In order to cut a whole design 'on the fly', the first thing that is needed (apart from the additional controls) is a 'knitting pattern' for the design. This comprises of a note of the settings for the design, for the operator to refer to as the design is being cut.
At the end of cutting the first set of cuts in the design, set the dead stop screw to ensure that subsequent rows of cuts will finish to exactly the same depth.
Noting how far (turns or portions of turns) the lateral movement screw has to be turned, move the cutter to the next cutting position.
Having positioned the cutter for the next row of cuts, lock the cutterbody guide in position with the screw.
Set the Offset control for the next row, and start the lathe.
Advance the cutter until the cutter advance wheel contacts the dead stop.
Leave the cutter running in the cuts for a few moments more.
Back the cutter advance wheel to remove the cutter from the cuts, and move the cutterbody well back in the slide.
Alter the offset control on the control box to the next setting in the sequence. (When the buttons on the control box are pressed with the lathe running, the cutter stops moving for several seconds as the control box re-calculates the index positions. It is during this interval that the guide locking screw can be slackened off and the cutterbody guide re-positioned.)
Slacken off the Cutterbody guide locking screw, and using the lateral advance screw, re-position the cutterbody guide by the desired amount, (See 1.) and lock it in position with the screw.
By this time the cutter will have started to move again, and can be advanced into position using the cutter advance wheel, to make the next set of cuts.
Repeat the relevant steps until the pattern is completed, making sure that the cutter is left running in the cuts for a few seconds after the dead stop screw has been contacted to ensure that the cutter has in fact completed the cuts. How long this should be depends on the hardness of the timber being used.
