Changing blade on a Graphtec (help)

[blackbok]

My shop has been running a 12+ year old Graphtec Cutting Pro PC 1200-120 (I think) forever. I took over the sign shop a year ago, and inherited the machine. It's great, no problems. I did get an itch to change the blade, so I went ahead and opened up the blade housing. To my suprise, a small spring fell out with the blade. I freaked out, as upon looking at the contraption, I did not know how I was going to seat that spring back on that domed top of the blade. I finally got the guy who used to run the shop to show me what he did, a kind of slow horizontal roll into position. But honestly, I fear when I have to change that blade again.
Luckily, we are due for an upgrade. Now, I love the Graphtec, but after going to a sign expo today, and seeing the Summa, I may be swayed soley on the ease of blade replacement. I asked the reps at Graphtec if this is still the current technology for blade housings, and the answer was yes. They all agreed that it is inconvenient, but it has not changed.
Does anyone have experience with this issue, and is there a trick to making this easier? I found Graphtecs "instructions" online, very vague, makes it look real simple.
I would love to get a new Graphtec, but not if changing the blade is a burden.

 

[skjeflo]

Not too sure from your description exactly where you are placing the spring. I ran three older Graphtec plotters just like yours, with various blade holders. In EVERY holder the spring simply slid over the lower portion of the blade, which was then set in the holder, jiggled a bit to make sure the blade was lining up with the hole, then the top screwed in place. The spring was never above the blade. The "dome" shape is designed that way so that it will ride on the bearings in the top portion of the holder. Takes all of ten seconds to change a bad blade for a new one once the holder is out of the machine.

Mark

 

[blackbok]

so the spring sleeves over the length of the blade body? Wow. So I have mine completely wrong. As I said, the old shop guy showed me how it was done, guess that was way wrong. And it's been running like that for years.

 

[Howard Keiper]

If you have the older (and superior) version of the knife holder, the one with the brass tip, it is very easy to change the blade. What you do is roll up a "post-it" into a tube that will fit into the body of the holder...after you've taken the old blade and it's spring out, push the tube all the way into the holder..like a funnel, hold the body vertical, drop the new blade and spring into the tube, withdraw the tube, reinsert the blue or red tipped plunger, screw it in normally until you feel the blade , and adjust the extension. If you can see the blade easily, you've got too much blade sticking out....assuming a CB-09.


Anyway, we've been making the holder to that general design for many years. It's been modified somewhat off and on, but there simply is no better way to accommodate the various special purpose blade styles we have and which are responsible for the perfection of a Graphtec cut .
Howard