Rabbit or crow for dinner?

[Jim Dornon]

Jim,
Have you tried saving it as a different type of file ?

[Dan Hintz]

Dan,
Is there a way to avoid this leakage and dangler problem ? Maybe more memory for the engraver ?

Not really... if that is the problem, the only solution is for them to clean up the code. More memory might change the behavior, but it would only mask the problem... more memory may allow the laser software to illegally grab memory farther out, memory that won't be touched so quickly by starting other programs.

[Dee Gallo]

jAMES - you helped me with my problems, here's an explanation for one of yours:

Those errant lines you are getting come from the bezier lines having a point that's been pulled out of whack. This happens sometimes if you rotate a line drawing or if you tweak a line that's got a zillion points. Go into your drawing at a high magnification and you will see the crazy line. You can see where it starts clearly in your 2nd photo. Trace it back to its point and delete the point. It will probably not effect your drawing one bit, but it will eliminate those extended lines. Test to see if it worked by scrolling elsewhere on the page and then back. If the line (or at least the base of it) is gone, you fixed it. If not, you didn't get the right point. This happens to me all the time if I draw a line by dragging instead of clicking, but I've seen it happen with clipart too. Whoever made that design probably duplicated the sections and rotated them, causing the problem.

cheers, dee

[Jim Dornon]

James, have you fixed your 3040 ? I tried engraving a photo yesterday. If I have the speed at 500 (max) it goes from the top of the pic to the bottom fireing what looks like each pixle. After slowing the speed down it will engrave a little ways then jump down about half way of the pic and continue. Frustraighting to say the least. Jim

[James Jaragosky]

James, have you fixed your 3040 ? I tried engraving a photo yesterday. If I have the speed at 500 (max) it goes from the top of the pic to the bottom fireing what looks like each pixle. After slowing the speed down it will engrave a little ways then jump down about half way of the pic and continue. Frustraighting to say the least. Jim

Jim thanks for asking.
My HX3040 has mixed results as far as to whether it is fixed or not.
New quirky problems seem to keep popping up.
My latest quirky manifestation is that if I pause the machine while it is rastering an image, the laser head starts to travel back the way it came when I continue the job.
It never did that before. So it looks like I will take frank up on a new motion card.
Just hate to have the machine down any longer. It appears to raster an image just fine without any problems, as long as I let it go start to finish without any interruptions.
It will occasionally add extra random errant lines when vector cutting a larger file. It seems ok on small files.
As for your problem: You mentioned 500 max speed my max is listed at 600.
You stated “After slowing the speed down it will engrave a little ways then jump down about half way of the pic and continue.”
Did it engrave fine at the max speed?
Did you try to slow the speed down on the same image half way through?
Or was it a separate attempt?
Can you send me the file so I can try and run it, and see what results I get?
I can send you a good image file if you would like, so you can run on your machine, that way you will have something to compare your current results with.
Let me know if I can help
Jim j.

[Glenwood Morris]

Given that most domestic manufacturers support machines that have been sold to new owners. My recommendation (because this is how I did it and it's worked out well so far) is to buy a used domestic and have 2 grand sitting in a savings account for fixing anything that might go wrong (I had a tube and CPU go bad in the first 2 months, thing ran PERFECT when I bought it).

I have a great machine now and I spent about 1/3 or less of the cost of a new one (even after adding the cost of a tube and cpu).

[Dee Gallo]

Glenwood, I did the same thing you did when I started out a little over 3 years ago. I found a used Epilog Eclipse on eBay, got lucky and it has paid for itself over and over again. No repairs or problems whatsoever. It's now a 15 year old dinosaur, but still putting out good work. I have been told the bulb should not have lasted this long, but I guess I got a good one! I bought a Chinese laser as a backup, which I unpacked but never fired up, and have decided to sell it. It's list in the SMC classified now. I'm buying another Epilog - better safe than sorry when it comes to being on a deadline. And it's an awful lot better than handcarving, which is what I WAS doing.

I think if I had more tech knowledge like some of the other Creekers here, I might be more inclined to keep the cheap laser and work it out, but I'm an artist/producer, not a fixer. Down time stresses me out. I live on the outskirts of nowhere - there are no "local" dealers or techs to call on. So, to each his own, right?

[Eric Fuller]

Hi Dee,

I'll take that laser. Sorry to post here but for some reason the forum would not let me post in the classifieds section. Check your PM box

[Eric Fuller]

Sorry, double post. Mods please delete

[Scott Shepherd]

Sorry to post here but for some reason the forum would not let me post in the classifieds section. Check your PM box

Because you are a member, not a contributor. Only contributors are allowed to post in the classified section if I understand it correctly.

[Eric Fuller]

Well, actually, I donated $20 a few weeks ago but never received any confirmation or reply. Not too worried about it either way, but it would have been nice to be able to post my response directly there.

[Scott Shepherd]

Eric, I didn't mean anything by my post other than your status shows as a member. Member status is what keeps you from posting there, if I understand it correctly. If you gave, that's between you and Keith, I'm just stating the reason you couldn't post there, and that's because your status is a member (rightly or wrongly).

Contact Keith, you should have changed status by now if you paid him a couple of weeks ago.

[Eric Fuller]

Thanks Scott...sorry if that came off as sounding defensive; didn't mean it that way

[David Hirschfield]

James, I don't know if this has anything to do with your problems but when I import an Illustrator drawing with guides into Lasercut 5, the import as infinitely long lines that I can't seem to get rid of. My solution is to delete them in Illustrator and reimport. Happens to me in other programs too. I know you use Newlydraw, so it may be different for you.

David