Is it just me, or is my old, (but new(er) to me), 40" Ioline Super 88 going through blades faster than other brands?
Is it just a charteristic of the brand/make of the cutter (Ioline Super 88)?
I have to buy a blade about once a month. (I'm one of those neo nerds who work primarily in vinyl-plain cast or calendered-not the relective). I'm sure reflective, etc. would only make matters worse.
I'd rather not, but I'm thinking to upgrading to a more current cutter for that reason. Those blades aren't cheap! My humble thanks to all you "Masters" out there.
-------------------- Regina Rae Red Apple Design Ringgold, GA Posts: 46 | From: Ringgold, GA | Registered: Jul 2003
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posted
Check to make sure the blade isn't out too far. Does your platen need to be replaced?
I get my blade treated Kryogentically treated (heated to some extreme heat and then cooled) and they last about 1.5 times longer. I buy them right from the people that treat them and they are about hte same price as if buying them from Grimco or some other vendor.
-------------------- Laura Butler Vision Graphics & Sign 4479 Welch Rd Attica, Mi 48412 Posts: 2855 | From: Attica, Mi, USA | Registered: Nov 2000
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Regina- if you can see score marks on the backing paper of your vinyl after you cut, then you have too much downforce or depth on the blade setting. Adjust it until you get a clean cut with no mark.
Laura, I've often wondered if tempering blades would extend life. I may have to get the propane torch and a bowl of ice water and do a bit of experimentation...
-------------------- Jay Nichols ALPHABET SOUP
~the large print giveth and the small print taketh away~ Posts: 176 | From: SW Florida | Registered: Mar 2002
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high speed steel will not last as long as carbide.
Try to get carbide blade. they will last much longer than the regular high speed steel.
-------------------- Leaper of Tall buildings.. If you find my posts divisive or otherwise snarky please ignore them. If you do not know how then PM me about it and I will demonstrate. Posts: 5274 | From: Im a nowhere man | Registered: Jul 2001
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That answers a question of mine. I just bought my plotter. I wasn't pleased with the weeding of the vinyl. I kept increasing the downforce incrementally (brand-new blade, brand-new vinyl) until it weeded better but had score marks in the backing. I was wondering if the scoremarks were good or bad. I guess they're bad.
Makes me wonder about the vinyl, tho. It was cutting clean through at 30gf, but the adhesive seemed to come back together.
-------------------- William Bass wjb71@bellsouth.net Northwest Florida Posts: 636 | From: Pensacola, FL | Registered: Aug 2004
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-------------------- Leaper of Tall buildings.. If you find my posts divisive or otherwise snarky please ignore them. If you do not know how then PM me about it and I will demonstrate. Posts: 5274 | From: Im a nowhere man | Registered: Jul 2001
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And I usually average one blade every 6 months on my cutter.
Every once in a while I get a GREAT blade that will last me a year....But not too often.
One man shop here...about 50-100 yds a week only, on average.
-------------------- Dave Grundy retired in Chelem,Yucatan,Mexico/Hensall,Ontario,Canada 1-519-262-3651 Canada 011-52-1-999-102-2923 Mexico cell 1-226-785-8957 Canada/Mexico home
posted
Your problem is how you're setting the blade. Call Ioline tech support, they are good people. You need more downforce and less blade depth, I'm betting.
When your blade is set right, you will just BARELY be able to see the cut. It's almost scary how fine a line a plotter can cut when it's adjusted right. Weeding will also no longer be a chore. Need to change the blade may take up to 3 years (the one in the D60 is about 2 years old, and still cuts great here)
As for personal taste, I prefer to see just a hint of the cut on the back of the paper. Just enough that if you touch it, you can barely feel it. Reason being, on problematic vinyl (like 3M cast) it will cut the glue to the point where it wont auto-seal itself back up resulting in a weeding session where I cuss, throw things and pull out what hair I have left.
posted
Jay, This isn't tempering like you are talking about. This piece of equipment that treats stuff is about the size of a freezer. It either heats it and then cools it or vice versa. When he cools it I think he said that it goes down to like 1400 degrees below zero or some asternomincal temp...I don't know. All I know is that blades were lasting me about 1 year and now about 1.5 years. But of course it all depends on how much reflective is cut.
[ September 29, 2004, 08:44 AM: Message edited by: Laura Butler ]
-------------------- Laura Butler Vision Graphics & Sign 4479 Welch Rd Attica, Mi 48412 Posts: 2855 | From: Attica, Mi, USA | Registered: Nov 2000
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You like to see a hint of the cut on the BACK of the paper. Perhaps then I am truly worried about nothing because I can see score marks on the FRONT of the backing (before I increased the downforce enough to see score marks, the vinyl didn't weed well). The BACK of my backing shows no signs of anything.
P.S. (This William Bass guy is a TOTAL NEWBIE when it comes to plotters...just got it a week or two ago).
[ September 29, 2004, 01:41 PM: Message edited by: William Bass ]
-------------------- William Bass wjb71@bellsouth.net Northwest Florida Posts: 636 | From: Pensacola, FL | Registered: Aug 2004
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As far as this post is concerned...is there a such thing as cheapo-no-name-brand blades? Is there a way to tell you're getting blades that meet ioline's standards? Have you tried getting blades from various vendors?
-------------------- William Bass wjb71@bellsouth.net Northwest Florida Posts: 636 | From: Pensacola, FL | Registered: Aug 2004
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I don't know about Ioline but our Graphtec blades lasts more than a year, cutting anything that comes along. The cheapest blade lasts forever.
Our Gerber HS 15+ is a different story, the blade tips break off with very little use. We could put a new one every week. Both the swivel and tangential blades seem to be junk. We have tried different vendors, slowing the plotter down, light presssure, nothing seems to give decent blade life.
ernie
-------------------- Ernie Balch Balch Signs 1045 Raymond Rd Malta, NY 518-885-9899 Posts: 405 | From: Malta, NY | Registered: Jan 2003
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Laura, that sounds like some very cool technology (NPI). One thing I've always done, even when I had a 4b way back there, was to keep a separate blade exclusively for use with reflective matl-- ya get a lot more mileage from the regular blade that way.
-------------------- Jay Nichols ALPHABET SOUP
~the large print giveth and the small print taketh away~ Posts: 176 | From: SW Florida | Registered: Mar 2002
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