Where to begin a cut?

[KT Krafter]

Hey everyone-

I am continuing to have trouble with starting a cut. I am not sure where to have the blade carriage/blade WHEN i press the origin button. I am using SCAL ver. 3 and this is what I have been doing...getting closer each time but still cutting off the mat for me.

Turn Machine on
Put in OFFLINE mode
Load Mat
Navigate blade carriage to about an inch to 1.5 inches from right hand edge of paper and level with bottm of paper.
Press Orgin button
Press online button
adjust force and velocity
Cut

Can anyone tell me what I am doing wrong? Am I missing a step or still not setting the laser in the right spot?

Thanks so much for any help
Katie

[kim]

Turn machine on.
Put on OFFLINE.
Load Mat.
Hit Menu and Origin to turn laser on.
Put cutter back to OFFLINE.
But red dot 1.5" in (left) of right of paper and at the bottom of the paper.
Hit Origin button to SET the laser.
Begin cutting.

Hope this is it...having to THINK about it.

[Thyme]

That is correct Kim, except that with the latest cutters you just hit origin when online to turn the laser on

[KT Krafter]

Thanks for your help...

Not sure why but I'm STILL not quite getting this.

The last 2 times I have lined my laser up at 1.5 inches in from the edge of the paper (NOT the mat) and even with the bottom of the paper. It seems to start cutting correctly and then goes to the far right edge of the machine and tries to keep going further past where the machine stops.

Not sure why I am having such trouble with this...I'm sure in the scheme of things its really pretty simple...but I am SO CONFUSED!!

Thanks so much
Katie

[KT Krafter]

Is it possible that I may have accidently changed the 'set per' numbers? I feel like I am doing this exactly as you are telling me but still not getting it to cut right.

What are the 'set per' numbers suppose to read for a 24" BCC? Just guessing here...I have no idea if this is the problem

Thanks
Katie

[Thyme]

If your template is more than 12"it will do this. It will also do it if your template is less than 12" but set too far over to the left hand side.
Set per numbers vary from batch to batch of machines. The easiest way to be certain you have them correct is to do a factory reset

[Angel135612]

I don't use SCAL, so I may not be much help, but when I first got my machine, I had a heck of a time trying to figure out how to get it to cut where I wanted. When I changed from WYSIWYG to knife point, it was SOOOOOO much easier. If SCAL has that option, I would suggest trying that. You just set your blade to the lower right corner of your paper, hit the origin button and start cutting. I use Inkscape and Signcut almost exclusively now and if I haven't cut anything for awhile, I still need to think about what I'm doing and where it is going to cut.

Also, I used a lot of copier paper and the pen tool that came with the machine before I even attempted to try to cut something, just trying to figure out where things were going to be on the mat, using both knife point ans WYSIWYG. That saved a lot of frustration and watsed paper. I would rather waste the paper for my computer than my good cardstock.

[KT Krafter]

Oh gosh!

I am so confused. But thank you all for the help. I FINALLY thought I had got it when all the sudden the blade and blade carraige started going across the mat and sounding like it was catching on something and about to die on me. It was making a horrible noise and not writing a thing.

Is something wrong that I am missing?

I am so frustrated right now....Hope you all can understand and give me some tips!

Thanks
Katie

[dlhill]

With my cuts in scal 3, I am finding if I set my start point 2" in from the right edge of the machine, not the paper, I can cut a full page cut in scal 3. I am very new to this, so just saying what has worked for me so far. It is 1.5" on the cricut mat, but it is different for the lynx mat. The actual measurement for me is 2" from the right edge of the cutting bay.

[JiMari]

I am having the same issue as Katie.. been at it all day. Just got the 24" cougar which came with SCAL3 .. by poor mat now has lots of little cuts in it. I have been trying to follow all the forums but no luck as of yet.

[dlhill]

With the latest fix for scal I need my blade (not the laser) aligned with the bottom right hand corner of my paper, or mat if I am using a smaller sheet of paper. So basically, the bottom right hand corner of your cutting area.

[JiMari]

Thanks Denise,
I think that may be my answer. I was getting ready to change my software or something. So, you set the orientation button at the bottom right hand corner?
Marianne

[rachellann]

Thanks Denise,
I think that may be my answer. I was getting ready to change my software or something. So, you set the orientation button at the bottom right hand corner?
Marianne

It is the blade tip you set at the corner of your paper in the bottom right

knife tip.JPG

[Suzan]

Rachell thank you so much you are such a wonderful blessing always having the right answers so very quickly.

[JiMari]

Rachelann,

Wow THANK YOU I am a picture person and that helped me soooooo much. Bless you.

Marianne

[JiMari]

Is there much difference between MTC and SCAL3?
Marianne

[rachellann]

it depends onwhat you are looking for in a program each has irs owntype features but some of the same while MTC is easier to learn and where the laser actually sets is different.

[cbauer50]

I am having a hard time figuring this out, too. I am so used to MTC where you have more options (WYSIWYG & Laser Registration - which I really don't understand yet - I finally got the WYSIWYG figured out after I found out you have to set your laser 2" from the edge of your paper/media). I like the choices in MTC for the KNK plugin (you have knife point also).

But SCAL only has "blade" - hopefully they will add WYSIWYG & Knife point would be nice. Is there some place we can add to SCAL wishlist?

Carol

[rachellann]

I can compile a list and forward it to the person who is helping to see that our wish lists are seen. He is working very hard and fast adding and updating as fast as he can.

[cbauer50]

That would be great!

Thanks

Carol