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I was just cutting two 1.5'' telephone numbers in reflective vinyl. Every number cut fine except the "4". When the plot was done, I tried five times to cut another "4" but the blade kept ripping through the vinyl and gouging out the side in the exact same place/same way. I tried changing the overcut from 10 to 15 mils, changed the down force, zoomed in on the image to look for breaks in the lines etc. Nothing worked until I rotated the number 90 degrees. Then it cut perfectly. What's the deal here?
-------------------- Wayne Webb Webb Signworks Chipley, FL 850.638.9329 wayne@webbsignworks.com Posts: 7405 | From: Chipley,Florida,United States | Registered: Oct 1999
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Dunno, but, sometimes my SignMate does the same thing. They say it is a "corrupt file". But, when I break it down from text to a graphic, it is okay. Computers !!!!!
-------------------- John Smith Kings Bay Signs (Retired) Kissimmee, Florida Posts: 822 | From: Central Florida - The Sunshine State | Registered: Jan 2000
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Rotate. Thanks Wayne, I'll try to remember that one. Sometime's my plotter will cut a diagonal line across a letter and chop off the top. Usually only on a single letter, much like you describe. I'll try rotating next time.
SONGPAINTER Original Sign Music by Sign People NOW AVAILABLE on CD and the proceeds go to Letterville's favorite charity! Click Here for Sound Clips! Posts: 1974 | From: Orleans, MA, Cape Cod, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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Thanks John, Joe. For some reason it just refused to cut that spot on the number. I figured that by rotating the number the blade would have to begin the cut at another place. It obliterated the centers out of five 4's and cut three, rotated to 90 degrees, just fine. But I'm still stumped as to why it only picked on the "4". You can't just make all your 4's lying down can you?
-------------------- Wayne Webb Webb Signworks Chipley, FL 850.638.9329 wayne@webbsignworks.com Posts: 7405 | From: Chipley,Florida,United States | Registered: Oct 1999
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Perhaps if you view in wireframe, you will find a problem. I have had an invisible line or object that won't fully cut or just jerk cuts, even though the correct line width is not specified. Sometimes the chop cut and sometimes the cutter won't even move. It is usually just a piece of debris Bronzeo
-------------------- "Don't change horses in midstream, unless you spot one with longer legs" bronzeo oti Jack Davis 1410 Main St Joplin, MO 64801 www.imagemakerart.com jack@imagemakerart.com Posts: 1549 | From: Joplin, MO | Registered: Mar 2000
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Just curious to know what software/plotter combinations each of your are running when you encounter this problem...
-------------------- Jon Aston MARKETING PARTNERS "Strategy, Marketing and Business Development" Tel 705-719-9209 Posts: 1724 | From: Barrie, ON, CANADA | Registered: Sep 2000
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I have found when cutting reflective, if it is a short piece, it doesn't lay like it should...and curls, as reflective is so thick. When this happened to me....I had to go and get a longer piece for it to cut properly. Sheesh that schtuff really messes up the plotter blades too eh?
Posts: 3729 | From: Seattle | Registered: Sep 1999
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Jon, I'm using Sign Wizard and an Ioline 24'' plotter. Jack, There shouldn't be any trash beacause it was taken directly from a Sin Wizard font. I zoomed in on it and inspected the lines. Cheryl, This was cut straight off the roll.
It cut fine when I rotated it 90 degrees.
-------------------- Wayne Webb Webb Signworks Chipley, FL 850.638.9329 wayne@webbsignworks.com Posts: 7405 | From: Chipley,Florida,United States | Registered: Oct 1999
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Jon, I think Wayne and I are experiencing two unrelated problems. Don Coplen from St.Pete, FL just emailed me to relate that he experiences my chopping-off phenomenon when two notes on an object overlap but are not joined. I'll put that tip in my toolbelt to try out on future cuts. I create all my cut files in Corel, convert to curves, and export as .eps to Cadlink v3, to an Ioline Studio7 24".
I can't really picture the problem Wayne's having...it kind of sounds like the blade is ripping in the tight corner. My plotter does something similar on rubber stencil with anything less than a 60 degree blade. Due to the thickness of the reflective, maybe a sharper angled blade like a 45 or even 60 degree would pierce through the film without wanting to drag that corner out.
SONGPAINTER Original Sign Music by Sign People NOW AVAILABLE on CD and the proceeds go to Letterville's favorite charity! Click Here for Sound Clips! Posts: 1974 | From: Orleans, MA, Cape Cod, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
I'm not sure of the right words here, but I remember that there are two ways that plotters deal with corners. One way is that the blade cuts to the corner and swivels into the next cut line and the other is when the blade actually lifts and then rotates and then comes down again. I think the word is tangential. This second means works better with reflectives and sandblast mast while the swivel does better and faster on vinyl.I assume most cutters have the option available.
When I cut reflectives I hit the button for cutting rubber and decrease the down force. It works far better for me.
-------------------- The SignShop Mendocino, California
Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity. — Charles Mingus Posts: 6806 | From: Mendocino, CA. USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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Sounds like you got yourself a good problem! When you said it cut the 4 perfectly when you rotated it 90*, how did you rotate it? If you used a software rotate (from your computer)and everything was ok, I'd suspect it was a corrupt file. If you used a hardware rotate or mirror function (from your plotter)and it was still ok, I would have to have a serious look at the knife holder and or whatever makes it go up/dn. I don'tknow if you can get rotate and mirror functions on your cutter...they're handy sometimes. hk
-------------------- Howard Keiper Independent Contractor Benicia, Ca. thekeip@comcast.net
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Howard, In examining the knife blade and whatever makes it go up and down, how important is the spring around the knife blade. I have one serious concern about using resharpened blades. That would be that the spring may be too compressed to allow the blade to swivel properly.
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Santo... Are we talking Graphtec blades? If so, the spring is important...and sometimes missing on resharps and 3rd party blades. I often strech the spring before inserting into the blade holder...and you may be right if it's an Ioline. By the way, if it's Graphtec we're talking about, be aware that you might need to use a modified "offset" value when you plug in your non Graphtec blades, and you'll probably have to increase the force as well. Most resharps and 3rd party spec'ed the older CB-09 variety...which is OK, but pay attention...they're different
If the question pertains to Ioline, I apologize...I have no idea whether they use spring loaded blades or not. hk
-------------------- Howard Keiper Independent Contractor Benicia, Ca. thekeip@comcast.net
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Perhaps if you view in wireframe, you will find a problem. I have had an invisible line or object that won't fully cut or just jerk cuts, even though the correct line width is not specified. Sometimes the chop cut and sometimes the cutter won't even move. It is usually just a piece of debris Bronzeo
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