Accent Raster Braille User manual
TM
Raster Method of Braille
Getting Started Guide
2322 chestnut ave west – minneapolis MN 55405 – phone 612-377-9156 – fax 612-377-6747 – www.accentsignage.com
TM
Raster Pen
Congratulations on your purchase of the
Raster™ Method of Braille. Raster™ Braille
is the fastest, easiest way to create fully
compliant Braille signage.
To use the Raster™ Method you need a rotary
engraving machine and software capable of a
single-point drill function. You should also
use Braille translation software to ensure that
your Braille is accurate Grade 2.
When properly produced, Raster™ Braille is
durable, impervious to environmental
conditions, easy for Braille readers to use, and
fully compliant with all regulations.
We strongly recommend that you read all
the instructions in this booklet before you
begin.
TM
Raster Braille cutter
(red label)
-or-
Collet drill assembly
(black label)
TM
Raster Method of Braille
What's Included
The Raster™ Method consists of three main
components: the cutter, used to drill holes in
the sign; the Rasters™ themselves, precision-
machined spheres of acrylic, stainless steel, or
brass, and the Raster™ Pen, a simple-to-use
mechanical device for inserting the Rasters™
into the sign.
How It Works
It's simple: Translate text to Braille, drill the
corresponding holes, and insert Rasters™.
The top portion of each spherical Raster™
stands above the surrounding surface, creating
a perfect dome-shaped Braille dot.
The substrate material you choose will
determine the installation method you use.
For most engraving plastic, wood, and other
soft materials, use the friction-fit method. For
metals, stone, and harder plastics like
phenolic, use the adhesive-assist method. TM
Raster Pen
TM
Jar of Rasters
Grade 2
Braille
If you just type in
text using a Braille
font, you are
creating Grade 1
Braille, a direct
letter-for-letter
translation. Grade
2 Braille, on the
other hand, is
condensed, with
over 200
contractions where
a single character
can stand for a
group of letters or
even a whole
word. Grade 2
Braille is required
by the ADA
Accessibility
Guidelines.
Page 1
©2005 Accent Signage Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.
Cutter Setup
1. Install the cutter in the spindle. Use the red-
label Raster™ Braille cutter for plastic and
wood, and the black-label collet and drill bit
assembly for metal, stone, or solid-surface
materials.
2. Turn the spindle micrometer all the way up,
then down to the first “0.” From this setting,
turn the micrometer 0.075” down (exactly
three turns), stopping at “0.”
3. Loosen the setscrew in the cutter's brass
knob and pull the cutter up inside the nose.
Hold a flat piece of plastic flush against the
nose of the spindle, and lower the cutter until
it touches the piece of plastic. Re-tighten the
setscrew while holding the plastic in place.
Don't over-tighten the setscrew! It only needs
to be “snug.”
4. The nominal depth setting for plastic and
acrylic substrates is 0.042”. Turn the spindle
micrometer up one full turn, plus 17 tick
marks.
5. For metal substrates, or any time the
adhesive-assist method is used, the depth
should be 0.002-0.003” deeper to allow for
the thickness of the adhesive.
Note: Set all you cutters to the same zero
point, so the micrometer settings are the same
for all of them.
Page 2
©2005 Accent Signage Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.
TM
Raster Method of Braille
5020
5020
Up until it stops
Down to “0”
Down three full turns to “0”
1 full turn = 0.025”
5020
5020
Past the first "0" and up to "17"
Tip
TM
Raster Braille
cutters are made
from solid carbide
for precision and
long life. Solid
carbide cutters are
heavy and one-
sided, so balance
is important. If
your cutter seems
to be making the
wrong size holes,
see Page 7 for
instructions on
how to find a
cutter's "sweet
spot."
...and re-tighten the setscrew
while holding it in place.
Loosen the setscrew,
hold the plastic against
the bottom of the nose...
Page 3
©2005 Accent Signage Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.
TM
Raster Method of Braille
Press down to
TM
insert Rasters
TM
Raster Pen
The Raster™ Pen is the tool used to place the
Rasters™ in the holes. The Pen is a simple
device; it has only one moving part. The
spring-loaded tip holds one Raster™ at a time
below a plunger. As you press down, the
plunger presses the Raster™ into the hole.
1. Remove the rubber cap and fill the Pen's
barrel with Rasters™ using a small funnel. Fill
the barrel as full as possible, but be careful
not to spill any Rasters™. Replace the cap.
