Hey y'all!! sorry I havent been around in a while - lost my internet connction at home office - now no internet available in my area - go figger ...anyway, I am able to be here via smartphone - but tuff typing .... BUT the internet is not the priblem...
The ROLAND CAMM-1 plotter is the problem ...
So here is the symptom: It skip cuts the left side of every letter. (this is every 'upward' cut along the cutting strip, as the blade moves away from the FUNC screen towards the pinch lever side of the plotter) The bad cut is a perfect 'perforated' skip cut. All the other cuts are FINE. However, I am typically now having to cut with the blade force on max, mostly on larger letters.
Here's what I've tried: 1. Its old, but taken care of. I meticulously keep a dust cover on it when not in use. I keep grip roller clean & pinch-wheels clean of any 'sticky' or tiny vinyl particles.
2. I replaced the cutting strip (about 6 months ago)
3. I replaced the blade.
4. I tried a new blade holder.
5. I just replaced the pinch wheels.
This is pretty maddening bc in order to weed anything, I have to hand-cut the perforated left side of every single thing I cut!!!
Any idears or suggesccions, or ackual experience wil be insanely 'preciated!!!
email: sheilaferrell247@gmail.com
Posted by old paint (Member # 549) on :
new blade and new cutting strip. any cutting strip will work from any ROLAND... you wont find one available for that old of a machine. CM CX-24 is still the same as the one you have you may have to shorten it..
Posted by Dave Grundy (Member # 103) on :
Sheila...It's been a LONG time since I used a Camm 1 cutter, but I think your problem might be related to the blade holder having a "gunk" build-up that is restricting it's up/down movement. Try removing the whole thing and clean it with alcohol. Manually make sure the holder will go up and down freely. Don't use any oil or other lubricant after the cleaning. Oils and lubricants are not recommended because they just attract dust.
A new blade and new cutting strip won't cure your specific (left side and only upward movement) cutting problems.
Final option...upgrade to a newer cutter, even old Roland workhorses don't work forever. Posted by Wayne Webb (Member # 1124) on :
Is your dragknife swiveling freely in it's holder?
Posted by Wayne Webb (Member # 1124) on :
Oh yeah...HAY Sheeler
Posted by Shirley Carron (Member # 2446) on :
Don't feel bad Sheila, I'm still running the Roland CAMM 1 I bought in 2000, and another I bought from a friend. Guess what? Having the exact same problem with both. Not like you , just on one side, but going around curves - actually mine just randomly perforates! Time for an upgrade!
Posted by Sheila Ferrell (Member # 3741) on :
ugg I have that sad feeling .... I have a local sign buddy willin' to sell me his Roland plotter/DP printer ... the DP is completly out of date, but the plotter has rarely been used ... I guess I better take him up on it ...
Thanx for all the advice and comiseration ...
its SO HARD to shoot a dead horse thats still breathin' a little ...
Meanwhile, I hava a bunch of vinyl to cut for 4 sign jobs over the weekend ... I was SO hopin' the new set of $98 pinch-wheels were gonna fix the issue ... Shirley, just so you know, save yer $$ .. new wheels don't solve it.
I AM planning to redo the plotter strip - see if that helps a little.
The blade holder seems fine. It seems to swivel perfectly ...I do keep it clean - I even tried another blade-holder from the Roland my friend wants to sell ... but did not improve the cuts.
*sniff* ... my old faithful friend is on its last leg ... Posted by Sheila Ferrell (Member # 3741) on :
ugg I have that sad feeling .... I have a local sign buddy willin' to sell me his Roland plotter/DP printer ... the DP is completly out of date, but the plotter has rarely been used ... I guess I better take him up on it ...
Thanx for all the advice and comiseration ...
its SO HARD to shoot a dead horse thats still breathin' a little ...
Meanwhile, I hava a bunch of vinyl to cut for 4 sign jobs over the weekend ... I was SO hopin' the new set of $98 pinch-wheels were gonna fix the issue ... Shirley, just so you know, save yer $$ .. new wheels don't solve it.
I AM planning to redo the plotter strip - see if that helps a little.
The blade holder seems fine. It seems to swivel perfectly ...I do keep it clean - I even tried another blade-holder from the Roland my friend wants to sell ... but did not improve the cuts.
*sniff* ... my old faithful friend is on its last leg ... Posted by old paint (Member # 549) on :
the girls hard at it)))))) [IMG][/IMG]
Posted by Sheila Ferrell (Member # 3741) on :
HA!!
... or hardly workin' ...
That was a fun little mini meet - we should all do more of those ...
Posted by old paint (Member # 549) on :
been thinkin bout it.......after i get the bathroom remodeled))) we have a GARAGE SALE CHRISTMAS party in there .....just before christmas almost every year now.....
Posted by Dave Grundy (Member # 103) on :
Joe...Invite me!!!
We'll be in Progreso MX at Christmas, but it is only a 500 mile paddle across the gulf!!! (Have kayaks and can paddle!!!! LOL)
Oh wait...I don't think the kayaks can hold the amount of rum it would take to get me there!!!
Maybe a quicky flight would work better.
While there, though, I could introduce you to the benefits of upgrading to Corel Graphics Suite X7...It is actually a nice improvement over X3. Seriously.
