HELP! Panther cutter draws WAY TOO much material

[avatrx]

I was trying to cut out a small lettering job today on our Panther GRC-61. Using LXi software.

I set the material size at 10" tall and 19" wide. It still pulls thru about 3-4 feet of material before it starts to cut.

I "size" the material before I start by hitting the correct button. It always comes up the same. 19.5" wide a 900+ feet long. I"ve tried everything I know to change the length setting to no avail.

If someone could PLEASE help me figure this out I would be eternally grateful. I have lots of misc vinyl that is 21" wide, but some of the pieces are only about 2 feet long. If I use those - when it "sizes" the material it pulls it all the way thru and onto the floor. When it jams - I have to shut the machine off and turn it back on again. It's the only way to reset it that I can find.

I DO have the book, but it doesn't seem to cover those issues.

I thought perhaps I could program it thru the software - but that doesn't seem to work either.

Thanks in advance:
Susie
ssarge@owc.net

[HuFlungDung]

Maybe its kind of like my Panasonic fax machine, which gobbles a couple of feet of 'leader' on the roll of carbon whenever the lid is opened.

You might have to figure out a way to attach a 4 foot leader to your remnants.

[ViperTX]

Contact the manufacturer...

[debogus]

Yep hitting size should do it ,at least on mine ( right arrow)

I got my 24 inch signpal ultra pro with the same software from sign warehouse a few years ago. The Panther is their recent series so I imagine there could be changes to the way it is run.
On mine the routine is :
power on with the material lever up
it ask for material
put in material drop lever
the roll edge size screen comes up.
I tend to use edge ( down arrow ) ( it goes through the sizing routine)
Then press the on-line button,( goes to setup stuff ,run a cut test, then put it back online.

Theres is a setting so you can stop the " auto unroll " of media during the cut in the menu on the function key.( towards the end)

Hhmm so its prefeeding( auto unroll ?) on the size button.
You said
"I set the material size at 10" tall and 19" wide"

The machine picks the width ,( determined by the pinch roller location )
Only variable is roll or edge.( how it deals with the length, I'm thinking that it un-rolls only on the "roll" (left arrow) setting)
In the cut manager there is a button to poll the machine for the size material it has .

Heck dont know .
Just buy a roll of cheap and play ,read the book ,there is so much to learn.
And you will ,>>>like if the speed setting is wrong it can and will pickup a full roll of 35 mil hartco ,right off the rollers >> not good .

Best of luck

Dave

[avatrx]

THanks for all the help. Contacting Sign Warehouse would be the simplest - but since we bought the unit 2nd hand - they want $250 to "transfer ownership" before they'll help us.

The book doesn't explain stuff very well. I'm a fan of technical writing and can usually decipher directions, but theirs is horrible. It just seem like there should be a way to determine or preset the length of the material. Mine does determine the width based on the pinch rollers and that much makes sense. It's the default length of 900+ feet that I'd like to be able to change.

Attaching a leader sounds likes a possible solution.

Guess it's back to the drawing board.

Any recommendations on where to buy half way decent material at a good price?

Thanks for all of the ideas. If anyone has any more - please feel free to pass them on. I'm open to all suggestions.

Susie

[debogus]

http://www.signmakingsupplies.com/
I use this this store because they are local and fast.

I sugest searching the net. There has to be a supplier close to you.
I started with sign warehouse ,but they are in texas .




Dave