2. Shake the Pen and click the mechanism a
couple times by hand to make sure the
Rasters™ are dropping into the tip.
3. Hold the Pen vertically over the Braille
holes with the tip's flat side facing you. Align
the tip with the hole and press down. You
should feel the Raster™ "pop" into place.
Don't use any more force than necessary;
excess force can crack the Rasters™, damage
the sign, or cause a jam in the Pen's
mechanism.
NOTE: Proper grip and hand position is very
important when using the Raster™ Pen.
Don't try to operate the Pen using only your
fingertips. Experiment until you find a
comfortable grip, but remember to keep the
Pen vertical.
We recommend that you practice with the
Raster™ Pen before using it on a live job. Use
the included test piece, and make a couple
practice pieces of your own. Once you get
used to the feel, you should be able to use the
Raster™ Pen quickly and easily.
Storage Tip
Save an empty
TM
Raster jar to use
as a stand for the
TM
Raster Pen. The
jar will keep the
Pen upright, which
keeps the
mechanism full of
TM
Rasters , so it's
always "primed"
and ready to use.
The jar also keeps
TM
Raster Pen from
rolling off the
edge of a table.
Cap
Barrel
(fill with
TM
Rasters )
Grip
Tip
Plunger
(inside)
Hold Pen VERTICAL
when using!
Friction-Fit Method
Use this method when installing Rasters™ in
plastic or acrylic substrates. The Rasters™ are
held in place by the friction fit between the
Raster™ (which is 0.0625” in diameter) and
the hole (which is 0.060”). This method is not
recommended for use with ABS plastics. For
ABS, use the adhesive-assist method.
1. Set up the red-labeled Raster™ Braille
cutter in your machine.
2. Use your engraving software to create the
Braille message and run the machine. Make
sure your software uses a single-point drilling
function to drill the holes. Use the same speed
settings you use when engraving plastic. Drill
to a depth of 0.042".
3. Move the sign to a clean area and make sure
the holes are free of debris. If you are using
clear Rasters , any leftover plastic chips in
the hole will be visible through and magnified
by the Raster , so keep your work area clean.
4. Use the Raster™ Pen to insert Rasters™
into the holes. The Rasters™ should "pop"
into place without much force. If too much
force is needed, or if the Rasters™ won't stay
in the holes, drill the holes a little deeper and
try again.
5. Check the height of the installed Rasters™
with calipers. Measure the thickness of the
material next to the Braille, then measure the
thickness including the Braille, then subtract.
The height should be 0.025" to 0.031" (0.6-0.8
mm). If the Rasters™ sit too low, try drilling
the holes a little shallower.
™
™
Working with
Acrylic
Here are a couple
tips to make
working with
acrylic a little
easier:
1. Slow down the
RPM of your
spindle. Acrylic
has a low melting
point and the
cutter can get hot
enough to melt
the edges of the
holes if the RPM is
too high.
2. Don't use
alcohol or
petroleum-based
cleaners on an
acrylic sign. These
products will
attack the acrylic
and cause tiny
cracks to appear
around the Braille
holes. Use soap
and water or a
mild detergent.
Page 4
©2005 Accent Signage Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.
TM
Raster Method of Braille
Drill holes
in substrate
TM
Press Raster
into place
Overall height
– material thickness
TM
= Raster height
TM
Use Raster Braille cutter
(red label)
Page 5
©2005 Accent Signage Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.
TM
Raster Method of Braille
Adhesive-Assist Method
Use this method with metal substrates or
other materials that do not possess a
“memory,” such as solid-surface materials or
phenolic. It is also recommended for exterior
applications or materials that are to be plated
or anodized.
This method requires the collet assembly and
a carbide drill bit (black label), low-tack tape,
and double-sided adhesive tape. For best
results, use brass or stainless steel Rasters™
with the adhesive-assist method.
1. Apply a piece of low-tack tape to the sign
where the Braille message will be.
2. Set up and drill the holes for the Braille.
Drill directly through the tape to a depth of
about 0.045".
NOTE: Slow down the Z speed of your
engraver when working with metal. Your drill
bits will last longer drill cleaner holes.
3. Apply a piece of adhesive tape over the
holes. Before removing the tape's backing,
lightly “burnish” it down with your fingernail.
Remove the backing to expose the adhesive.
