Wanted Graphtec Motherboard for my Fathers' cutter

[deseyen]

Hello Fellow sign makers! This is my first post so I hope this goes well....

I am in desperate need of a motherboard for a Graphtec FC4100-75 cutter.

This cutter belonged to my father who just two years ago at the age of 82 closed his sign business of over 50 years. He had this plotter that he purchased brand new and it has only ever been used to cut a half dozen at most sample cuts, so it is literally brand new. He bought it while I was in college for visual communication in hopes that it would bring the business into the techno age, but due to delays getting a PC and software to run it (along with a personal setback of losing everything in a house-fire and having to re-build) resulted in the unit falling victim to a power surge after the building was hit by lightning over 18 years ago. It has never been fixed, and we both would like to see it function again in my vinyl cutting side business.

If anyone out there can connect me to a resource for obtaining or repairing a board for this cutter the both of us would be eternally grateful!

Thank You!
Kent Wing
Wing Sign Co./ Vinyl by Wing

 

[AndersonSignCo]

Hi Kent,

Do you know what components need to be replaced on the motherboard? I would search for a Circuit Board Repair shop near you and go talk to the tech. If it was surged by a lightning strike, there may be multiple points of failure on the board.

I would look on FB marketplace and ebay for used/for parts plotters. If you see someone who has several for sale, you might get in touch to see if he's got a board for your machine. Keep an eye on government auctions, I found a FC7000-75 for a couple hundred bucks that way. Lastly, I would look at upgrading, there are a lot of good used Graphtec plotters on the market and it might make sense to just get a replacement machine.

Hope that helps

 

[Snydo]

I would suggest contacting the folks at Einstein Graphics Services out of Wisconsin, at one time they were an authorized service center for Graphtec and at the very least might have some ideas about where you might locate a new board.

 

[deseyen]

Hi Kent,

Do you know what components need to be replaced on the motherboard? I would search for a Circuit Board Repair shop near you and go talk to the tech. If it was surged by a lightning strike, there may be multiple points of failure on the board.

I would look on FB marketplace and ebay for used/for parts plotters. If you see someone who has several for sale, you might get in touch to see if he's got a board for your machine. Keep an eye on government auctions, I found a FC7000-75 for a couple hundred bucks that way. Lastly, I would look at upgrading, there are a lot of good used Graphtec plotters on the market and it might make sense to just get a replacement machine.

Hope that helps

Thank You - I have tried some of these but you have a couple of new suggestions that I will definitely try!

 

[deseyen]

I would suggest contacting the folks at Einstein Graphics Services out of Wisconsin, at one time they were an authorized service center for Graphtec and at the very least might have some ideas about where you might locate a new board.

Thank You - MyDad mentioned taking it to Wisconsin once - I wonder if this is where he intended? I will definitely contact them!