How do you cut window mounts?

[PAUL O]

Just wondered whether people cut their own window mounts to present their photographs or do you buy them "ready cut"? If you take the DIY option which method/system do you prefer?
Thanks!

[IanG]

I've cut my own for at over 30 years, I have a hand held Dexter mat cutter nothing elaborate but my 1.5 metre plain Aluminium rule makes all the difference as that's the edge I'm cutting against, a knee on one end a hand on the other. Once you've mastered a few basics it's very simple and quick, and you get the off cuts and centres which can be used for other things,

Its worth practising cutting straight, it's the start & finish that can be tricky and the blade must always be sharp.

Ian

[Alan Clark]

I started cutting my own mounts when I did art at college forty five years ago. For many years I used nothing more elaborate than a heavy steel straight edge and a Swann Morten scalpel . I still use this method when I have large mounts to cut, but for the last fifteen years I have used a Logan Compact Matcutter for mounts up to about 28" long. This is a handy, robust piece of kit, useful for cutting several mounts the same because it has an adjustable backstop, like a fence on a circular saw.
Lion in Birmingham is a good cheap source of mountboard and mount cutters.

Alan Clark

[David Evans]

I started cutting my own mounts when I did art at college forty five years ago. For many years I used nothing more elaborate than a heavy steel straight edge and a Swann Morten scalpel . I still use this method when I have large mounts to cut, but for the last fifteen years I have used a Logan Compact Matcutter for mounts up to about 28" long. This is a handy, robust piece of kit, useful for cutting several mounts the same because it has an adjustable backstop, like a fence on a circular saw.
Lion in Birmingham is a good cheap source of mountboard and mount cutters.

Alan Clark

Interesting to hear about the Logan matcutter. I had been looking at the Longridge mountcutters, but don't know anyone who has used them.

[Alan Clark]

David,
A friend of mine has a Longridge mount cutter. Very like the Logan exept it has end stops so you always start and stop similar cuts in the same place.
If you haven't used these they look impressive and could sway you to buy the Longridge over the Logan. In practice they turn out to be fiddly to use. My friend took them off. I believe there isn't much to pick betwen Logan and Longridge though I've only used my friend's Longridge a few times. I believe both companys make cheaper mount curtters with no back-stop. I have used these as well, occasionally. They work but the backstop really speeds things up, both marking out and cutting. And improves accuracy.

Alan Clark

[Baxter]

The Longridge works very well, I used one for 3-4 years. Far simpler to mark out than the Maped system which needs 8 lines drawn per mount, the Longridge requiring just 4. Their marking gauge also speeds things up.

If you are looking at Lion supplies or Wessex pictures whom I use, then perhaps worth a dreamy look at the more professional cutters. Once I discovered Wessex pictures were on my doorstep and I saw these cutters first hand, it didn't take long to be convinced and bought a Keencut Artist Plus. So simple to use, don't draw any lines, just set stops. For repetitive mount sizes it brings a smile to your face at how simple it makes this task. It is by no means the top of the range in fact they strongly advised that I didn't need anything above that model.

Might be worth investigating second hand options.

[TimH]

Hi Paul - I bought one of these a couple of years ago at Focus - they are usually there and will probably have some discounting like no VAT etc - worth a look.

http://www.clubframeco.com/store/produc ... pd_id=1691

The squaring arm makes it bulky to store as its screwed on (and not readily detachable) but lives under the bed. It comes with adjustable stops, straight and 45 degree cutters.

regards Tim

PS Nigel and I meeting up at Focus on the Monday - ping me if you fancy joining us

[RichardP]

Hi Paul,

I have the Logan Compact 301-s, works well, it as a measuring system and guide with a bevel cutter and straight cutter, and for doing long panoramic you can cut so far along then move the mount to continual and make it has long as you want.

Richard

[DJ]

I cut my own and used to regard it as possibly the most soul-destroying part of getting a picture displayed..

For quite a few years I used a hand-cutter, a small plastic device with an angle blade, which slots into a groove in a long aluminium ruler. These were very effective and with a little practice I could get good mounts, but they weren't so good for larger mounts. There were other issues, such as the blade flexing, giving minor "waves" in the cut, if you're going to use a handheld cutter try to get one which exposes only enough blade to make the cut, with the rest being supported, it will stop it flexing. Also using a handheld cutter and a ruler means measuring and marking out each mount which is tedious and time consuming if you have a bunch to do, and also results in very aching hands and wrists! This can be avoided by buying a system with built in stops and rulers, but those are much more costly and increase dramatically in the larger sizes. Getting a system from the same manufacturer would be good as their devices should work well together and the proper distances for indexing ( the all important corners ) being easily observed thus avoiding over-cutting and sloppy corners. After a while I found I was wasting a lot of expensive mount-board when my mount cuts weren't good enough for my liking, so an upgrade became a economical justification as well as a convenience.

In the end I got so fed up cutting the damned things ( I really did hate doing it ) that I went a bit mad and imported an Esterly Speedmat from the USA, which is a joy to use, but an expensive toy to justify.

[Julian Boulter]

I was a bit daunted by this a few years ago and used to pay someone else money to cut these for me and they were never right.

Then prior to a big exhibition of my work I invested in a FrameCo MatMaster for a good price from ebay:

http://www.matmaster.info/

and a terrific bit of free software called MatWorks which works all the sizes out for you:

http://www.giorgiotrucco.com/matworks.html

Haven't looked back since!

I have the same control now over the matting as I do over my prints.

Cheers

Julian