Made a jig and now it doesn't seem to line up

[Michael Wuensch]

Hello All,

I made a jig to hold some dog tags, and now it doesn't seem to line up correctly. I used the exact layout for the engraving on the tags as I did when I made the jig, now it seems misaligned to the left. I have attempted to figured it out to no avail, perhaps I am not looking in the correct spot. Would anybody happen to have a pointer or 2 for me to try?

Thanks!

[AL Ursich]

Lay a sheet of thin plastic or cardboard on the laser. You will print the tag outlines on this board and a 12345678901234567890 along the top and along the side. That will give you a reference of actual laser and screen layout.

Back in my Navy Days we had to do 6 page carbon type Evaluations with a computer driven IBM Selectric then later a mechanical pin printer. We just opened a blank page in Word Perfect the Word Processor of the day and made a 12345678901234567890 along the top of the word document and the same along the bottom and both sides. Stuck in a single copy of the 6 ply and lined it up to a specific point that was repeatable. Printed the Grid Numbers and later just typed the data into the X Y Blocks. Worked Great...


Do much the same with a piece of hardboard or even do a Grid of lines.... Use that to design the computer screen version of the Tag Art.


Good Luck,


AL

[Michael Wuensch]

Thank you for the suggestion, I have not tried it yet but I will give it a go!

Perhaps I am not thinking about this correctly. It seems making a jig is not overly complicated. I have tried to follow the few guides I found but and still not having sucecss.

I was under the impression if you cut a jig out, and use the exact same template in Corel that you made the jig with it would line up the engravings correctly, am I thinking about this the wrong way?

Thanks!

[James Rambo]

When you made your 'jig' did you draw the outline of the name tag in corel and lock that layer? Then you cut this out of your jig. Next create a second layer and put your wording or whatever on this second layer and lock this layer. Then laser it?

[Bruce Volden]

Michael,

It would help if we knew what type of laser you're working with.

I have an Epilog TT and it can be adjusted through the control panel to pretty much exacting standards. Once in a great while it will wander off a few thousandths and I have to readjust. I blame the servo drive system (not knowing why) as I NEVER have that problem on my old clunker LMI's with steppers??.

I agree with you on setting up a jig in Corel and using the laser to cut / make the jig--seems like it should always work. Also check your encoder strip should you have one.

Bruce

[Michael Wuensch]

Thank you for all the reply's

James Yes I did those steps.

I am working on a Zing 16.

[walter hofmann]

Hi
I use coreldraw x5 and put a outline around the page and then work inside if this is then send to the laser programm it stays exactly on the spot.
greetings
waltfl

[Ross Moshinsky]

It sounds like something moved either while cutting or in the software.

Everyone essentially does the same thing but what we do is:

1. Draw the shape and cut it out of scrap until it fits the way we want.
2. On the shear, cut out a piece of material we're going to use.
3. Using the equivalent of Print Merge, space out the shape for cutting. Using something like Print Merge is important so later you can use variable text and not have a problem.
4. Cut the shapes out.
5. Write or mark on the jig any important information (where the top corner is, what the spacing was, model #, ect)
6. Put in an blank and test the bottom right hand corner. You'll know very quickly if something went wrong.

[Michael Wuensch]

It sounds like something moved either while cutting or in the software.


This had to be the problem, I started completely over and it all seems fine now. Thank you so much for the help!

[Chuck Stone]

I have found that Corel will sometimes apply an 'offset' to a page for no reason that I can see.
Sometimes I'll go into Tools/Customization/Document/Rulers and find the "Origin" point has
data in it other than "0" and I didn't put it there. Throws off the whole page if you don't catch it.
Now I always check the rulers on the page and if my left margin starts at 1.2" instead of 0, I know
where to go