posted
OK...I admit that I am slow, this may explain why I have not thought of this before. I am sure that many of you are already implementing the tips that I am about to share.
Problem: After the plotter cuts your paint mask it is almost impossible to see the cuts well enought to weed.
Solution 1: Set mask aside for a day or so allowing the natural shrinkage to pull both sides of the cut away from the center exposing the liner paper.
Solution 2: Dust the cuts with a pounce bag then carefully wipe the dust off. Enough of the pounced powder should accentuate the cuts for easier veiwing.
Solution 3: Put a pen in the plotter and draw the design on the mask. Then back up the pen to the starting point, replace the pen with the swivel blade and repeat the plot.
Forgive the dim-witted Deacon but I just thought of solution 3, after all of these years working in a near vacuum. It worked too!
-------------------- Bob Sauls Sauls Signs & Designs Tallahassee, Fl
"Today I'll meet nice people and draw for them!" Posts: 765 | From: Tallahassee, Fl | Registered: Jun 2009
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Naw, Naw, you gotta go fast, real fast. Take a pounce bag and gentlely glide it all over your cut pattern. Now ya see the cuts. You might also want to keep some Dollar Store reading glasses nearby.
-------------------- Signs by Alicia Jennings (Mudflap Girl) Tacoma, WA Since 1987 Have Lipstick, will travel. Posts: 3813 | From: Tacoma, WA. U.S.A. | Registered: Dec 1999
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Did I mention to use the black pounce powder? Use the black.
-------------------- Signs by Alicia Jennings (Mudflap Girl) Tacoma, WA Since 1987 Have Lipstick, will travel. Posts: 3813 | From: Tacoma, WA. U.S.A. | Registered: Dec 1999
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Dollar store reading glasses???!!! YOU? I admire your work and thought you wouldn't be buying those at the dollar store (as I do). Anyway, maybe this should be a separate thread, but the other day I couldn't find my health store charcoal powder, needed pounce powder right away. Somewhere I have a gallon of blue chalk powder purchased about 20 years ago. The idea of buying more irked me, having all that around. Oh yeah, we moved and I haven't found everything yet...but the thought of paying what-5 BUCKS or whatever it is for a little squeeze bottle of blue chalk was rubbin' me the wrong way. But time is money, so stop at store on way to job. Pleasant surprises! More than one: The blue powder at Lowes was only about $1.38, but so was BLACK! It looks like toner, they say its 4th degree permanent, so I have yet to try it, blue worked that day. Just thought I'd pass along the info about the black.
-------------------- James Donahue Donahue Sign Arts 1851 E. Union Valley Rd. Seymour TN. (865) 577-3365 brushman@nxs.net
Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what's for lunch, Benjamin Franklin Posts: 2057 | From: 1033 W. Union Valley Rd. | Registered: Feb 2003
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I used to be able to SEE those lines 10-20 years ago! What the Heck!? NOW they disappear!
-------------------- Jane Diaz Diaz Sign Art 628 W. Lincoln Ave. Pontiac, Il. 61764 815-844-7024 www.diazsignart.com Posts: 4102 | From: Pontiac, IL USA | Registered: Feb 1999
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posted
Same problem here...even with bifocals. Lighting seems to be my problem, gotta get some brighter lights over the work table. Always find myself trying to get the light at that certain angle to see the cuts.
Oh yea...and I hate tiny text. Just had some food descriptions on a couple menu boards that were so small, the cutter would only mangle the vinyl. Then the light went off....Versacamm to the rescue!!
-------------------- Ace Graphics & Printing Camdenton, MO. USA
posted
And another that is old but I appreciate the technique everytime I use it.
When I do large letter installs where the pattern is 8, 10, and longer like 22', I use spray adhesive and mount the pattern to carboard so I am actually mounting a cardboard sign instead of trying to get a paper pattern up by myself in winds. The last big job I did was letter a School Gym outside in the gable end the Letters were Gemini Letters 18" high stud mounted in brick.
The cardboard was cut to 19"x8' lengths, taking them up 38' and going left to right by myself in a lift was easy mounting where as just rolled paper would have been a lot more work.
-------------------- Sam Staffan Mackinaw Art & Sign 721 S. Nokomis St. Mackinaw City, MI dstaffan@sbcglobal.net Posts: 1694 | From: Mackinaw City, MI | Registered: Mar 2004
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Sam, do you mean you adhere the top edge of the paper to the cardboard, and leave it hanging down?
-------------------- James Donahue Donahue Sign Arts 1851 E. Union Valley Rd. Seymour TN. (865) 577-3365 brushman@nxs.net
Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what's for lunch, Benjamin Franklin Posts: 2057 | From: 1033 W. Union Valley Rd. | Registered: Feb 2003
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Actually, the reason why those cut marks are getting harder to see is they're making narrower and sharper blades which makes the lines finer?!?!
Havin' fun,
Checkers
-------------------- a.k.a. Brian Born www.CheckersCustom.com Harrisburg, Pa Work Smart, Play Hard Posts: 3775 | From: Harrisburg, Pa. U.S.A. | Registered: Nov 1998
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