New Graphtec is here! Setting blade is taxing me.

[trakers]

Who-hoo, new cutter is here. Got the stand assembled and the cutter installed on top of it.

Having a bit of an issue getting the blade set correctly however. I may ask for your expert help.

Would a nice scan of the test cut results give you fellas any hints to what I am doing incorrectly?

 

[TrustedImages]

That will help. What problems are you having with it?

 

[trakers]

I'm gonna play some more. Basically what I was seeing is 2 corners of the test triangle are not as "sharp" on the third. Hard to explain. The corners of the test square are good.

I'll post a photo if I can't get it.



Thanks for the help

 

[TrustedImages]

Change the offset. Set it at 0 if that doesn't work just play with it. I think mine is on -1

 

[bob]

If there was some adjustment needed for the blade offset, highly unlikely, all the corners would appear pretty much the same. Since only one corner is questionable, it's probably the start point and there's some over/under cutting happening.

Some plotters have settings for over/under cutting, I can't recall offhand if Graphtec does. Even if it does, it's one of the more obscure settings and is seldom used.

Check that the blade and spring are properly installed and that the blade rotates freely.

Check the depth and pressure.

Check that the media is being sucked down flat on the platen.

 

[trakers]

I'm certain it is some setting I don't have dialed in perfectly. I've cut a few text signs and it looks fantastic. For grins I ran the test cut on offsets from -5 to +5. -1 produces the best looking cut on mine.

Let me ask this. I am struggling a bit to understand the relationship between the blade setting and downforce.

Right now I have the blade where it just leaves a cut line in the backing. I ran a few text cuts and they all came out great except on 1/4" side of one letter which did not cut all the way throught the vinyl. Sound like a blade depth or force issue?

Anyway this is fun as hell. Can't wait to try cutting and layering.

 

[gvgraphics]

What graphtec do you have?

 

[TrustedImages]

He has the new CE5000 which is set similar to our 3000 Sean.

 

[gvgraphics]

If it is setup like the 3000, my settings for calendared vinyl are offset 0, force 17, speed 20, quality 2

This might help ya.

 

[Todd M Castle]

This is something people often overlook also. Make sure the condition for the type of holder is set to 09U and not PEN (this will be the tool setting on the display). Default on one of the conditions is PEN and it makes the blade pick up at the last minute and won't complete the cut in the corner. That might be what your seeing. Hope this helps

 

[Jackpine]

This is something people often overlook also. Make sure the condition for the type of holder is set to 09U and not PEN (this will be the tool setting on the display). Default on one of the conditions is PEN and it makes the blade pick up at the last minute and won't complete the cut in the corner. That might be what your seeing. Hope this helps

You guys better listen to Todd. Believe me from experience, he knows what he says!

If you are getting a cut mark on the liner, your blade is "dialed" out too far.
Sean's setting are "right on" the mark. I also add down force on other cutting conditions. 21 for print and laminated material, 23 for print and laminated with 3 mil laminated and speed 15.

 

[Todd M Castle]

Oh and one more thing. If for any reason you messed with to many options and can't get back to where you began you can reset the machine to factory default. With the machine off hold down the arrow up key and turn on at the same time. This will reset the machine to the factory defaults.

And 2nd thing to add - thanks Jack for the kind words

 

[Flame]

The difference between pressure settings and blade depth.....

The blade depth is how far the blade is sticking out of the holder. The further it's out, the deeper into the material it will cut.

The pressure is how hard the blade is pushed down. The blade may be out a LONG ways... but with only a little pressure, it won't cut the viny.

You want to find a blade depth where it will cut through the vinyl, but not the paper, and enough pressure to push the blade down enough to cut, but nothing more. So as light as you can while still being able to cut the vinyl.





If that makes sense?

 

[trakers]

Thanks for all the great responses.

I haven't changed anything except what they told me to in the manual to get it set up (blade adjustment, force, etc)

I have it at offset -1 and force 17 and it seems to cutting perfectly now on some graphics I cut last night.

I'm struggling to learn Flexi (or LXi to be exact) but I'm doing OK.

The only idiotic thing I've done so far, and still not sure just how I managed it, but I cut a large graphic and it pulled back beyond the end of the vinyl so my cutting strip has a nice line on it now. That pissed me off. Since the cutter can sense the material I wonder why they don't have a safe guard against that? Oh well, not the end of the world.


I know this question has a million variables, but as a general rule, cutting basic text and graphics out of quality vinyl, say 80% cast and 20% calendared how many working hours would you expect a blade to last.

I know it is impossible to know for sure, but I wondering if we are talking 10 hours or 1,000.

 

[Jackpine]

Blade depth is important also as Flame said. On this machine, you should barely feel the blade for 2 to 4 mil film. When you mark the backing, you have too much down force or the blade is extended too far.
"And 2nd thing to add - thanks Jack for the kind words"
Not just kind.....but true also.

 

[Jackpine]

"I know this question has a million variables, but as a general rule, cutting basic text and graphics out of quality vinyl, say 80% cast and 20% calendared how many working hours would you expect a blade to last.

I know it is impossible to know for sure, but I wondering if we are talking 10 hours or 1,000."

Hard to tell, but I cut vinyl and laminated vinyl everyday and I am on my 2nd blade in 18 months.

 

[ChiknNutz]

Although the blade depth may have some effect on the cut, it is really the downforce that controls everything. Really, no matter how far the blade is protruding, it can only cut into the vinyl based on how much force is applied to it. Unless it is too shallow, allowing the bottom of the blade holder to drag on the vinyl, will you really have a problem. I err on the side of having the blade protrude farther than I think it needs to as this will be good for ALL thicknesses of mat'l, with the only adjustment req'd being the downforce.

 

[moondog]

I have a Graphtec FC7000-75. When I first got the machine last year I had similar problems to start with. Small letters were not cut on all edges, and if even one tiny corner is not cut, weeding is a nightmare. My problem was that I had the blade "dialed" out too much from the blade holder (as mentioned already in previous posts). Graphtec has a very sensetive lift mechanism that prevents the blade from lifting any farther than it needs to to move on to the next cut. This is a good feature that makes cutting faster and is less stressful on the blade as it doesn't slam down as hard on the next cut. Now I was told that when the blade protrudes too far from the holder it throws this lift mechanism off. A less than perfect cutting is the result. After I made the adjustment the problems were solved, and the cut was flawless.

The way I set my blades in the holder is to get a scrap of the thickest calendared stuff I've got, like Avery A6, that is 3.2 mil, then while I've got the blade hoder out of the machine I adjust the blade point to a position just barely visable. Then with the vinyl on a flat surface, and with the blade holder in my hand, I draw a few circles in the vinyl. When I can easily weed the vinyl, and the blade cuts through only the vinyl but only scratches the liner, the blade is set correctly.

Also, If you mangled your cutting strip, it would prolly be best to get another one. The blade is going to need a smooth, EVEN, slick surface to travel across for best performance. Don't feel bad, I've destroyed one before when I left the room after inadvertently setting the force way too high. When I came back in the room my detailed letters were in the floor, they had been "die" cut all the way through. My jobs sucked until I replaced the cutter strip.

Isaac