Happy New Year – we hope you had a wonderful festive break and a successful start to 2018. As you know, we design all of our machines to be as maintenance free as possible but, after a hard year’s graft, we think it’s worth treating your Keencut cutter to a little TLC.
Below we have laid out our top tips for maintaining your Keencut cutter to ensure it continues to work to the best of its ability for many more years to come.
By following our C.L.A.S.S. guide, any of our machines will be made ready for whatever 2018 is going to throw at it.
joe@detype.com
CLEAN AWAY 2017’S GRIME
Firstly, remove any loose particles and dust by carefully using a vacuum cleaner or hand brush. Tough stains can be removed from anodised aluminium surfaces using a cloth lightly moistened with diluted detergent (dish washing liquid works well). If there are any stubborn stains remaining, try a small amount of solvent on a cloth but make sure you follow the manufacturer’s instructions and ensure you do not let the solvent come into contact with any plastic components including stickers or measuring scales.
LUBRICATE ALL OPEN BEARINGS AND RUNNING SURFACES
Any sliding surfaces that use plastic on anodised aluminium can be lubricated with a silicon lubricant. Just add a thin coat on the aluminium surface and then wipe away any surplus before running the cutting head up and down a few times. This applies to our Evolution, Javelin and Sabre products, the Simplex, Ultimat Gold, Technic and Excalibur 5000.
For any steel on steel running surfaces, you should use a smear of thick white grease or petroleum jelly (Vaseline®) on the rails. But again, make sure any surplus is wiped away as it can travel and next appear as finger prints on your work. This applies to our SteelTrak, Futura Flexo and Ultimat Futura products.
ADJUST ANYWHERE YOU FIND LOOSE MOVEMENT THAT SHOULD NOT BE THERE
Pay special attention to the linear slides that the cutting head runs on and try moving and twisting the cutting head in all directions (other than the one it is supposed to of course). If there is any loose movement (not flexing) use the adjustment screws to adjust accordingly. This is applicable on all machines.
We will be doing a more in-depth blog on adjusting your machines for our next blog – so keep an eye out if you need any more guidance on this.
SET YOUR MEASURING SCALES
Make sure any measuring scales are set to read accurately and if you have a Squaring Arm on your machine, check it is set at 90°.
SPARES AND CONSUMABLES
Check your store of blades, cutting strips, sightline strips, etc. The festive period may have taken its toll on your stocks.
So, to ensure your Keencut keeps running smoothly, just remember:
Clean
Lubricate
Adjust
Set
Spares
For more detailed instructions on any of the above tips, refer to your original instruction manual or, if it is not covered by your manual, contact your Keencut supplier or Keencut if you are in the UK. You can find an electronic version of the instruction manual on our resources section on our website.
Keep an eye out for more tips and tricks for making the most of your Keencut. And remember, we’re running a photo competition for all Keencut users. For a chance to win cash prizes head to our last blog to find out more.