4. Using the Raster™ Pen, insert the
Rasters™ through the adhesive. Don't use too
much force; press only hard enough to seat
the Raster™ firmly in the sign.
5. Once all the Rasters™ are installed, slowly
peel off the low-tack tape. The excess
adhesive should come with it, requiring no
further clean-up. Peel the tape off carefully,
and avoid pulling it at a sharp angle.
6. Measure the height of the Rasters™ as
described on the previous page and adjust the
hole depth as needed.
Working with
Stainless Steel
Stainless steel is a
difficult material to
work with. It
requires precision
and patience. Drill
at very low RPM
and very slow
speed. Work
gradually down to
the proper depth;
don't try to do it all
at once. Drill
down a couple
thousandths, back
off, and drill
again, until you
reach the correct
depth.
We recommend
that you get
comfortable
working with
aluminum, brass,
and other softer
metals before
tackling stainless
steel.
Apply low-tack tape
Drill holes
THROUGH the
low-tack tape
Apply adhesive tape
Peel off low-tack tape
and excess adhesive
together
TM
Insert Rasters
through tape
Use collet assembly &
drill bit (black label)
Page 6
©2005 Accent Signage Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.
TM
Raster Method of Braille
Working with Other Materials
Plastic and metal are not the only choices for sign substrates using the
Raster
Also bear in mind that any time you use clear Rasters
Wood: Most woods can use the friction-fit Raster
™ method. We have experimented extensively with different materials.
Use the information here as a starting point, but always test an unknown
material before using it for a job.
™, the material
underneath will be visible through the Braille dots. If the material under the
surface is a different color, you may want to consider using one of the
opaque colors of Rasters™.
™ method, but avoid
softer woods. Any wood softer than pine isn't likely to be dense or strong
enough to support the Rasters™. Plywood and manufactured wood products
like MDF will work well.
High-pressure laminates: Laminated materials such as Formica® generally
shoud use the adhesive-assist method. In some cases, a hybrid of the two
methods will work best; drill the holes using the collet assembly, but insert
the Rasters™ dry (no adhesive).
Phenolic or fiber-reinforced plastic: Use the adhesive-assist method with
these materials. Be aware that these materials are abrasive and will wear out
tools faster than other plastics.
Expanded PVC plastic: Lightweight sign materials like Sintra® are not
strong or dense enough to support Rasters™ and are not recommended.
Solid-surface materials: Materials such as Corian® are essentially dense
hard plastic and will work best with the collet assembly. Like laminated
materials, adhesive sometimes isn't necessary with these materials.
Hard stone (marble/granite): It is difficult to work with these materials
without the proper tools. You can use the carbide drill bit, but it will wear out
quickly. If you have access to proper stoneworking tools, and can drill 1/16"
holes to a precise depth, you can insert Rasters™ using adhesive-assist.
Soft stone (sandstone, etc): Softer stone is easier to drill into, but use
caution when inserting the Rasters™. Use adhesive-assist, and test the
adhesive to make sure it sticks to the stone.
Glass: It is possible to drill holes for Rasters™ into glass, but it is not
practical. The process is very difficult and time-consuming. Working with
glass requires special tools, training, and equipment. We don't recommend
you try drilling into glass unless you have experience. Substitute clear acrylic
or polycarbonate for real glass.
Cutter Balance: "Dialing in" your cutter
Raster™ Braille cutters are precision-
machined to very close tolerances and are
tested for accuracy before leaving the factory.
But sometimes a little fine-tuning is needed to
make a cutter work as it should.
Balance is very important to a cutter's
performance. If the balance is off, a cutter
can drill holes that are much too large. You
can change the balance of a cutter by
changing its orientation in the spindle.
Loosen the setscrew and turn the cutter 180
degrees, then retighten the screw. This will
change the orientation of the cutter's "flat"
side in relation to the brass knob and the
spindle itself. Now try drilling again and check
the holes. If it still isn't right, rotate it 90
degrees and try again.
Be careful not to lose track of your "0" point
on the micrometer during this procedure.
There is no one correct position, so try a
few different positions until the cutter drills
the proper size holes. You can tell by the
sound it makes: as the cutter gets closer to
being in balance, it runs quieter.
You can also try adjusting the spindle speed,
on materials where the speed isn't critical
(most engraving plastics fall into this
category). A particular cutter may run
smoother and work better at a lower or higher
speed than normal.
Page 7
©2005 Accent Signage Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.
