one rolled up and its slighly kinked in places, but its definitely flattened up alot since then.

 

As for the grit rollers, do I want to tighten the nuts all the way up so that the bottom of the black pieces of plastic holding the springs are touching?  Or do I want the threads to be showing the most?  RIght now I tightened them so that when raised up, the springs are stretched the max.

 

As for the overcut settings the default is 1mm and I've played with turning off completely as well.  What do you recommend?

 

Also for the offset, I'm not really sure whether to go up or down or how to troubleshoot... any tips?

 

As for now I have tightened up everything and I shall see what happens.  Thanks for the tips, I've already learned alot reading your answers.  Thank you!

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I also have the blade out about the thickness of a credit card, I know they say typically it should be have that, but with my pressure at 48 I seem to get great cuts (depth wise) and not a deep cut into the backing (and definitely no imprint on the back side).  This seems to work for me even though everywhere I have read says it shouldn't be that far out.

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So I had an issue where there machine slammed the carrier agaisnt the metal several times and completely loosened the tension belt.  They told me how to fix it and I opened up the side and tightened it up all the way.

 

I'am using SCALP3 and I'm not very thrilled with the program and its constant crashing.

 

The cutter strip was brand new, however the send me the new one rolled up and its slighly kinked in places, but its definitely flattened up alot since then.

 

As for the grit rollers, do I want to tighten the nuts all the way up so that the bottom of the black pieces of plastic holding the springs are touching?  Or do I want the threads to be showing the most?  RIght now I tightened them so that when raised up, the springs are stretched the max.

 

As for the overcut settings the default is 1mm and I've played with turning off completely as well.  What do you recommend?

 

Also for the offset, I'm not really sure whether to go up or down or how to troubleshoot... any tips?

 

As for now I have tightened up everything and I shall see what happens.  Thanks for the tips, I've already learned alot reading your answers.  Thank you!

add a little bit and try a test cut - if it is better good - if worse go the other way  - just a little at a time

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I also have the blade out about the thickness of a credit card, I know they say typically it should be have that, but with my pressure at 48 I seem to get great cuts (depth wise) and not a deep cut into the backing (and definitely no imprint on the back side).  This seems to work for me even though everywhere I have read says it shouldn't be that far out.

  Instructions never say have the blade depth out a credit card depth or even 1/2 credit card.is a myth that will not go away. You really need to change your blade depth to the correct depth...A credit card thickness is very incorrect..The blade depth instructions have been posted a lot on here..  You have bad cuts...  You are here asking for advice. Put the blade depth where it belongs, and use the force of your machine to cut the depth. With the blade being out that far you are not cutting with the very tip of the blade as you should be...You should only see and feel the blade tip out of the blade holder.. You are creating your own problems, by not having the blade set correctly. That is the first thing you should do when you set your cutter up. 

 

From 1of MzSkeeter's posts on how to set the blade depth correctly. It works perfect. 

 

"This is how to set your blade depth correctly.. You should barely see or feel the blade out of the blade holder. 

 

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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  Instructions never say have the blade depth out a credit card depth or even 1/2 credit card.is a myth that will not go away. You really need to change your blade depth to the correct depth...A credit card thickness is very incorrect..The blade depth instructions have been posted a lot on here..  You have bad cuts...  You are here asking for advice. Put the blade depth where it belongs, and use the force of your machine to cut the depth. With the blade being out that far you are not cutting with the very tip of the blade as you should be...You should only see and feel the blade tip out of the blade holder.. You are creating your own problems, by not having the blade set correctly. That is the first thing you should do when you set your cutter up. 

 

From 1of MzSkeeter's posts on how to set the blade depth correctly. It works perfect. 

 

"This is how to set your blade depth correctly.. You should barely see or feel the blade out of the blade holder. 

 

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."

great catch stick it = follow the directions stick it gave - as you definitely have way too much blade exposure that will cause this problem and many more.  blade exposure also affects the offset - sometime skimming over so many threads I miss the simplest things

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Agreed on blade depth. So little out that you can't hardly see it without a flashlight to get some glint. I like to get down while it's cutting and look at how much space there is between the blade holder and the vinyl. It should just barely clear. Like a sheet of paper space. It seems like it wouldn't matter but it totally does. 

 

Overcut I have always heard should be similar to your offset number if at all. Many cut just fine without any. 

 

Offset there are some good threads on. Most cut a square and see what the corners look like and play with it in small increments up and down until the sweet spot is found between rounded corners and weird little tips. 

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Thanks for all the tips guys, I will just have to trust that less is more.  There's so much to learn here and I love it.  I know its me 90% of time and I think that is the most frustrating for me.  I would love to get a part time job at a sign place, there is one across the street from me, I imagine I could learn alot there as well.

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Well the blade depth definitely has helped.  Just have to perfect the offset.  I have the same shapes in a cut that on some are creating small tails where they dont line up perfect.  Seems to be the one thing that I can never get rid of.  Still playing with it.

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As for the grit rollers, do I want to tighten the nuts all the way up so that the bottom of the black pieces of plastic holding the springs are touching?  Or do I want the threads to be showing the most?  RIght now I tightened them so that when raised up, the springs are stretched the max.

They are referring to tightening the set screw inside the steel grit rollers on the bottom,,Not the pinch rollers above.  With the cutter off, turn the steel grit rollers on the bottom by hand, until you can see the set screw in it, and make sure they are tight. It is not advisable to start messing with the tension on the pinch rollers above,  you will just create more problems for yourself. 

Glad your getting the blade depth tuned in..    For Offset start at 0.25mm  and adjust at small increments. If it starts looking bad 1 way plus or minus, then go the other way.until corners are sharp.  

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I have been playing with things for a while with all the suggestions and I hate to have to ask a dumb question, but is it even possible to cut a 100% perfect circle?  Since I was cutting a small design I ordered a Clean Cut 60 degree blade and have been playing with all the settings and the lines are literally a maybe 2 hairs off and dont start and stop at the same spot.  The email I had into US Cutter from this thread, they suggested I replace the entire cutter at this point as nothing seems to be helping.

 

They are referring to tightening the set screw inside the steel grit rollers on the bottom,,Not the pinch rollers above.  With the cutter off, turn the steel grit rollers on the bottom by hand, until you can see the set screw in it, and make sure they are tight. It is not advisable to start messing with the tension on the pinch rollers above,  you will just create more problems for yourself. 

Glad your getting the blade depth tuned in..    For Offset start at 0.25mm  and adjust at small increments. If it starts looking bad 1 way plus or minus, then go the other way.until corners are sharp.  

 

Does this require opening it up?  I imagine so because I do not see any screws on the steel rollers in the bottom of the machine just past the cutting strip.

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Does the baud rate matter at all?  As in which number it should be set too?

I don't think it is a communication problem - you have made a lot of progress with the adjustment!

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Ive done as many adjustments as I can and I still have consistency issues.  USCutter told me to send the machine back in for replacement.  I've literally tried everything.  I would think it could make a 1.5" x 1.5" decal when my Silhouette cameo could do it with zero over cutting or nicks and tails like I'm getting.  

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then I guess you have an answer - return it for another titan or apply the amount toward a graphtec  -  it must be that particular unit because so many of us have used the titans with no problems - this is a cut I did within 10 min of my titan 2 being out of the box without any adjustments other than blade length and force


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