Posted by old paint (Member # 549) on :
i have corel X7 still use X3 as a lot of places i have banners/yard signs done........DONT TAKE X7 files yet)))) as for the xmas party will post when we are having it. usually on a sat either just before christmas or a week earlier. this year will more in likely be DEC 19. this was 2012........we do GARAGE SALE items exchange. something you would sell or bought at a garage sale, wrap it up and then we play "dirty santa" which means you get a gift, the next person to pick a gift can take yours.......this can happen 3 times, then its done. then you go pick another gift...see if you can hang on to it....heheheheheheehehe people who drink BYOB. lots of fun. and the garage is big enough to hold 20-30 people. [IMG][/IMG]
Posted by James Donahue (Member # 3624) on :
[ August 29, 2015, 11:40 PM: Message edited by: James Donahue ]
Posted by Kissymatina (Member # 2028) on :
Just for the hell of it, did you try uninstalling & reinstalling the driver? Or a different cable to the plotter?
Posted by Ian Stewart-Koster (Member # 3500) on :
I've got 3 Camm-1s, all OK but different. The differences cannot be explained logically, but once set up they're great - and I've never had a perforation only on one side of the letters kind of problem. It makes no sense.
As Kissy says, delete/uninstall it and try and install a fresh driver. It has to be something in the software, I'm thinking...
Posted by Don Hulsey (Member # 128) on :
I don't have a Camm-1, but I think it sounds like the problem could be with the rollers on the blade carriage. Maybe there is something in the bearings causing a "racheting" effect. They roll fine one way, but tend to skip the other way. Watch closely and see if the carriage is jumping the least little bit when moving in that direction.
Posted by George Perkins (Member # 156) on :
Definitely try a new cable.
Posted by old paint (Member # 549) on :
there is a flat(electric) cable..........that runs the cutting head. you have to take off the top cover to see it. i had a roland i bought used, had this strip damaged. its attached to the body of the plotter......and the other end moves with the cutter head....might have a wear spot on the cable as its a on one place its cutting wrong. new strip for that old a model....gona be hard to find.
Posted by Shirley Carron (Member # 2446) on :
You might be right about that Joe-
I did open up one of my plotters, thinking it just needed a good cleaning and the 'flat cable' came right out.
I haven't opened the second plotter to see if the same thing happens.The 2nd plotter was a friend's and after it was shipped and set up it hasn't moved, so i guess I didn't think it could be that cable. It worked fine for about 6 months then started the perforating thing.
My original plotter has been moved around several times and been shaken and handled, which could explain things coming loose.
I still have leftover screws from putting the first plotter back together..... Posted by Dave Sherby (Member # 698) on :
One other thing I heard of was sticky bearings in the blade holder which didn't allow the blade to swivel completely. When they cleaned the bearing and added a drop of lubricant they said it started cutting normally again. Worth a try at this point.
Posted by Sheila Ferrell (Member # 3741) on :
Thanx much for the info y'all ... will definitely try all suggestions.
Hope I see ya at a meet somewhere one of these days!
Posted by Don Hulsey (Member # 128) on :
Sheila, I hope so too, and I also hope one of the suggestions will work for ya.
Posted by Shirley Carron (Member # 2446) on :
Thank You Kissymatina! Just to let you know Sheila, mine was running so badly I figured I had nothing to lose. I uninstalled my Roland driver and reinstalled it. I had some really fine detail to cut, slowed it right down to 1, checked my blade to make sure it was spinning freely and..... my baby shot off like it was on speed or something. No perforating! Cut like the day I got it! Try it!
Posted by stein Saether (Member # 430) on :
Maybe the problem is in the file from the computer program ?
[ September 23, 2015, 08:18 PM: Message edited by: stein Saether ]
Posted by Sheila Ferrell (Member # 3741) on :
There is something worse than resurrecting an old 'help' topic, and that is: never hearing if, or how that issue was resolved ... I remember wondering this dozens of times because the issue just evaporated into help-limbo with the last posted helpful suggestion...
SO ... First, THANX for all the input and ideas. (and thanx Opie for the side-trip down memory lane! When is the NEXT mini-meet? I'm sittin' on 'GO' )
The issue was simply resolved with ANOTHER new blade.
This reminds me of a story my electrician buddy shared:
A lady called him about her electrical outlets & switches- seems some of the wiring had gone bad - several lamps & sconces were not working throughout 3 rooms. He went and put his meter on every outlet & switch and they all read fine. He continued for a few minutes to try to trouble-shoot the situation finding no explanation for the problem until he recalled a similar situation . . . he took bulbs from light fixtures that were working properly and put them in the fxtures that were not working and they all worked fine!
The lady was incredulous ... "But those were all brand new bulbs!!" she said. Hard to believe, but she had about 6 brand new bulbs that were all damaged and basically paid an electrian to come change lightbulbs.
I kept feeling that the blade itself was dragging - but it was so new - I just dismissed the possibility of a damaged NEW blade. I ordered a new-new blade. When I held the old-new blade and the newest blade to the light and looked closely - the shape was entirely different - it was either damaged, or the wrong blade for my plotter.
The problem is 95% eradicated - but there is some trace perforation going on - I believe the previous on-going dragging also damaged the cutting strip so I will replace that AGAIN too.
Funny how obvious simple solutions are made questionable by a percieved acceptable logic that is still incorrect ...
There's a scientist in us all that tries something over & over until we learn 100 ways it definitely won't work ... lol
Thanx again y'all.
(edited for pesky spelling errors which are intolerable)
[ November 18, 2015, 12:30 PM: Message edited by: Sheila Ferrell ]
Posted by Sheila Ferrell (Member # 3741) on :
UH
double post - sorry - so hard to comment from alleged 'smart' phone)
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