Help me cut thick stuff

[autoexebat]

How would I go about adding heat to that temp? Suggestions?

Chaos

You would need to get a heat bed for a 3d printer , but you need a control panel to regulate the temp . If you can manage that then you don't need a flatbed cutter at all . With heat it really loosens up the material and makes it cut 100% better .

 

[GiveUsSigns]

You would need to get a heat bed for a 3d printer , but you need a control panel to regulate the temp . If you can manage that then you don't need a flatbed cutter at all . With heat it really loosens up the material and makes it cut 100% better .

Any idea how hot you need to get it to work successfully? more than 140 degrees? as standard people heat pads get that warm. . I will try anything.

 

[autoexebat]

My Roland cuts at 120F . I'd start at 100F and go from there ... I think the heat allows the blade to cut through the adhesive much better .

 

[GiveUsSigns]

Thanks, I was figuring the adhesive on the 15mil laminate is the problem. It's superer thick. It's superer sticky. Ya, superer. LoL
I will give that a warm whirl and see how it goes. Thanks for the hack...

 

[Bly]

Yeah I spent many many many hours trying to get mine dialed in , at one time I did get it to cut by making it into a make shift cutting table and putting 3d printer heating bed elements under it and heating it to 120 degrees ... issue was , when the blade is moving around to all of the other objects it leaves a deep scratch only all the parts the blade moves over. For some reason when the blade is NOT cutting it doesn't raise up enough to clear the parts without damaging them . If you plan to use the material I listed in my previous post , you will need a flatbed. I do print for many people in the ATV / UTV / MX industry so if you are interested let me know .

Have you tried the trick of taping a swab next to the knife to keep the media away from it when not cutting?

 

[GiveUsSigns]

Have you tried the trick of taping a swap next to the knife to keep the media away from it when not cutting?

I have not, I would need a pic so I could have reference to that, so I could actually see what you did. Not sure what ya mean by a swap?
Placing table on both side of the cutter and keeping the sheets shorter seems to eliminate that scoring on the 16mil stuff, but I have not cut any 21mil lately as it just doesn't cooperate and makes me hangry.

 

[Jburns]

Did you see that graphtec FC2250-180 for sale in classifieds for 9K?

 

[Bly]

I have not, I would need a pic so I could have reference to that, so I could actually see what you did. Not sure what ya mean by a swap?
Placing table on both side of the cutter and keeping the sheets shorter seems to eliminate that scoring on the 16mil stuff, but I have not cut any 21mil lately as it just doesn't cooperate and makes me hangry.

Uh swab. Typo.
Like this.

 

[GiveUsSigns]

Uh swab. Typo.
Like this.

View attachment 151490

Sweet, Got a bag of those. Will Tape one up..

 

[autoexebat]

Sweet, Got a bag of those. Will Tape one up..

Not going to help , I got my cutter out just to try this ... no go

 

[GiveUsSigns]

Well, it helps push the work down a bit, so that was good.
But my heated surface hack I tried did not work.
So, when all said and done, The S2T sadly will not cut the Substance 21mil vinyl consistently or successfully. Just like most everyone posted here.
I gave it the ole college try and then some. It cuts everything just fine, even the 16 mil Substance, but going up to 21+ plus, well, it's a no go.

 

[autoexebat]

Well, it helps push the work down a bit, so that was good.
But my heated surface hack I tried did not work.
So, when all said and done, The S2T sadly will not cut the Substance 21mil vinyl consistently or successfully. Just like most everyone posted here.
I gave it the ole college try and then some. It cuts everything just fine, even the 16 mil Substance, but going up to 21+ plus, well, it's a no go.

Well you sure have put some effort into this , As long as you have it setup like a flat table and have more than 2 pinch rollers you can cut the 10mil. I can tell you that it will eat through the blades left and right ... cutting with heat a single blade can last MONTHS ! cutting on the Summa without heat on 10mil material will last a few weeks , and again , you have to make sure you have that extra roller in the middle as the material wants to bow up in the middle. I've used both 10mil and 15mil and 10mil is just as good , 15 is mainly for marketing and to be honest even with ATV / UTV and MX you really do not NEED the 15mil. 10 is just fine . I've been doing this over 10 years, I started with ATV / MX and thats what I do full time , no other vinyl jobs or signs .. only ATV / UTV / MX ...

 

[GiveUsSigns]

Well you sure have put some effort into this , As long as you have it setup like a flat table and have more than 2 pinch rollers you can cut the 10mil. I can tell you that it will eat through the blades left and right ... cutting with heat a single blade can last MONTHS ! cutting on the Summa without heat on 10mil material will last a few weeks , and again , you have to make sure you have that extra roller in the middle as the material wants to bow up in the middle. I've used both 10mil and 15mil and 10mil is just as good , 15 is mainly for marketing and to be honest even with ATV / UTV and MX you really do not NEED the 15mil. 10 is just fine . I've been doing this over 10 years, I started with ATV / MX and thats what I do full time , no other vinyl jobs or signs .. only ATV / UTV / MX ...

Thanks, I gave it everything I got. The 6mil/10mil combo cuts just fine. But, that 21mil stuff is just not cooperative at all. I think most people would be just fine with the 16mil combo, as you noted. I just want to make sure people are aware and it will last just fine. The previous owner used 21mil but had access to a flatbed, so no problems.
I am still going to get a flatbed here soon at some point. I just want that option to cut the 21+, and with the S2T, that is not really a viable option.

 

[autoexebat]

Yeah 10 is just fine , I have it on my own ATV