Vinyl Cutter
| Name | Vinyl Cutter |
|---|---|
| Owner | Makers' Alliance |
| Location | Fabrication Zone |
| Training needed | Yes |
| Hackable | No |
| Model | USCutter MH-721 Mk2 |
| Serial | UNKNOWN |
| Arrival Date | 11/18/2017 |
| Working | Yes |
| Contact |
Current Status: Fully Functional
How to use: i3 has some details on their wiki that might be helpful: https://www.i3detroit.org/wiki/Vinyl_Cutter-US_Cutter_Refine_MH-720
The original Windows software that came with it should be on the Windows workstation.
We've had some limited success using InkCut on the Linux workstation, while using a USB to serial adapter and the 9-pin serial cable that came with the cutter. We'll get it added to the OS's launcher (and add the Inkcut plugin for Inkscape), but in the meantime “python3 -m inkcut” will get you started. You'll want to design your thing-to-cut in Inkscape and make sure to convert the objects to paths before saving it and then loading it in Inkcut.
I attempted using Inkcut on my old Macbook Pro, but the cutter setup dialog wanted to be taller than my display's height, so I could never save the cutter config.
We keep a limited amount of vinyl on hand (currently: white, black, and a special sandblast resist). If you need something specific (certain color, heat transfer vinyl, etc.), you can source material at the following places:
- USCutter
- the usual online suspects (ebay, etc.)
- Jo-Ann (retail)
- Michael's (retail)
Retail stores typically just have 12“ rolls/sheets. If you want 24” material you'll probably have to go online.