Cutting Inconsistencies

Cutting Inconsistencies

Postby AP3 » October 23rd, 2016, 11:57 am

I have a new SB 24" and I think It's great, even though I have not used it very much, until now.

I find I am having about 4mm difference in Y axis length overall in my cut size between WYSIWG and using the laser with registration points. WYSIWG cuts to the correct size, the laser is short. I am calibrated and ensure I am dead-on when placing the laser dot.

As for using WYSIWYG, I have not found out how to move the blade in fine increments when setting up for WYSIWYG. This would be a tremendous help and speed things up considerably.

Here's where it gets even more strange. I import an svg with the cut line and reg marks. I set it to the corner of the portrait mat in SCAL, and then hide the reg marks. The cut lines are visible, and my settings cut like a charm. But it seems that 2 odd things are happening:

The left side cuts become gradually farther apart along the Y axis, compared to the right side, to where I can measure a a 2mm difference halfway down, up to 4mm difference at the bottom! I have double checked my measurements in the svg file and they are perfectly square in both illustrator and SCAL. I have also had a few right side cuts, from the exact same svg, come out angled instead of right angled on a few.

A consistent problem I have is on the right side. It will cut to a point, stop and relocate and continue cutting, and when it finishes back where it stopped, it is slightly off (like those railroad tracks that don't meet and we all scratch our heads).

I have attached photos and the svg file. Perhaps someone can give me a hand, ask questions of me and I will tell you what I can. I have quite a bit of work ahead of me soon, and I'd like to get this figured out before then. Thank you!


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Re: Cutting Inconsistencies

Postby Gigi » October 23rd, 2016, 3:17 pm

This is a real confusing post so I have read it a few times and am still not sure I am grasping it all - but will try.

I don't quite understand what you mean when you say you are setting up WYSIWYG. You simply set the origin point whether you are setting up for origin cutting or WYSIWYG. Just to clarify, with origin cutting, it cuts from the point where you set origin and all cuts line up with that. If you are using WYSIIWYG, it will start in relation to where the item is on the virtual mat.

If you are using registration marks to cut for print and cut, even though that cuts WYSIWYG, that is not the only way to use it. And I suspect that is what you mean. If you are setting up a print and cut (different from regular WYSIWYG), then you are lining up to the registration marks. And you are moving the laser to line up to the registration marks, then you use the keyboard and hit control with your arrows to get smaller increments or control, shift and the arrows to get even smaller increments. Is that what you mean?

When I first read this I didn't understand why you were using registration marks. You don't need them if you are just cutting an svg. But if you are doing a print and cut (which I didn't realize until I looked at the photos) then I think I understood why. This isn't just cardboard or whatever you are cutting - this is a printed material. Is that right? What are you cutting?

I notice in one of the pictures that you have noted that your pinch wheels run over the material. They should be running along the outside of the material if possible as that can cause the mat to skew. Of course you want to be sure the pinch wheels are running over the grit shaft as well.....

The registration marks in the file look hand drawn so I just want to be sure you are following the instructions on how to create your own registration marks, and that you are lining up to the center of those marks. You have a black cut line that is running outside of the registration marks in fact, you have two rectangles if I break the file apart), so that is confusing to me. I don't understand the purpose of that black rectangle.

Are you taking this file that you made in Illustrator and sending it straight to SCAL to cut? (an add on from the Craftedge website).

From some of the things you said, I think your calibration may be off - or the accuracy of your registration marks - I can't tell. I have not created registration marks in another program but I know others have. But normally when your y or x axis is off, that is due to the calibration not being accurate.

The machine will move from point to point depending on how it is designed - it will not necessarily cut the way we "think" it should. It is not unusual for it to cut from area to area - again it depends on the way the file is designed. I was cutting a pattern last night where it did part of one spot, when and cut a few circles, and then went back and forth between a few objects several times.. Always interesting.
As far as it not lining up, if the mat is skewing because of the placement of your pinch wheels - that could be one reason. It could also be that your settings are not correct. I don't know what blade you are using and that your overcut and offset correspond correctly.

I don't know if any of this helps - I am still a bit confused by your post!
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Re: Cutting Inconsistencies

Postby AP3 » October 24th, 2016, 12:02 pm

I'm sorry I was confusing. I spent the weekend doing a lot of testing and tried to encapsulate everything in to one post. Here's how it is at the moment:

It is a print cut, with material printed outside of SCAL. The registration marks on the print are good, as is the file they came from. I believe the aberrations were coming from the way it was loaded and placed on the cutter.

