Danny King Posted September 30, 2006 Report Share Posted September 30, 2006 Has anyone got one of these machines, I bought one last month and it dosn't seem to work, Suregrave have been very helpful and have updated the software but it still not doing what it should, Has anyone else had problems? I think i'm going mad!!!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevenB Posted September 30, 2006 Report Share Posted September 30, 2006 Assuming you bought it from Suregrave, surely this is where their after sales support should kick in? If you bought privately, Pantograph services have been recommended to me by various different people - I've never needed to use them, but word of mouth recommendations are usually good enough! http://www.pantograph.co.uk/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny King Posted September 30, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 30, 2006 Yes bought the mchine new from suregrave, They are trying to sort the problems out, But are very busy asnd hard to get hold of. Just wondering if it wascomman to have problems with this machine or if i got a dodgy one. Thanks for your help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auto Key Wizard Posted September 30, 2006 Report Share Posted September 30, 2006 Yes bought the mchine new from suregrave, They are trying to sort the problems out, But are very busy and hard to get hold of. If I'd made this purchase, I would be exercising my consumer rights under 'The Sale of Goods Act' Take it up with their MD, Jim Downing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironplanet uk900 Posted September 30, 2006 Report Share Posted September 30, 2006 Personally Danny, I don't like Suregrave machinery. I think it all looks like it's been made up as they went along Whilst I was at the "expo" last week I met a couple who have an engraving business near to a guy I was buying an outsole stitcher off (sorry Keith). We had a chat about machines etc, he told me that he'd got a rotation and had to send the first one back because of faults with the engraving bed coming loose. Now he has the latest rotation.... but the same problem is occuring. I went to collect the outsoler in the week and popped into the engravers to say hello. He showed me the problem. It is a disgracfull piece of engineering in my opinion. If all there Rotations are made this way, then they are all junk in my opinion. I'm so glad I paid a little bit extra, and invested in Gravograph machinery. Only ever had one problem, and that was sorted asap. You may be guilty of being a soft touch Danny. If I were you I'd be kicking up a fuss as Tel has said. Out of interest what is the exact problem? All the best, I hope you get it sorted soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny King Posted September 30, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 30, 2006 Hi The first problem was it would never find home postion, Once you have set this up you couldn't run the job twice as it would always offset the text. It also would decide not to align text to the left. Infact it does what it wants. Suregrave blamed the software and sent me a new Disc, Once I had installed it seemed to be better. Until this morning when I tryed to engrave a tankard. Once again it has lost its home setting, So I thought I will set the home. But the bloody machine wouldn't let me. So I lost that customer, It has also ruined a few Tankards and a Silver Plate which I will have to get repaired as it is the customers. It is hard to explain what is wrong with the machine, All I can say what ever you think it will do it dosn't. it has also had problems with the table, When you try to turn it over from flat to rotation it has a habit of sticking. I also have a Gem from mastergrave which is very easy to use, I also had an old wizard which we had for years and was a great workhorse. This was the reason I went back to suregrave. I am getting a vist from Alan Harvey the sales rep who sold me the machine on wednesday I wanted to hear if other people are having problems, to make sure it just not me being a twat. As you can imagine it was a big purchase for us, I hope we didn't get it wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironplanet uk900 Posted September 30, 2006 Report Share Posted September 30, 2006 You ain't a twat Danny. Tell em how it is. Demand a refund or a new machine. this forum is here to help you, they won't like this bad feedback. it's the machine and not yourself Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevenB Posted October 1, 2006 Report Share Posted October 1, 2006 I've had my Mastergrave universal for nearly 5 years now, running visualtoolbox software, and I have to say it's fab! The software was very easy & intuitive to learn (for this reason alone I'd recommend it without hesitation), and the machine does all I ask of it. Except that being able to do cups & adjust to all angles, it's not great at flat work such as brass plates where exact levelness is critical. This is why I bought a Gravo IS400 at the show. I'm a bit daunted by how much more complex the software looks, but I expect it's just a case of learning it! I'll update once it's delivered & I've had a play with it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironplanet uk900 Posted October 1, 2006 Report Share Posted October 1, 2006 Steve, I think you will be impressed. The software is easy when you get into it. As you say it is critical you have a level bed when cutting into brass without a nosecone. Have fun you've got yourself a cracking machine there. I wish we had met up at the show maybe next time, or if you're doing the Trophex expo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny King Posted October 31, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 31, 2006 Just thought I would update everyone.... Suregrave sorted out the problems with the machine Big software problem which was sorted out. Had the sales guy round for a day making sure it was working fine and that I was happy with it. Have now done a few jobs on this machine and all ok..so far.... Been a big learning curve for me too but I feel like I am winning now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironplanet uk900 Posted November 4, 2006 Report Share Posted November 4, 2006 Just thought I would update everyone.... Suregrave sorted out the problems with the machine Big software problem which was sorted out. Had the sales guy round for a day making sure it was working fine and that I was happy with it. Have now done a few jobs on this machine and all ok..so far.... Been a big learning curve for me too but I feel like I am winning now. Hi Danny, when you say it was a big software problem, could you be a bit more specific as I am interested in this. By the way thanks for the images you sent me, I only got them a couple of days ago.. my son got to the post first and thought it was a cd he had brought