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Current mat board/window cutter options?

BCM

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I've seen some older threads on options for mat cutters and window cutters and would like to know current experience. I need to cut up to 24" boards (21" windows max) and would like something fool proof. I've used the lower end Logans and get waves and poor corners (my fault) if I'm not VERY careful. Is there something out there that will cut over mats that is a bit more solid? Yes, I use new blades and try to be careful but mistakes happen. Something in the $500-$1000 range is fine.
 
Clamping performance is quite important in getting a clean straight cut. For the mentioned budget you should have no trouble finding a Fletcher 2000 range, pro level machine used by framing shops.

SEE EXAMPLE HERE

Fletcher 2100
 
I will just add, when shopping for used pro cutter, be sure to get one with as much add ons as you can find, at least all production stops (along with all basic pieces as supplied with new machine). As these machines have been mainly used by framing shops, they may have pieces missing. Check manual to see what it's supposed to have for set up and operation.

Manual for Fletcher 2000 (there were later 2100 and 2200 models, small improvements over 2000)
 
That seems to be a better option than a Logan. I'll research. Thanks.
 
BCM said:
That seems to be a better option than a Logan. I'll research. Thanks.
Click to expand...
Fletcher has always been top class in mat cutters. There are some alternative options with similar quality at possibly somewhat lower price, but Fletcher has an established history. Cannot go wrong with it, just be sure to get one in best condition you are willing to pay for. There are 48" and 60" versions BTW, so be sure you get the right one.
 
The top end Logans are fine. Expect to pay around $1200 for a new 48" one of those with a squaring arm.
Too small a cutter and you'll be wrestling with it. Fletchers are nice, but more expensive. You need to learn specific techniques to use any any linear matcutter correctly or you won't get truly square corners. None of them are goof proof. A number of pro brands have been made like Keeton and C&H; but most of those will be so old as to probably have wear and tear problems.

And the fact is, some brands of mat board are more consistent, and cut easier than others. But with any linear matcutter, once the thickness of the board itself changes, then you need to reset your blade depth as well as start and end stops. Good board itself is getting quite expensive these days, so there is no sense in skimping on matcutter quality or the blades you need.

To get something truly semi-pro you need to spend around $4000; but most serious shops now have computerized machines costing way more than even that.

I've long coveted an Esterly Speedmat, but can't justify the expense at my age. I once had an early model of that, before they perfected the design. If you have to cut a couple hundred mats in a row, one's finger can get pretty sore with an ordinary linear cutter. The Speedmat system lets you lock in your settings for all four cuts, and then you just rotate the head. Pneumatic plunge options are available for thicker board. If you do large shows or otherwise cut a lot of window mats, this is the way to go. They are used in wall-mount mode, not atop a table. You'll have far less mistakes and waste less board.
 
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I use one of the top end Logan system with the squaring arm.
Cost me around a thousand bucks or so during a sale.

Works great, but don't skimp on the cutter/blades.
 
blades are the Achilles Heel of the whole operation most people do not change blades often enough and it shows.
 
The biggest problem with the Logan blades is that they easily rust, even in storage if you're not careful. Depends on the climate, of course (I live in a foggy salt air climate near the coast). I should have kept them in a tight container with silica gel.

The sizing cutter, on the other hand, uses ordinary single-edge razor blades; and the key in that case in to buy true US made s.e. blades, which hold up way longer, rather than the junky hardware store variety. Cheap or thin blades in general tend to flex too much for mat cutting and board sizing use. (I do all my thick board sizing on a big wall-mounted Fletcher machine, which also cuts plastic and glass).

I've used the top-end Logan model for almost 40 years now. Had to replace the Delrin bearings for the main rail only once - cheap and easy to do. I keep a large aluminum carpenter's square nearby to double check the squaring arm periodically. The bigger trick is to find a high enough quality square for the purpose - the big ones are stamped out, and that often leaves an uneven edge; so you might have to polish the edges ot the square too.

And there are numerous settings you have to correctly set relative to the exact board type you are using, and periodically check. That is true of ALL mat cutters.
 
Fletcher makes great mat cutters, but i'd be very surprised if you win the lottery and find one between $400-$1k. My friends who have them all run frame shops.

I use a Logan Platinum 850 (with squaring arm). Depending on where you live B&H is a gift with their free shipping....because if you're paying for shipping....better factor in some extra cost!
With the cost of mat board, you'll recoup your costs. Cutting window mats with a hand cutter and straight edge with be an expensive humbling lesson in DIY....
 

Here I will say this. The particular auction I linked is worth following. Every auction has unknown end price until it's over.

But also, watch that auction site and similar, like Craigs List. I've seen Fletchers 2000+ go for $500 at BIN. I got mine, 48" 2200, for under $400, but that was some 5+ years back and a private local sale. Craigs List is other source worth watching, as these come to market also from individuals who no longer need the monster in their basement. There are also older brands no longer in existence, CH comes to mind, but I could be way off on the brand name) that made similar quality machines back in the day this was a business big enough to have some competition.

