Small Print Mounting Gear ?

[dancqu]

I've never mounted any prints. I'd like to know how to start small.
The smallest size I've in mind is an old standard; 3 1/2 x 5. The
usuall mat cutting gear, such as Altos, Logan, etc, are good
for, in my mind, much larger mats.

I'm looking for that small foot-print gear; something more than a
straight edge and cutting blade. Got any suggestions? Dan

 

[John Koehrer]

To keep it compact try the logan adaptarule & matching cutter.

 

[Nige]

I have the Adapt-a-rule and matching cutter and find they work well. Have cut matts from as small as about an inch square, but from the way you've worded your question, I'm not sure this is what you're after, since it's not much more than a straight edge and blade!

 

[dancqu]

I have the Adapt-a-rule and matching cutter and find they work well. Have cut matts from as small as about an inch square, but from the way you've worded your question, I'm not sure this is what you're after, since it's not much more than a straight edge and blade!

The Adapt-a-Rule won't do. Logan has a 20 inch; the Logan 700 simplex.
For $150, and that's a very discounted eBay price, I'd feel gouged.

I'd like to cut up to the narrow side of 11 x 14 paper. I'll likely
put my drill press where I can use it and put, perhaps, an Altos
type togeather. Their open end design allows for any size.
The smallest they make though is 32 inches. Dan

 

[edz]

The Adapt-a-Rule won't do. Logan has a 20 inch; the Logan 700 simplex.
For $150, and that's a very discounted eBay price, I'd feel gouged.

Why? $150 USD for the Logan Simplex Studio (700S) is a very good price--- around 1/3 off the list and $50 less than Light Impressions (and half what they sell for in Germany).

The Simplex Studio is a nice piece of kit, works well and has a tiny footprint. Its designed for matts of up to 40x50cm (16x20") so really perfect for photographic applications. Its only drawback is that its sized not up to cutting down stock boards.. but a a 1 meter graphic arts ruller is all one needs to be able to expand that system to handle these.. Unless one is cutting matts everyday, have room (recall that these cutters need to be stored flat) and tend to need overmats time and again that are larger than 16x20" then its the ideal tool..

I'd like to cut up to the narrow side of 11 x 14 paper. I'll likely
put my drill press where I can use it and put, perhaps, an Altos
type togeather. Their open end design allows for any size.
The smallest they make though is 32 inches. Dan

They are not really open-end. Working in bites is really only appropriate to, at best, cutting down matt board and hardly suitable to cutting windows in overmatts.

 

[dancqu]

Why? $150 USD for the Logan Simplex
Studio (700S) is a very good price

I was looking at it from a manufacturer's point of view: A piece of
composite board, some extruded aluminum, two hinges, a few odds
and ends likely made up for pennies apiece. All of that ziped through
an assembly line. I doubt there is any more than $25 wraped-up
in a 700s' production.

I fault the design as well. Those diaganal slots for stop adjustment
are liable to give off square results. The Altos uses a fixed stop
AND an adjustable but fixed border width bar. Also the 32 inch
Altos is $79 from eBay, not $150.

All I wish at this time is something good for mat cutting round-
about 16 inches maximum. I wonder why there are'nt a few
to chose from. Dan

 

[mikewhi]

For such small work, why not just use a Dexter and a straight edge from Light Impressions? The dexter is a small thing that fits in your hand. I used one for years and cut mats up to 11x14 or so. It takes a little practice to get it right, but not much. Very inexpensive alternative.

Good luck!

-Mike

 

[edz]

I was looking at it from a manufacturer's point of view: A piece of
composite board, some extruded aluminum, two hinges, a few odds
and ends likely made up for pennies apiece. All of that ziped through
an assembly line. I doubt there is any more than $25 wraped-up
in a 700s' production.

Its a bit more than that.. The #702 bevel cutter, for instance, is a nice piece of machined alu and a few machined bits. The #701 straight cutter is simplier but still not a pennies part--- and some little plastic bits like the handle are, I'm sure, not that cheap to OEM. All these things add up. I don't think one could, even in largish numbers (which these products are NOT) make one for twice that.

I fault the design as well. Those diaganal slots for stop adjustment
are liable to give off square results. The Altos uses a fixed stop

The stops are not diagonal. The blade stop rides in a track in the cutting guide and is no different from the design in Logan's professional line--- or the production stops from other vendors such as C+H. If you don't like the production stop in the Simplex Studio you won't like them in ANY professional mattcuter. I think you mean the margin stops for overmats. This is used to be able to quickly set the margin in a window--- something like the top-edge in a 2-blade enlarging easel. This design too is part of even Logan's high volume mattcutters like the "Framer's Edge" and has proven itself. The squaring is adjustable and so can (and does) deliver adaquately square and parallel cuts.

AND an adjustable but fixed border width bar. Also the 32 inch
Altos is $79 from eBay, not $150.

I don't know the Altos but from pictures it looks quite primitive.

All I wish at this time is something good for mat cutting round-
about 16 inches maximum. I wonder why there are'nt a few
to chose from.

Its a limited market. While I can think of how one could make a better mattcutter than the Simplex Studio it would be priced well beyond the market.. and within the market the Logan is really the best I know of.. If I needed larger--- and I don't--- I'd probably go with the C+H Advantage or one of the larger Fletchers--- like the 3000.

Its really just how the market works.. The "better" cutters are made for smaller volume custom frameshops (the higher turnover ones these days have computer driven cutters) and need to be able to handle, should the customer demand them, large overmats. At the other end people think they need large cutters--- which I'd argue, given the observation that few of us make prints larger than 12x16" (save once in a blue moon), is mistaken--- and so all the cheapies trade size of quality.. The Logan is really an exception (and presents within a Logan lineup a "special product") as its really aimed at what photographers or small one-man professional studios might need--- but misses the wants of the hobby crowd (where 20" sounds too small). It sure would be nice if the Logan Simplex Studio was cheaper... then again.. Here in Germany they retail for.... around 300 EURO or well over twice that "eBay price"... so you can think of them as being cheaper

 

[geraldatwork]

I 2nd the Dexter Hand (mat) cutter and a thick ruler from Light Impressions. After about 3 or 4 mats I was cutting acceptable mats. After about 8 or 10 mats my mats are now almost perfect. For a $5 pick up on ebay can't be beat. Also using a hand (mat) cutter allows for any size border to be cut.