I have about a week until the Caberra miniatures show, and not too much to sell there. I just can't seem to get the cutter working at it's most efficient. Add into the mix slightly bendy ply and an inexperienced user with high standards and you have a fight a-coming. I keep buying ply and I am lucky if I get 50% success rate. Oh well, I guess everyone starting out has these teething problems. The cutter really needs a good service and some parts replaced too, which doesn't help. I will be working all day and night between now and next weekend!
Anyway, a couple of pictures to show that at least some of the kits are working out.
One of my shadow boxes landscaped and in need of some accessories:
Easy there girl :) I feel your pain and have been there myself but a friend taught me how to avoid the pain of it. You need to use a methodical approach to dialing in the laser settings for materials. You have two ends to the perfect setting on the range of available settings, one end will be too much, and the other end is not is not enough. So you split those extremes as follows below.
ReplyDeleteWhen you do this you need a notebook to record the changes in settings you make as you are working so you don't get confused about what you just did while you are working.
OK, so how it works, when you make a cut that setting is always at one of the ends of the extreme so for the next try you always move halfway towards the other. Then that setting you tried becomes the new endpoint which of course is likely not quite perfect so next time you move half the distance between the two new extremes once again. Then depending on the result you got it that new end be too much or it might be not enough so it becomes the new end point and you once again split the difference and try that. This method quickly sorts out finding the setting that is just right. No jumping all over the place frustrated and confused as you always know exactly what to try next as you quickly dial in on getting it just right.
Of course the rough part is there is not just one setting you have to dial in. But at least you can take them one at a time and actually see the differences and understand exactly what you did that made a difference.
Hi Karin. That is a good way of dealing with some of the issues, and I have been writing stuff down. The thing is, the cutting is varying on a single sheet - some pieces cut perfectly, some don't. I guess this is to do with the ply not being perfectly flat. I am also restricted with the cutting speed as if I use higher speeds, it comes out wobbly (yes it needs a good service and some parts replaced I think). Then some sheets of ply are more dense than others. I did read about turning the frequency down, so might try that. And the home position varies too, so I will cut one sheet and it fits onto the sheet, and the next time, it runs off the edge. There sure is a lot to learn. Every time I think I'm getting the hang of it, I realise I'm not. Thanks for the help and pep talk! I need it!
ReplyDeleteS orry to hear you're having difficulties, I imagine it must be beyond frustrating. Hang in there, practice is progress.
ReplyDeleteSome weeks are soooo painful. All that time and little progress I know how you feel. Although it seems a crass thing to say when you are at the point when you just want to throw everything in the nearest bin but......even failure is good as without it we do not learn. All the mistakes teach us how to do it differently the next time. Unfortunately sometimes it seems to take a lot of next times!!
ReplyDeleteHang in there!!
Oh Boy, can I ever relate! I have wanted to Drop Kick any number of different projects across the room too, so I feel your Frustration keenly!
ReplyDeleteI have never worked a laser but I think that your trying to master it is going to cost you many trials and errors because everything worthwhile does. Even so, your body work is Exceptional and your French Shop and little stove are Proof! :D
Have a Great Easter weekend!