Ideas on cutting down mat board

[rexp]

I have a mat cutter, and don't really have any problems using it. I was buying mat one or two sheets at a time, and having the shop cut them from 32x40 to 32x20, so they would fit into my Logan mat cutter (someone there was thinking, "make it small enuf that someone can't fit a full sheet - they won't discover it 'till it's too late - hee hee"). So now I goes and buys 20 full sheets, get them home, dang - how do I cut 'em in half. I did the "draw a line & cut with a blade" but not only do I end up with a wiggly cut, it makes my fingers hurt.

Now I wish I would have just bought the bigger mat cutter. Maybe I should bite the bullet & go get one. Of course then I would just have to curse one of you by pawning this undersized cutter off on you.

Any suggestions?

 

[Nick Zentena]

Is your cutter open ended or the closed ended one? If it's open ended just cut half way then turn the board around and cut some more. I think it's even covered in the Logan video-)

If it's closed ended get yourself a good straight edge. Clamp it to table and have at it.

 

[Canuck]

I have a Logan cutter also. What I did was to grab a sheet of scrap masonite (40") and a long level (used as a straight edge). Using the straight cutter from the Logan cutter, used it to cut down the length of the clamped level. Now I have two pieces I can get into the Logan cutter.

 

[Bob F.]

Straight edge, cutting mat (or scrap board), knife, and a BIG table...

Cheers, Bob.

 

[Monophoto]

My wife as accumulated a collection of card tables over the years. One of them permanently resides just outside my darkroom, and I have placed a sheet of "homosote" on top of it. This gives me a fairly large area with a cheap, sacrificial surface that I can use to cut mat board.

I buy full sheets at the art supply store, bring them home, and then use a mat cutter/box cutter and straight edge to cut them down to the size that I want - usually, 16x20.

The straight edge that I use for this is a Logan straight edge that I picked up at a garage sale years ago. But I have seen straight edges at Home Despot that would work just as well.

 

[waynecrider]

Consider a drywall framing square that allows cuts of standing or flat material. A couple of clamps and small peices of wood will allow hands free cutting tool use.

 

[John Bartley]

I have a Logan cutter also. What I did was to grab a sheet of scrap masonite (40") and a long level (used as a straight edge). Using the straight cutter from the Logan cutter, used it to cut down the length of the clamped level. Now I have two pieces I can get into the Logan cutter.

Uhhhhh - yup !! That's exactly what I did too - works good eh?

cheers

 

[blaze-on]

Try taking it in to a commercial offset printer or some print shop. Ask them to cut it on the big power cutter. Do all in one push of a button and they would probably only charge you ten bucks or so....