Hmm, maybe this post worked out?
@cmbtreasures and @ovm.steve maybe had success? Or is that not the same stuff?
I mean, to an extent, you sort of have your answer already. It sounds like you did a lot of troubleshooting and testing and just can’t get a good cut. Maybe ask the seller/manufacturer? Maybe it’s great to be cut in a 60/100 watt laser, but they would tell you a 40 (45 if your plus if old enough) isn’t enough?
We could ask you all the basic troubleshooting questions but I wouldn’t want to waste your time since you’ve been at this a lot longer than any of us, sounds like.
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well, someone in the other thread suggested to set it as Thick Draftboard and use those proofgrade settings. So for shits and giggles, I did that. And it cut fine. I don’t know what was different with this versus the other various attempts I did. Because the proofgrade settings for Thick Draftboard is 132/full/1x. So the only thing I can figure is something having to do with the focus. I’m honestly just happy I finally got a successful cut.
So if anyone else has challenges: USE THICK DRAFTBOARD SETTINGS!
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Hmm how were you setting the material height before? Did your other cuts look particularly “thick”? That’s usually a sign that your focus is off. I would just set the material height and roll with it, like you said not like PG settings are magic…
I was using the set focus. Which is what they tell you to do.
I think I might have also in some of the settings just used it for medium draft board.
Hmm set focus maybe struggles with the surface quality of that whiteboard? I almost never use set focus, I just enter the material height manually.
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sorry, meant to say that in some of my tests I might have just had it set to medium draft board.
well that’s what I am about to try now. I’m going to use unidentified material, with the 2.88mm and the same settings that were used in the previous cut (132/full/1x) to see if there is any difference.
If it were me I would do a proper material test with that height entered:
It’s the only way to be sure. Do a range of like 120-220 or so in steps of ten speed.
well the thick hardboard works for sure. I tested it with the focus height of what it actually is and it worked but not AS cleanly. The focus height for the material is .113 while the one for thick hardboard is .209, which seems to work better, with the exact same speed/power.
I really don’t know why I had so many unsuccessful attempts previously when I am almost positive I was using the “set focus” on it.
OK this is going to sound stupid and maybe it is, but are you sure your lens isn’t in upside down?
It can cause all sorts of focus height problems if it is upside down. Also you cleaned your lenses, but did you clean all of the optics, including the head camera and whatnot?
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nope, definitely isn’t. Even before I replaced the lens, it was cutting fine with other materials. Thinking that maybe it was an optics issue (which has happened before when stuff just stopped cutting), I did end up putting in a brand new lens and I made double sure that it was put in the right way. I even cut something in another material and it cut fine after the lens swap out.
I honestly think this was just issues with the focus height. I am not sure what went awry along the way, but at least now I know that the Thick Hardboard focus height and settings is successful
Well, that’s the thing. Your focus height shouldn’t be that high for material that thin, generally that lead to poor cutting. Do you usually want to focus on the surface of your material, maybe a little bit below it. You’re focusing almost twice the material height, which seems like it should cause its own problems.
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I haven’t tried Unisub, mine was something generic I had on hand. I did it with the thick hardboard settings.
I’ve never heard of “unisub” but I use a fair amount of hardboard from Lowes and Home Depot, and 180/FULL (I have a Pro) cuts it cleanly. My UI doesn’t have any “canned” hardboard settings, just the one I created myself.
Are you masking? Sometimes the white board is too reflective/bright to get a good reading, which can also happen if you have your GF sitting close to a window with direct or bright sunlight or too much light in the room.
ugh. I could freaking cry right now. I FINALLY got it to cut last week, both with using the Thick Draftboard settings and focus height (even though the unisub is twice is thin, that focus height worked for some reason) and also the custom setting I used with the actual unisub thickness/focus height and using the draftboard settings (135/full/1x). So all good.
But now it doesn’t cut with either of those settings anymore. What the hell. I know that within the past few days GF did some updating and I remember getting an email saying that the system updates they did might affect the performance of previous settings so I don’t know if that’s it or what.
It was literally cutting the unisub just FINE with those settings like EARLIER TODAY but now I am back to not being able to get it to cut for crap! I just don’t get it!
Sign out and then back in plus restart the GF and test some scrap.
I gave up last night and came back to it today and the refreshing of the browser and restarting the machine seems to have fixed it but i have only done one test cut so far.
Just bought some 2 sided unisub so here’s keeping my fingers crossed
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I need to order some and give it a try. I hear good things about it.