For some reason, the jigsaw cut, but the image is not on it. Everything is still in the GF after the jigsaw cut.
Not the perferd order but I’d go for it.
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Thank you. I got the dreaded “no artwork” display without realizing, so I have a jigsaw puzzle cut with no image. Yes, definitely NOT optimal, but so appreciate your help! I’m going to go for it!
The only reason you generally want to engrave first is because as pieces are cut, they can move slightly as they are separated from each other. For something like a jigsaw puzzle, it’s unlikely to make much difference.
Thank you very much. What I noticed (and I am VERY new, so this is going to seem silly) is that because the jigsaw pattern cut to the edge of the material, I assumed the image would also go up to or almost up to the edge, but that does not seem to be the case, unless there’s a setting I am missing. Going to keep forging . . . thank you again!
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Engraving usually has a somewhat smaller printable area than cutting due to the need for the head to speed up and slow down. The actual engravable area can vary depending on settings.
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Yes, that would be a problem.
What I suggest you do is carefully reposition the material so the entire puzzle fits into the engrave area, then increase the size of the engraving slightly so that it will overlap a little and cover the entire area of the puzzle.
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Thank you so much! I will see if I can adjust the settings.
Okay, another silly question then (maybe) . . . does the 12"x20" piece of wood not need to be positioned (sort of “locked”) exactly between the two sides of the black crumb tray? It’s a perfect fit, so wasn’t sure how much flexibility I had with a full size sheet of wood atop the crumb tray. I’ve attached photos, the rectangle puzzle is actually the one in question as the heart-shaped puzzle is an entirely different situation. Thank you.
You don’t want anything up on the frame because it will mess up your focus. I’ve even had to trim a few pieces that came in oversized.
It would be fine if it were raised up on one side as long as you were cutting on the other. The edge of the bed is very shallow and focus isn’t that critical.
i think @markevans36301 is referring to the frame of the crumb tray. What I mean is, that’s a good way to knock your gantry off kilter.
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Thank you, so you are suggesting not to as it could throw it off kilter? @markevans36301, are you in agreement that should I not position wood sheet slightly above crumb tray to accommodate repositioning of wood? Thank you all. I would like to preserve this puzzle (assuming I can even place it back in the empty sheet space?) and be able to position it properly. Not sure if this is futile. I could also just paint the blank puzzle and chalk this up to a learning experience. Just looking at my GF options.
Well, @eflyguy is an advanced user who probably has a very good idea of what he can get away with in terms of positioning to avoid the gantry hitting your piece of wood.
Here’s what I would do to retrieve the situation: I would get some scrap cardboard in a thickness similar to the wood you are using, and create a jig that you can put your already cut pieces into. I would do each puzzle separately. Here it is broken down into steps:
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Take out the piece of wood still in the bed.
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Put the scrap cardboard in the bed (tape it down so it doesn’t move). It only needs to be a bit bigger than the puzzle you are working with.
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Use the design you used to create the puzzles. Cut only the overall outline that fits perfectly around the puzzle pieces, no need to cut the individual pieces. Ignore the engraving for now. For cardboard settings, do a forum search for Cardboard Settings, might have to do a little testing to get settings appropriate for your cardboard.
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Remove the interior cut pieces of cardboard and replace them with the cut pieces of wood. Now ignore the cut and do the engraving.
That should do it; it’s what I would do anyway. Let me know if you have any questions.
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Wow, so, so helpful! I will try this soon! Thank you x million!
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