Making square cuts.....

[Michael Graves]

I have this fancy new mat cutter, very similar to a Logan 750, but all aluminum and able to do up to 40" cuts. The cutter has a groove that slips over a rail so you cut straight. However, I can't get straight corners. About 1/2" out, the blade drifts inward and slightly wavy. I figure it's got to be the mat board drifting, but I don't see what I'm doing wrong. Has anyone else experienced this problem?

[D. Bryant]

I have this fancy new mat cutter, very similar to a Logan 750, but all aluminum and able to do up to 40" cuts. The cutter has a groove that slips over a rail so you cut straight. However, I can't get straight corners. About 1/2" out, the blade drifts inward and slightly wavy. I figure it's got to be the mat board drifting, but I don't see what I'm doing wrong. Has anyone else experienced this problem?

Yeah it's a commom problem - hooking. Are you using a piece of scrap matt board under the piece that you are cutting? That might help. Also try to use minimal pressure, always cut with a fresh blade and move the blade a bit slower.

Good luck,

Don Bryant

[Michael Graves]

Yeah it's a commom problem - hooking. Are you using a piece of scrap matt board under the piece that you are cutting? That might help. Also try to use minimal pressure, always cut with a fresh blade and move the blade a bit slower.

Good luck,

Don Bryant

Thanks, Don. I do use the strip of mat board beneath. But I've been leaning on it like a bear, trying to keep the board from slipping. As I figured to be the case, once again, I'm the problem. I appreciate the help.

[Don Hutton]

You will find that groove in which the cutter slides allows some lateral "play". Make sure that you always keep the pressure on the same side of the groove - this is not that obvious - as you come to the end of the cut, you automatically slow down and get more precise, and while you do this, you will often be moving the cutter from one side of the groove to the other.... Also, make sure the blade is not too long - the longer the blade, the more flex and it has a tendency to "bow" into the end of the cut. Measure it and make sure it's exactly the right lengh.

[Jorge Gasteazoro]

Depending on the brand of mat board there is also an adjustment as to how close the blade rides next to the cutter head. This might be your problem, the blade is not just toucheing the cutter head but riding apart from it and hooking at the end.

[Jon Shiu]

I have had that problem. I wonder if it has something to do with when you plunge the blade in. I use a push type cutter. Wonder if I should switch to a pull type cutter.

Jon

[MIke Sherck]

You know, you'd think that cutting a straight line wouldn't be rocket science, but there you are: infinitely more ways to screw something up than to do it right. Entropy is winning and the world hates us.

On another but related topic, why do matts have to be perfect? No spots, no overcuts, no little tiny wiggly places in the corners -- perfection is the required, nay, demanded! -- resul!? Is it all that much easier to judge by the quality of the matt than of the work? Is the perfect matt the unmistakeable mark of the connsumate professional? Do I have 'way too much time on my hand, this slow afternoon at work? Just how far has my sugar dropped in the past 30 minutes, anyway? Inquiring minds need questions, even if they make no sense!

Shoot. I have this fancy Logan 750-ish widget I got at an estate auction a while back. Makes great matts. I used to be perfectly happy with white mounts and white overmats and then my wife asked me to cut some colored matts for some of her posters. Now I'm all screwed up...

Mikie

[Michael Graves]

I used to be perfectly happy with white mounts and white overmats and then my wife asked me to cut some colored matts for some of her posters. Now I'm all screwed up...

Mikie

You think you're screwed up? I tried one photograph on black mat board and now I can't convince myself that white board looks good. But White is what everybody else in the world wants.

[turtle]

some swear by single edged blades to reduce hooking. I dont know if they are available for your cutter however. I know of one framer who had used reversible double edged blades and used some single edged when an order came thru wrong. never looked back. The harder and thicker mount board often result in more hooking when I am cutting (cause blades to bedn more). Experiment with shallow cuts to start off the main cut rather than a single deep cut as this can help, but one has to be careful not to result in a 'flaky' bevel.

[David Crossley]

To recap the good advice offered thus far- strip of matboard under your matt, fresh blade for every matt and set not to long. Efficient penetration and immediate and consistent travel across to your end cut (tricky yet important).



David Crossley/Crossley Photography....

[Jack Flesher]

Crooked cuts making it almost impossible to get decent double-mats was the main reason I swallowed hard and bought the "standard" basic model Speed-Mat 40x60 cutter. Almost everybody I know who does mats seriously on their own has this machine or the smaller 32x40 version. Bottom line is it allows you to cut PERFECT mats first time, every time -- single, double or even triple mats, 4-ply or 8-ply -- it chews though any of them effortlessly. It also has a built in trimmer for initial sizing. It aint cheap, but it's one of the few tools I own I feel has fully paid for itself, and that was after double-matting just 24 16x20's for a show... Details here: http://www.speed-mat.com/

Cheers,

[David A. Goldfarb]

I saw the Speed-Mat cutter at PMA and it was impressive.

[Jack Flesher]

PS: I should add that this machine holds the entire sheet of mat-board and you cut all 4 sides from behind without having to move the mat. As such, your double-mat is registered to the exact same corner position even if it is a slightly different overall size. Then stops drop down to make the inner mat smaller by whatever dimension you chose on the stops, and this is what allows the perfect double (or triple) mat cuts.

[turtle]

Looks impressive. I bought an 'ultimat' conventional cutter (essentially same as Fletcher 2000 etc) and it is superb. However alignment takes time to get perfect if the cutter has been moved or messed wth and once sorted I daren't move it. Left alone on the bench it is fine, but then again I have not tried a double mount with a 30+ inch window...

My first mount cutter was a heavily advertised cheap model that made all sorts of claims, none of them accurate. Seems you get what you pay for. Very few people get good results with the ultra cheap models it seems. With mine it always seemed like it was my fault, but with the new one its dead easy.

[Don Sparks]

I used to have this same problem. I now use two or more passes instead of trying to cut through with one single pass....just lower the blade a little more on each pass....no more ruined mat boards.