It is a large piece, 20x15" is the outside cut diameter. The odd angling of some of the cuts has disappeared after I rotated everything to a landscape position, and placed it as far left on the cutter as possible. It also starts and stops at a different point and does not have the misalign like before.

There are two odd things at play still. One is that using the laser to read the 3 registration corners, the whole cut comes out about 8% smaller than if I just cut the same file in WYSIWYG.

Now, if I just visually align the blade to the bottom right corner of my registration mark and set as origin (with the svg also set that way in SCAL) it cuts to the right scale. - This is where being able to "fine adjust" the movement of the blade would be really nice, rather than the herky-jerky buttons on top of the machine. - Then I could just fine adjust the blade in WYSIWYG and let it fly.

The other odd thing is that to get the cut to match the print, I've had to move the svg down and right by about 8mm in SCAL on the virtual mat to get it to align properly when cutting.

Having said all that, I am able to successfully cut my print. The only thing I would ask for would be the ability adjust the blade in WYSIWYG with the same precision that I can when doing a print+cut - with tiny incremental movements. Unless there is a way and I overlooked it. Do this, and I am producing much faster.

Thank you for trying to figure me out! I will post pics as I progress.
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Re: Cutting Inconsistencies

Postby Gigi » October 24th, 2016, 7:09 pm

You are getting jerky movements when positioning the blade because you probably have your speed high. The only way to move your blade to origin (no matter whether you are cutting WYSIWYG or Origin) is to reduce the speed on the machine. The lower speed will move the blade in smaller increments. Then you would have to increase it to do the cut. That is the only way outside of the print and cut keyboard method.

What some have done is try to position the material in the same place every time and the mat in the same place so the origin doesn't have to be adjusted.

Be careful moving your material to the left as it is easy to get it out of range that way - just be sure you know where your cutting boundaries are. Good luck.
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Re: Cutting Inconsistencies

Postby AP3 » October 25th, 2016, 8:28 am

Ah, thank you for that tip on blade speed when positioning! I will try that tonight. That should help a lot!

I have indeed encountered the cutting boundaries on both sides. Not a problem once you understand where they are. It is a great machine, and it only looks like I'm picking at it because I am asking a lot of it, and myself, from the beginning. I am cutting a lot with it and am getting very comfortable with experimenting. I appreciate the quick responses, and I try to find most of what I need in the forums. But I have to ask when I get stumped. Thanks!
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Re: Cutting Inconsistencies

Postby Gigi » October 25th, 2016, 8:36 am

No problem with the questions. I appreciate that you are trying to find the answers first. :) But we are all here to help so if you get stuck, someone can usually help you or direct you to an answer.

I actually figured out the blade speed accidentally.

You shouldn't have trouble on the right side as we recommend keeping the mat to the right as the cutting space is measured from the inside right to the left. I love that you are experimenting . That is absolutely the best way to learn.

Good luck - and we are here to support you as best we can. :)
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Re: Cutting Inconsistencies

Postby AP3 » November 4th, 2016, 4:13 pm

FROM A DIFFERENT THREAD ABOUT PRINT/CUTS:
"...when doing a print and cut you don't want to close the eyes of either layer....you through off your alignment that way..."

So question is: In SCAL, how do I keep the SB from cutting the registration layer along with the cut layer without turning off the "eye" so it doesn't see it? If I just add .REGMARKS to that layer will it ignore it when I hit Cut? If so, this could be why some of my cuts are off by a little in odd ways, and I WILL feel silly.

Thanks
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Re: Cutting Inconsistencies

Postby Gigi » November 4th, 2016, 10:14 pm

Are you following the instructions in the Learning Center on how to create registration marks in another program? If you are creating in Illustrator and importing from there, did you change the svg dpi to Illustrator?

When I look at the preview of your design, your registration marks are showing as cut lines. If I add registration marks through SCAL, they are slightly above yours (if I hide your registration mark layer. Why don't you just add them through SCAL? I have seen others add registration marks through other programs and they don't look like yours, so am a bit confused as I have not done it myself - I don't use/have Illustrator. I am concerned that your marks do not line up.

And here is the final comment on registration marks outside of SCAL from the LC: (don't feel silly as I missed it earlier too, but....)

"While you already have your design printed from another program. you will still need to send your design to Sure Cuts A Lot in order to cut and control the machine. When you send your design to SCAL, make sure to only send your image and your cut line. The registration marks should be hidden or deleted when importing into SCAL. If they are visible, SCAL will create new registration marks that are offset from the registration marks just created and it will not work.
NOTE: It is recommended you save both the external image as well as the Sure Cuts A Lot file for future use.
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