TM
Raster Method of Braille
"flat" side
of cutter tip
Location of
setscrew
Top View
of Cutter
Rotate the cutter
within the knob
to change the
orientation
Brass
knob
TM
Raster Pen maintenance
In normal use the Raster™ Pen is maintenance-free. The Pen's mechanism is
lubricated and sealed at the factory and does not require any attention.
Occasionally, debris from signs or gummy residue from the adhesive may
find its way inside the Pen's tip. If this happens, empty the Pen and blow out
the passages with compressed air. You can also feed a few brass or stainless-
steel Rasters™ through the Pen to dislodge any debris. Don't use any liquids
to try to clean out the Raster™ Pen, don't immerse it in any liquid, and don't
try to disassemble it.
Disassembling the Raster™ Pen will void your warranty.
Page 8
©2005 Accent Signage Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.
TM
Raster Method of Braille
TM
Care and Storage of Rasters
Store unused Rasters™ in their original glass jar with the lid tightly closed to
keep them clean. Dust, fuzz, plastic chips, oil, and other debris can jam up
the Raster™ Pen's mechanism. Use a funnel when filling the Raster™ Pen to
avoid contaminating the Rasters™ with oil from your hands.
Don't use static-reducing agents with acrylic Rasters™; some of these
products can cause discoloration of the Rasters™.
The Raster™ Method of Braille consists of a matched set of tools, supplies,
and procedures that are designed to work together to produce domed Braille.
The key words are matched set. Raster™ Braille cutters, Rasters™, and
insertion tools (Raster™ Pen and Auto-Raster™) have all been engineered
and manufactured to precise tolerances, with the expectation that they will be
used together.
While there are other possible sources for some of these materials, they are
not designed or intended for use with the Raster™ Method, and cannot be
expected to perform as well as official certified Raster™ components. We
control the design and manufacture of Raster™ Braille tools and supplies
very carefully, and we cannot guarantee compatibility of any third-party
supplies with the Raster™ system. Remember, just because something looks
the same does not mean that it works the same. Some third-party supplies
may be cheaper, but you get what you pay for.
Accept No Substitutes
If you have difficulty drilling holes or inserting Rasters™:
1. Re-read the instructions, paying special attention to any specific notes for
specific types of material. Double-check all your settings, both on the
machine and in the engraving software.
2. If the Rasters™ are difficult to insert, or do not stay in the holes, the fault
usually lies with the dimensions of the holes. Try drilling the holes deeper; it
that doesn't work, see page 6 for information on balancing the cutter.
3. Make sure you are using the proper technique with the Raster Pen. Hold
the Pen vertical and push straight down. If you hold it at an angle it will
not work.
3. Raster™ Braille cutters and carbide drill bits are designed to last a long
time, but they don't last forever. If you have been using a cutter for a long
time, especially on hard or abrasive substrates, it may be worn out.
If your Raster™ Pen stops dispensing Rasters™:
1. Acrylic Rasters™ are prone to static cling in dry or cold climates. To break
up the static charge, shake the Pen. If you keep the barrel full or nearly full,
static will be less of a problem. Don't use dryer sheets or anti-static spray on
Rasters™ because these products can make the Rasters™ turn cloudy.
3. Check the tip of the Raster™ Pen to make sure no debris is obstructing
the passage. Any foreign matter inside the barrel will be carried along the
passage and may cause a jam. If you accidentally break a Raster™ while
inserting it, shards of acrylic may lodge inside the Pen, keeping Rasters™
from dropping into the tip or causing them to all run out at once. Empty the
barrel and blow out the Pen's internal passages with compressed air. You can
also try feeding a few metal Rasters™ through the Pen; the heavier metal
Rasters™ should dislodge anything blocking the passage.
3. If you use the adhesive-assist method, check the tip to make sure no
adhesive has built up on or inside the Pen's tip. Clear away the adhesive and
the Rasters™ should start dispensing again.
4. Push on the tip with your finger. Make sure the tip moves smoothly and
returns to the "down" position on its own. Examine the tip and the plunger
inside for wear or damage. If there is mechanical damage, you may need to
return the Raster™ Pen for repair.
If none of these answers solves your problem, please call Angie Francis or
Shevy Parasivam at (800) 215-9437 or (612) 377-9156 for further assistance.
™
Troubleshooting
Page 9
©2005 Accent Signage Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.
TM
Raster Method of Braille
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