Logan mat cutter question

[Iga]

Hi all !
I'm thinking to buy Logan mat cutter - 301s or 700 model, but can't find very important data - what is the max. mat thicknes these models can cut without problems ?
Thanks,
Igor.

[Don Hutton]

In my experience, cutting any more than 4 ply rag board starts to get tricky - you can cut more, but the flex in the blade can cause problems. IMO, you need some experience before you will start to achieve consistent results on thick board.

[Vaughn]

8 ply is not a problem with the Logan...as Don mentioned, it is just a matter of a little practice and figuring out the different start/stop points. I don't find 8-ply to be any trickier than 4-ply...just twice as expensive when one blows it!

[Wilbur Wong]

I have used the 650 with very consistent results to cut 8 ply mat bevels. I would recommend it. Got mine from an auction seller. Bevels cut with very little resistance in one pass on 4 ply, I do 8 ply with two passes.

Doing the straight cuts to cut mat boards down to size is easily accomplished on 4 ply in a single pass but it takes a bit of patience and several passes to do straight cuts on 8 ply (because the blade has to push the board aside on each side, when you are doing bevels, the material just "lifts" away from the other side of the cut.)

[neil poulsen]

I have a Logan 750 probably. I recommend a model with the perpendicular metal guide that they offer on the 750. I use this bar to keep the board straight, instead of the edge bar on the body of the matte cutter. In fact, I've removed the edge bar.

[Merg Ross]

I am not familiar with Logan products, so can not help you in making a choice. However, they seem to be economical if that is your budget, and you are not doing much volume. My personal choice is the Fletcher line of 2000 cutters which are excellent. Sometimes it is worth the extra money to buy top of the line and pro rate the expense over many years. Just a thought.

[Bruce Schultz]

Replacing the blade after cutting each 8-ply mat will give good results.

[shmoo]

The 301 does a nice job on 4 ply. Be very steady because any little wobble on the 301 with 4 ply will show. Go slow and steady or you'll end up with a curve in your bevel cut.

[Iga]

Thanks to all for so informative answers !
Best,
Igor.

[D. Bryant]

8 ply is not a problem with the Logan...
Vaughn,

I would strongly disagree, especially with the 301 model. 8 ply is virtually impossible to cut straight with this model. I have no experience with the other Logans.

Don Bryant

[D. Bryant]

My personal choice is the Fletcher line of 2000 cutters which are excellent. Sometimes it is worth the extra money to buy top of the line and pro rate the expense over many years. Just a thought.

I agree completely, the Fletchers are excellent and a joy to use.

Don Bryant

[Vaughn]

Vaughn,

I would strongly disagree, especially with the 301 model. 8 ply is virtually impossible to cut straight with this model. I have no experience with the other Logans.

Don Bryant

You may be correct about the 300 series. I just looked at a 300 series...I think I could cut a perfect 8-ply window with it after some practice. But since it a "push" design, it could be difficult to get perfect corners. In general I would recommend the 700 series...which is pulled towards oneself.

My experience is with the 700 series and I have cut many many 8-ply windows (mostly 8x10 holes in 16x20 boards) with perfect corners, and with very rarely a mis-cut. My method is to start the cut early with two or three passes just past the start mark, then plunge the blade in all the way at the start mark and do a single pass to the finish mark. Starting this way keeps the blade from flexing.

Vaughn

[Drew Wiley]

I have an older Logan more expensive than what they make nowadays. It has been
heavily used and is still reliable. If I was buying something equivalent new, it would
be a Fletcher. I wouldn't dream of cutting 8-ply ragboard on either of these. Maybe if
my fingers were a lot younger I could suceed at it. I'm seriously considering buying a
pneumatic cutter from either Fletcher or Speedmat.

[SaveBears]

I have a heck of a time with the 301 and 8 ply, it can be done, but you will not get clean corners, It works good with the 4 ply, which is what I cut normally.

[Wilbur Wong]

As a little follow up, I have cut 4 ply mats for over 40 years with a hand held Dexter "bug". When I decided to start cutting 8 ply, I knew that a Dexter would be challenged to cut that deep. I was loaned a Logan 301, and decided that it also would not be much of an advantage in cutting action and predictability. That's when I bought my 650 which works very accurately in my hand.

I would not call it foolproof if you do not pay close attention to your actions, but it is capable of cutting mats accurately enough for me - the largest inaccuracies I have gotten over many mats for 24 x 30 has been well less than 1/32 inch difference from corner to corner. I would want a higher level machine if I were to be cutting a lot of volume, but for my needs, this machine fits my price point nicely.

[Vaughn]

Wilber, I used a Dexter for years, also. After getting a Logan hand unit, I used the Dexter to cut board down to size, since the blade can be set to cut vertically.

I bought the Logan cutter hand-unit new for about $40. It was just the cutter and a scribe for marking the mats (a very handy device!). I used a straight edge and clamps for years to hold the matboard. A workable system that I cut thousands of mats with over the past 25 years. (It is how I earned beer money in college and the years after.) I have retired the original unit recently, though I still use the scribe on it regularly.

I have only been cutting 8-ply for the past few years, but the 700 series Logan (same as my old beast) I use now does a good job.

Vaughn