off ebay. It wasn't untill he told me it wouldn't play Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny King Posted November 4, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 4, 2006 Glad you got the cd... Suregrave have changed this machine so it runs on usb rather than serial port. They hadn't reackoned on usb being a faster port than serial. When the software sent the programe down to the machine it got a tad scrambled Which was make the X and Y movements to over run and under run. They redid the software, changed the drivers changed lots of alterations to the settings to do with speeds etc.. It is now like a different machine and runs very smoothly and is spot on everytime The guy Suregrave have working in ther tech department ( I think his name is Phil) was on the ball returned calls etc and got to the bottom the problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironplanet uk900 Posted November 4, 2006 Report Share Posted November 4, 2006 I was hoping you would mention usb/serial ports. One of my machines is acting up at the moment, and there are theory's being chucked around which I disagree with. The one that is playing up at the moment is running though a serial port What happens is: when you go over a job a second time, sometimes it does it in a different place The computer was blamed at one stage, but I switched them and had the same problem To be fair there are on-going efforts being made by my supplier (gravograph) just hope they get it sorted soon I did a 3ft x 18" sign the other week that took hours, I needed to go over it again and it did it in a slightly different place I was well jacked off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny King Posted November 4, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 4, 2006 Sounds very like your machine is having the same problems as mine. It can drive you mad Have you installed any new software or hardware about the time your machine started acting up or does your machine go to power save mode or screensaver when it is doing the job as I believe this can affect things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironplanet uk900 Posted November 4, 2006 Report Share Posted November 4, 2006 I used to have a screen saver a long time ago, and your right it did effect the running of other programs. The thing is with mine: You can reset the origin, and it's fine, switch it off and check the origin again and it will sometimes be 3mm out. It is a intermitant problem which makes it worse Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny King Posted November 4, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 4, 2006 Sorry to say it it sounding more and more like my machine. You could reset the machine it would work for a few jobs then decide to change things. If you switched it off it would lose its centre point. You would line up a job and then run it and it would be in a different postion. If you tryed to re-run the job it would be somewhere else could be 1mm to 10mm out. The worse thing it wouldn't do it everytime. Sounds like you have a software problem get on the phone to your surplier before you go mad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironplanet uk900 Posted November 4, 2006 Report Share Posted November 4, 2006 get on the phone to your surplier before you go mad to late Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kobblers Posted November 5, 2006 Report Share Posted November 5, 2006 and you're advocating changing from a manual to a computer setup to me? just as a matter of interest. if you lose the dongle. how much are they to replace? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hibsjo(SCO) Posted November 5, 2006 Report Share Posted November 5, 2006 New m40g doesnt run off dongle. Dongle price havent a clue.... got two for 200 that ive got dont need anymore touch wood Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
petercoulson Posted November 5, 2006 Report Share Posted November 5, 2006 the programs are going more away from dongles now but they were over £100 for some of them. the problem they are having is that they are desgined for a parallel port and computers are starting to come out without these, same for serial ports particularly on laptops. they have realised that the software only works with their own machines anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevenB Posted November 6, 2006 Report Share Posted November 6, 2006 My new is400 came with a USB dongle (It's the small yellow bit in the middle!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny King Posted November 9, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 9, 2006 Here we go again, This wonderfull engraving machine we bought from suregrave is playing up again. Contact there Tech department on Tuesday night about the problem they scratched there heads and after a few e-mails thought they had sorted it. Came in this morning went to run a nice simple job and the problem is back it wants to engrave boxes and put the text inside??????? Called suregrave and went thru a few things they are now calling cadlink to see if they can help. I have called the legal Advice line of the FSB and have done what they have told me I.E. Call the lease company and tell them the problem. They where very helpfull and have told me I have to get Suregrave to admit fault. I have also called Jim Dowling of Suregrave and left a message for him to contact me. I have also just turned a customer away who wanted a tankard engraved today. I also have a pile of trophies need for tomorrow morning....... I am now going to hit my head of the wall of the shop and see if it helps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kobblers Posted November 9, 2006 Report Share Posted November 9, 2006 isn't there any other engraver near you danny who can at least take the work on for you whilst you get your problem sorted? at least for now you'll be able to keep your customers happy and guarantee their continued custom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny King Posted November 9, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 9, 2006 Good idea but noone local.... I am going home to dust of my old panotgrapgh from the back of the shed. Glad I kept it was going to flog it. Suregrave are still scratching there heads, They have passed the problem to Gadlink they are phoning me.... Still waiting on the boss of Suregrave to call me A very Frustrating day...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny King Posted November 9, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 9, 2006 Just got off the phone with Ray at Cadlink he can't find the problem with the machine Something is not right. Looks like I am going to have a £10000 ornament in my shop Still waiting on a call from the bioss at Suregrave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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