Higher Logan model will likely be fine as well. I was close to getting their top model before Fletcher came up I could not refuse.
 

In my experience, mat cutters, like dry mount presses don't come up very often in local sales. My big Ademco press was in Grand Junction Co. My smaller Seal 160 was given to me years later.
 
I have an older Logan Simplex Plus 750. It can handle matboard up to 40". I think it is just fine. It took a little while to figure out. A few mistakes. If you do a bunch of them you can get dialed in. As mentioned above having sharp blades on is really important, and it is worth very frequent changing.
 
You would need to cut a lot of mats to make sense to pay for a good cutter. If you just need standard color archival mats, you might find that outsourcing makes more sense. I use Mat Board Plus in New Mexico (https://www.matboardplus.com/) quite reliable and inexpensive for quantities of 25 of the same size mats. I am sure there are many more such services out there if you do some research.
 
This is partly true, in direct dollar sense. But having own cutter means convenience of making one at a time, any time there is a need. Immediate availability and 100% flexibility.
 
I have an old Nielsen-Bainbridge C52 that still works fine. Changing blades and paying attention to moving the mat board in the right direction and setting the stops is the key. It can cut on a bevel or straight. I don’t know if they are still made. I don’t recall what it cost when I bought it but if I want an 8 ply window board I have it done at a frame shop with their computer guided unit. Acid free and cotton board has gotten pretty expensive so keeping a supply of different size boards should enter your decision especially if you only need an occasional mat.
 
Hassasin said:
This is partly true, in direct dollar sense. But having own cutter means convenience of making one at a time, any time there is a need. Immediate availability and 100% flexibility.
Click to expand...
It also means having immediate access to the proper mat board, usually leading to inventory, another unneeded expense.
 

Pieter if you own a drymount press you may as well own a mat cutter. I use a variety of film sizes and don't decide on print size until later in the process. Before i got my dry mount press & mat cutter i was a the mercy of the person doing the work. I can't fathom pre-ordering all the possible sizes.
 
Pre-cut window mats damn you to a one-size-fits-all shoe store approach. Having your own cutter allows you to customize each mat to what best suits the picture in mind, just like a serious frame shop would do for a couple hundred dollars or more apiece.

The practice I utterly dislike in this day and age is the lazy way they do it, with all the mat margins being equal. The Greeks figured out thousands of years ago that, for visual balance, you want the "pediment" - in this case, the lower mat border - wider than what's up top. That was routine practice with custom framers at one time; now they seem to be getting just plain lazy, since with a computerized cutter, it would take only a few more seconds to program the distinction.

I cut and assemble all my own frames too, and sometimes even shape my own hardwood moulding lengths. I want complete control on the final presentation. But I am slowing down quite a bit due to aging, as well as due to the skyrocketing prices of key materials like Museum board and acrylic glazing.
 

You’re jumping to conclusions. I’m not talking about precut standard sizes. Places like Mat Board Plus will cut to your specifications. But I do print all my work 10” square, so I order mats in quantity with that size window. Still cheaper and less stressful than cutting my own.

My dry mount press hasn’t been used for mounting in years, only to flatten prints. I use archival linen tape hinges to mount my prints.
 
Keencut, Keaton, Hendrickson ... quite a few brands from days of yore. The C&H models were once considered the best built, but still finding parts might be a challenge. There were once three major framing supplies wholesalers in this area. But as warehouses got leveled in order to make space for more condos and office parks, they all got the land sold out from under them, and had to relocate to the LA area hundreds of miles away. Gone are the days when I could drive a short distance for my will-call orders, or else have them deliver to our own Receiving Dept the next day.

And the only way to get good prices on matboard etc is to have a wholesale account and buy in significant quantities. Neighborhood frame shops are disappearing due to higher overhead. I passed the location of one of them a couple months ago which now is a Veterinary clinic - now that is a profitable or, er, lucrative, kind of business! You might even make more on a Pet portrait than a human one.
 

P12..... shipping costs money & time. What may work for you doesn't work for others. I can't imagine using linen hinges on a 20x24, or ordering custom one offs.
 
Yeah, I had a friend all excited when he sold a dozen prints at one of those in lab galleries one afternoon, and only lost $200 apiece at the end of the day due to the framing expense. And that was for small prints. But since only half the prints sold, that means he lost $2400 that day, plus whatever cut the "gallery" took, plus the cost of refreshments, plus the cost of the lab printing those images to begin with - overall, maybe $3500 loss for a successful show (one of his work buddies felt sorry for him, so was the one who bought about 8 of those prints). But he did save some money cutting his own mats with his new Fletcher cutter - where it went when he lost his loft lease a few months later, I have no idea.
 
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