Did I break my plotter :(

[Jill Marie Welsh]

Dewi I am not a plotter expert.
But you might try uninstalling/reinstalling that USB thingy.
OR just blow the plotter out with some compressed air.
Maybe there is a teeny little piece of dust stuck somewhere?
Good Luck!
love…Jill 😉

[Robert Lambie]

I don’t think so mate. So I wouldn’t worry.
I think the problem is probably a setting. Graphtec plotters allow you to have various settings stored on the cutter at one time.
e.g.
Setting 1 maybe a setting you use for cutting regular vinyl. While..
Setting 2 maybe a setting for cutting reflective. More down force etc..
I would guess & only guess that you have pressed a button that has knocked it up to another setting in some way.

If it’s not the above.. Something else to try..
Take the blade out the holder and make sure the blade is in proper and clean. If it’s not take it out give it a clean and a little oil pop it back in. then put the blade holder back in the place. Making sure its pushed right down and secure.
It’s not uncommon for a holder not to be tight then progressively getting pushed up a little till its not cutting properly into the vinyl.

Whatever it is, its an inconvenience. It wont be broke im 99.9% on that. Graphtec plotters are work horses 😉

[Bill Dewison]

Ahhh, now then. Thats what the setting thing is for!! 😆 😆 Seriously Robert, I had no idea! I setup the plotter to run at the right force and as you know, I’ve gradually increased the speed, but thats about it. Never had a problem til now.

So are the settings preset? Or can I alter them? Or should I reading the manual 😉 😉 Damn, I sound like a newbie again! 😆 😆

Just pleased I haven’t broken it! I’ve just got that used to shoving vinyl in and out of it all day, I’ve just taken for granted it’ll do the job no problem. Like you say, a workhorse, with an attitude as well… it growls at me when I go to turn it off! 😆

Jill, I ran an air compressor over my keyboard the other day, ended up spilling my coffee all over it 🙁 I never have any luck with those things, I broke my nail gun that ran off it as well. D’oh 😥

Cheers, Dewi

[Robert Lambie]

i think you have to set them up mate or they come at a sorta default.
its easy to knock it onto a setting though. i do it when cutting reflective and its out the machine before i notice 😕
the airline thing does work. i had a spandex gerber 4B that this trick worked brill with for many years. 😉

[Andy Gorman]

Just a word of warning as a side issue. I worked with a bloke who used to clean stuff with compressed air. After a while he wondered why machine parts were rusting. It’s like shooting water into your kit, in fact it IS shooting water. (I think those aerosol-like cans of compressed air are OK because they’re dried).

[magpie]

Could it be that using the usb connection allows the software to pass settings to the plotter which override those in the plotter?

I know that using illustrator drivers with the usb connected should allow settings to be passed in this way.

[Alan Drury]

Dewi, if you have no luck with settings I wouldn’t be put off ringing Graphtec, from past experience they are very approachable and will talk you through stuff over the phone. I dropped a roll of vinyl on my plotter and broke the LED display (doh) They sent me the part (in stock) when it arrived next day I rang them and they talked me through the fitting – back up is very good.
Alan

[Chris Wool]

hi dewi
hope its fixed by now
ring graphtec they will be helpful its there job
if a cutting loop is not being closed but 95% ish of the loop is cut correctly yhen the problem is proberbly with the pen down – up mech its a new plotter so ring them – proberbly talking out of the bum but it may help

chris

[Bill Dewison]

Don’t quite understand why, but its running perfectly today 😕 I haven’t done anything differently, other than obviously I’ve not played around with USB thingies. Thing is the plotter is on parrallel, still can’t see how that would have effected it. Blooming computers eh! 😀

Thanks for all the help though, I’m a worrier at the best of times when it comes to plotters 😀

Cheers, Dewi

[Alan Drury]

How long is your cable? I don’t think parallel cables should be more than 3m – Serial connection maybe a better bet.
Alan

[Steve Thurlow]

Hi Dewi,
I know how you feel mate, I have a Graphtec fc 4100-75, bloody marvelous plotter, it runs brilliantly for months then needs minor ‘tweeks’ & by then I’ve forgotten how to change the settings, so I have to RTFM (read the faackin manual!! 👿 )
Graphtec are a wonderful company, I’ve known Phil Neale for about 15 years now (good to see you at SignUK Phil if you’re reading this) & I’m sure they would help with any problems.
I did have a scare with the trusty Graphtec a couple of months back, it was starting to have trouble cutting small text (10mm times roman) offset start stop points, wouldn’t weed at all well, I thought the poor old plotter had had it 😳
The trouble was being caused by the blade holder, after over 3 years of daily use the holder’s base (where the blade shows) should have been ‘dome’ shaped but had been worn almost flat, this was sorted out over the phone with a helpful Graphtec bod who then sent me a new blade holder (£60 😮 ) next day and the plotter is now as good as new! 😀

Cheers, Steve

[Steve Thurlow]

Alan,
My plotter runs off COM2 port, what’s that? parrallel? serial?? … Doh, can’t remember 🙄 anyway my cable for this is approx 10 metres & it’s never been a problem.

Steve

[Bill Dewison]

I use a 5m cable, but Steve, size isn’t everything you know 😉

Plotter has behaved itself today, and it blooming well needs to, the works still coming in through that door! If I hear that beeping door chimer one more time today I’ll be sent to the nutty ward! 😀 Its possible I’ve hit a setting button or something, then when I was playing around, fixed the problem unknowingly. I really need to RTFM, I really do. Thank you again everyone for all your help, its very much appreciated.

Oh and Stan from B&P popped in today, I learnt a valuable lesson, never say never. When a cadet is offered to you on rental, you just want to say yes! And I was jibbing the print boys this weekend (Sorry bout that MrSticker(Chris), all in jest 😉 ) It was really hard to say no though, I have to say no obviously because I’ve barely eased myself into the plotter side and I’m doing the hours just to keep up with that. How glad am I that I increased the plotter speed! 😆

Cheers, Dewi

[Steve Thurlow]

Nice to hear you’re busy Dewi, there was a silly little tip I ment to say, almost to daft to mention, but when you have a plotter/computer problem first thing to try is shut down & turn off everything, then, one at a time start them up again, if the fault’s still there THEN run round like a headless scottsman 🙄

Sorry if this is toooo obvious, it’s saved me fretting in the past 😳

Hey, just recieved a plain brown envelope from Scottyland… video inside… label says ‘Dewi’s hotel bedroom shocker’ 😮 😮 😮

Oh Dewi 😳 I thought you said size wasn’t everything 😥

HAAAAA 😉 😉

Cheers, Steve

[Bill Dewison]

I didn’t mean my size though Steve 😉

Thinking about it, that is all I did really. I shut the PC down at night, then restarted it in the morning. If I’d tried that, no doubt it would’ve worked correctly yesterday. Sometimes you’re so close to a problem and fretting so much, you can’t see the wood for the trees! 😕 🙁 😮 😛

Ah well, onwards, upwards as they say 😀

And I can believe the video as well, its going pay per view on here soon you see, but Robert’s sending out primers for it 😉 Can’t say too much, you’ll just have to pay the £50 a night premium rate access Steve 😀 😆 😆 😆 😆 😉 😉 😉 😉

Cheers, Dewi