You know, I think I've completely lost my

[Barb Macdonald]

Mind. (What else is new?)
Hi all, the threads have been very interesting lately, much to read and learn from, as usual.
Having done a search on cleaning the encoder strip, again (and I'm on a few of 'em) I discovered some very interesting facts.

When I got the machine, I was told to keep it clean. I was told to use Windex to clean just about everything, except the mirrors and lenses.
I have been doing that, and from the threads I've just read, that is the way to do it.
OK. I recently watched a flash demo on the epilog web site, showing Peck cleaning an encloder strip, with distilled water. As I've also been working on improving the exhaust issue with Peck, I e-mailed him asking if Windex was an acceptable cleaner for the encoder. GUESS what his answer was.

So, in a last ditch, desperate plea for accurate information, and remembering that I am not in any way an electronics/technical wizard, can we please have a complete accurate How-To-Manual, telling us EXACTLY what is required, to keep this machine clean?
I've been to two BORGs, in the last week looking for "409" or "simple green" cleaner, as that is the latest suggestion for dirty encoders from Peck. (if you read back though...)
I hate going to BORG. Neither BORG had either product. Part of the homogenization of our culture. Everywhere has basically the same things, and of course, not what's been recommended. How handy I got lotsa Windex!

I had thought I had the exhaust issue improved, at least, with some retro parts from Peck. The machine hasn't been busy i.e. no long production runs, and I've been waiting to see how long it would take for the encoder to need cleaning, compared to previous. Well, not very much longer, that's for sure. And after cleaning the encoder with distilled water (hey I do what I'm told), I still have some flaring of a border line, on just one side, and some "streaking" in the text. Like a piece of tissue has smeared the text a bit.
I feel like I've gone right back to square one, again. Maybe I've even damaged the encoder. I can hardly wait to replace that! Time to get out the magnifying glasses, and quit the coffee

I do realize now, how very little research I did before I purchased. I'm a sucker for MC, is all, and he knows it.
Och, well, I'll know better next time!

Snowing again, but February is almost over!

Have a great day

Barb

epilog legend ext 60 watt, snoring away....
Rotaries have stuff to do!

[Joe Pelonio]

I wouldn't contradict Peck, he should know, but I was originally told windex by Epilog Tech support too, Since the 2nd-3rd time I used it I switched to alcohol as I use to clean other equipment and find it works better. Also, I use a q-tip and it tends not to leave any debris as tissue would.

[Barb Macdonald]

They have contradicted themselves.... Peck himself has said Windex, on previous posts. Now not.
Wouldn't you worry about alcohol "drying" the plastic components? or otherwise harming stuff? Drips?
I use Q-tips, but they can be a bit time consuming, and I find they leave bits behind, if I'm not really careful. What do you use for lenses & mirrors? I use Q-tips & the special lens cleaning fluid, again on advice from my original tech.
I'd love to be able to clean the x belt on the inside, almost impossible to reach with anything but a Q-tip. It's a long 36" wide! (x2)
Obviously, I have no clue about cleaning, eh? You should see my house! I'll have lots of stock for my windows, anyway..
Gosh, I feel even dumber than usual....

Thanks again
Barb

[Ray Mighells]

My Epilog manual indicates the encoder strip should be cleaned with alcohol. I've been using a very soft artist paint brush dipped in DNA and drying with a Q-tip. I use a different brush for scrubbing the residue from the auto focus and the undercarriage.

[Sandra Force]

I would hesitate to use either Simple Green or 409 as both will leave a residue on the surface of the encorder strip if you do not rub it to very dry. My two choices for cleaning almost everything on my machines are DNA and Acetone. They break up most residue and do not leave a film behind. I would use an air nozzle and my psi turned to maximum to clean the inside of my belts. In fact I have found that I increased the life of my gears and belts by blowing the dust out of them at the end of each day. Just be sure to slide an envelope or plastic bag over the mirrors and focus lens before you do. Also, lay a piece of cardboard in front of the window. One thing that I found when I took over the lasers was how often the stuff that you don't see is forgotten when cleaning. On the larger Epilogs there are fans, boards and other items that get dirty behind the lower back panel, and I had a great improvement of quality once I went in and cleaned those areas of dust accumilation.

[Vicky Orsini]

What do you use for lenses & mirrors?

I put the lens/mirror on a flat surface, apply a drop or two of the lens cleaning solution to the lens/mirror, then take a tissue (like Kodak optics cleaning tissue) and drag it across the lens/mirror. I've been told not to use Q-Tips, as there's always a chance the cotton might move away from the stick.

[Brian Robison]

Barb,
Just use the windex and a Q tip. If your problem is still there, try swapping the ends around on you ribbon cable that runs to the reader.

[Stephen Beckham]

Barb,

Maybe you're overcleaning it - I know that's way out from the norm, but sometimes too much of a good thing is not good anymore.

