cutter still not closing cuts 100%

[gabagoo]

this may not be a fix, but have you tried slowing the machine down to see what happens...just throwing that out there.

yes I only run at 20. tried the quality at 2 no change. I wonder if it could be software, but I cant see how. it seems to be a mechanical error. Now I am wondering how you tighten a belt.

who fixes Graphtecs in the Toronto area? anybody know?

 

[gabagoo]

well my plotter still is giving me the odd trouble although I have slowed the speed down to 15 and seems much better.

I think I may have found a possible issue although I am not sure if it could be causing the problem. I run the plotter from across the room using a serial cable. The cable goes up from the plotter and across the ceiling and down to the comp and must be 25' long. Because it goes up from the plotter it sometimes gets pulled a bit from opening and closing the pinch rollers as it resides quite close. I noticed that the wire going into the serial connection at the plotter end is sort of coming apart and I can see some bare wires, so maybe one of the connections is not 100%

Cant say that is what is causing the problem but I will have to see if you can still get 25' of serial cable these days.

Keep you posted

 

[Sign Works]

bob I have the blue holder buthave never monkeyed around with the cutter since buying it 5 or 6 years ago. Outside of weight and speed thats it. I have lubricated the holder and I am almost positive at this point that it may be these 3rd party blades. The trouble seemed to start back when I finally changed my last origianl Graphtec blade about 2 months ago. I have no idea who makes these blades but after buying a new one today and basically seeing the same problem I am convinced.

I did order 2 oem blades from Advantage about 3 weeks ago thinking that this may be the culprit but for whatever reason the package has not shown up. I have them tracking it down ( I am in Canada... need I say more.
I hope it is this blade as it is packaged with a 35 degree indication on the box and I thought graphtecs had a 30 degree blade. I could be wrong but I hope I am not. This machine is a workhorse.
I might add that on larger letters I can see when it gets back to the origin to shut the shape, many times I can see what can only be described as a small gouge in the vinyl, as though it is overcutting possibly and digging into the backing paper.

OEM Graphtec blades in my opinion are far superior to any others, I have not tried Clean Cut Blades on my graphtec cutter because the Graphtecs will literally last for years cutting hundreds of feet of vinyl per day. I have designated a seperate blade holder and blade for reflective & metalized films therefore never taking the sharp point off the blade for regular vinyls. You can order the blades direct from Graphtec.

 

[OldPaint]

i had this problem with a roland. it didnt happen with ALL FONTS just a few. seemed to me as long as i used fonts from FONT FACTORIES.....or reputable font producers, IT CUT COMPLETELY.
junk fonts will do this.

 

[gabagoo]

i had this problem with a roland. it didnt happen with ALL FONTS just a few. seemed to me as long as i used fonts from FONT FACTORIES.....or reputable font producers, IT CUT COMPLETELY.
junk fonts will do this.

I have noticed this too. Sometimes it cuts perfectly and other times it is really horrible, although before this started it cut them all very well so I think it is the cable

 

[SummitSignsandmore]

I'm having the same issues too..??

Tried a new blade/teflon strip. Change the quailty settings.... speeds.... The whole nine yard. For this cutter to be only 9 months old it for sure isn't the "STEADY WORKHORSE" that signwarehouse described.

I'm beging to believe you get what you pay for. I have run a mimaki cutter from my previous shop for 5 years with not one problem change the blade maybe 2 times in 5 year & the teflon stripe was still original...

Had this cutter for 9 months and what a headach it has been....

 

[B Snyder]

I've had my FC5100 for at least 5 years. Just last week, for the first time ever, I had a problem with the cutting being a little choppy causing paths to not close. Blade was good, cutting strip was good, file was good, settings were good. Turned out that the blade wasn't spinning freely on the small bearings in the blade holder. I put a very small drop of 3-in-1 in there and all has been well since.

 

[SummitSignsandmore]

I'll give the 3-in-1 a shot.... I've tried everything else can't hurt....

 

[gabagoo]

I'll give the 3-in-1 a shot.... I've tried everything else can't hurt....

i use white grease on the bearings...but that still isnt my problem here.

 

[autoexebat]

I was hoping to see a post of how you fixed this ? I guess you never found out ?