Heck - I totally skipped the encoder strip cleaning for the first 9 months. Never thought about it until I humbled myself and read the cleaning instructions. Ooops... It was a bit dirty, but nothing abnormal. Now I clean and lube the machine once a quarter (every time I pay sales tax - it reminds me like clockwork). I clean the lense once or twice a week with normal usage or immediately following some projects depending on what's under the lense...

On the streaks in the text... Are you doing your text at 400 DPI or higher? I've always had steaks in 300 DPI or lower in my plain text. Obviously, not big streaks, but enough to make me think its poor enough to not sell it that way. Anytime I have to do an image below 400, I'll do the text and image in two seperate passes.

My two cents...

[Ryan O'Hara]

I use Simple Green on the rulers and it works really well to pull up smoke and other residue. Simple green worked when windex and elbow grease didn't. I haven't had to clean the encoders yet, so I can't help there.

[Brian Robison]

I wouldn't dare use Acetone or Simple Green on the encoder strip. Most plastics are not chemical resistant, and the ones that are probably aren't used for the encoder strip.

Stephen, good advise on the 400 dpi, I found the same thing. I like the quarterly total PM. Are all Epilog users leaving the lenses in when they clean them?

Ryan, those rulers on my Mini look ROUGH. I think I've cleaned all the numbers off the horizontal ruler.

[Stephen Beckham]

Brian - I too have cleaned my tick marks off of the rulers... I figure some day I'll cermark them back on there...

I never took the lense out to clean it until I was curious one day of how easy it would be to swap the whole component out (after I saw the thread on the one that melted). When I had it out, I realized how much I hadn't been cleaning off of it. So now, no matter if it needs it or not, I take it out and clean it once a month. All the daily/weekly cleanings I do while it's in place.

On the 400 DPI - I sent in a suggestion to add the DPI setting to the Epilog Color Mapping on the print driver. Like the last time I sent a suggestion in, I got another "Welcome to Epilog - Do you want to buy a laser" sales packet. I must be sending the suggestions to the wrong person .

[Barb Macdonald]

I've been told I may be over-cleaning. That'll be a first! I don't believe in cleaning just for the heck of it. Gosh, no. I have had to clean more frequently, with the exhaust issue. Still a work in progress. It's hard to tell if the issues I get are encoder-related, or alignment related, or many more of any of the above related.

Great ideas, all of you, thanks so much, the creek is ALL.

I've been using 600 dpi, for tiny text, really tiny I have to use 1200 dpi, or it's not enough. I wish for many more sales, so that I may wish for a 1.5" lens? From reading the posts, I wonder if I should shell out the $$, at this point.
The "wiped with a tissue" on the smaller text effect didn't happen on all of the signs I made, just a few, I was using .03 Brush Silver/black. Almost as if the paint had bled into the letters, for those of us who rotary engrave a lot of brush silver metals. I was making business cards.
Well, I think I'll go burn something, see what happens next!

To really clean the lens and mirrors, I need to remove them, and then it's back to learning all about alignment. I wish my eyes weren't so mature.
If wishes were horses..., my life would be perfect.

Have a great day

Barb
epilog legend ext 60watt
xenetech rotaries ( I owned a Dahlgren 300Z once, my ears have never been the same)
Seeing Mark Winlund's shop was such an inspiration, wow what a place!
I'm going to start wishing again.....
I still have a New Hermes heavy duty "big-bear" pantograph, the old dear.

p.s. Thanks to the Creek, again. PLEASE CONTRIBUTE, best $ you'll ever spend.

[Brian Robison]

Barb, I think you may need a new ribbon cable.
I had inconsistent alignment issues and it turned out to be the cable.
Do you know the cable I'm talking about?

[Barb Macdonald]

Yes, it's already been replaced once. The cable that flies around madly, back and forth, under the cover. The cable that I discovered was hooking on the inside screw nuts. We (the service tech who replaced the cable, Melanie 'n me) had to put little tabs of masking tape over the darned things. That darned cover! I ran the machine with the cover off for a quite a while, early in it's career. That's how I discovered all sorts of things, like the air assist hose was binding up, and throwing off the x-axis.
Mind-boggling, really
So could someone tell me, why would such a cable "wear" out? I was told not to clean it, I think? I do wipe it off with a micro-pore cloth, and it's easily gotten dirty. (nice englais barb)
Is it because the one end flies around alot?
Never did get to burn anything today
Too many other sign emergencies
(how many times can you number a door? and the door that leads to the door? and the door that is behind the other door?)
(You wouldn't believe me if I told you!)


Thanks to all

barb

[Ray Mighells]

I've replaced my ribbon cable 3 times in less than 2 years. You might try swapping ends with it to see if it works better. I haven't had any more problems since I taped over that inside screw lug. I keep a spare cable to be prepared. Swapping ends is strictly a temporary fix.