I have a FC4100-75 here and it does the SAME thing !

 

[signwizz]

i had this problem a while back and i changed a few settings and it stopped and i tried a clean cut blade and it returned so i put the origional blade back in and no probs i will post my settings when i get home but i think it has to do with the blades or holder
shane

 

[autoexebat]

Cool cant wait to see them

 

[signwizz]

gabagoo

try allgraphic supplies or oldham robinson or call eastwest i got their new catalogue and the sell graphtec plotters i think also look at the website for authorized dealers or repair depots
Also the other thing i forgot to mention is i changed the blade holder i havent changed blades since but i will tonight and let u know and i will post my settings
shane

 

[autoexebat]

I seen some metal blade holder they sell on Ebay , they look good but then I see they come from China . So I didn't buy them .

 

[gabagoo]

I was hoping to see a post of how you fixed this ? I guess you never found out ?

I have a FC4100-75 here and it does the SAME thing !

which problem, the non finish cuts? if so I need to get a new serial cable if I ever get the time to see if that is the problem as the old one is frayed and could be causing this issue

 

[Just Another Sign Guy]

i don;t have a fix to offer..however, the times that i have seen this issue it has either been a software setting. a glaring mechanical issue. or cutting fonts (or converting the same fonts to curves) that are of less than excellent quality, especially the fonts from free sites, etc. not every font but definitely more common on the freebies.

 

[gabagoo]

gabagoo

try allgraphic supplies or oldham robinson or call eastwest i got their new catalogue and the sell graphtec plotters i think also look at the website for authorized dealers or repair depots
Also the other thing i forgot to mention is i changed the blade holder i havent changed blades since but i will tonight and let u know and i will post my settings
shane

Let me tell you a little story about Oldham Robinson. I bought 2 Allen Datagraph machines from them 15 years back, a 36" originally and then a 48" and these guys were way out in Hamilton so before I spent the $$$$ I asked them about servicing under warranty and not under warranty. They told me they would come out here to Concord no problem and as far as spare parts went they always stocked one of everything just in case the part was needed.
So probably 5 or 6 years ago I slid the head in a bit of a rage to fast along the y axis and must have created static and blew a board. The guy came out a week later after me begging and reminding them of the great service I was promised..yea right!!! and for what ever amount I was charged told me that I need this new board and they dont have it, and never stock it and I would have to wait 3 weeks for it. I asked about the "we keep one of everything in stock" lie I was told but it fell on deaf ears. I asked if they could lend me a spare but no they did not have one available.

Ef em!!!

Back then I had no digital printer and just an edge running off of an old HS plotter. I needed a 48" cutter and was not going to wait 3 weeks for the parts so I walked across the street here to Mikon and saw the 53" Graphtec and said I want it now. Next day and $12,000 later it was humming away.

I still needed to fix the Allen Datagraph so I could sell it and the guy comes in and sees the new Graphtec and says, "Nice Graphtec you got from us" I said yup its real nice but it did not come from you guys nor shall anything in the future. I wanted to say FIX THE MACHINE AND GET OUT!!

Dont lie and promise me stuff if you cant come through. I sent them 3 or 4 customers who all bought Allen datagraph plotter thanks to my referal and all I asked in return was service.





end of story

 

[signwizz]

here r my settings 20 20 6 0

 

[yahhoo]

letters not closing

it sounds like you have checked everything. almost. usually the letters not closing is one of two things in my opinion. 1.)the blade holder is loose or the blade itself is faulty...2.) your grip rollers are slipping (which is exacerbated by too fast a "tool up" the spped of the "tool up" is not made slower by slowing down the cutter....that won't help, you have to set that within the cutter. also my fc5100 requires a different offset for the specific blade. for example....the sandblast cutting blade (60 degree) will NOT close the letters unless the blade offset is adjusted accordingly in signlab....your manual will tell you the different offsets for each blade.
i also use an overcut of 10 as a rule. and .....i don't use it...but there is also a setting for small type within the plotter interface....i don't use it...always cut 1/4" fine without it..but it's an option too.
last but not least...are ALL the wheels on the roller nicely? if they are too close to the flat metal surface guard...the contact on the roller will be poor causing slippage..:0 Mike...good luck.