How to cut what I think is called an open V-groove?

[Tangent]

I was watching a far more advanced student trying out a V-groove on a very lovely and expensive mount cutter a couple of weeks back.
The tutor has promised to show me how to do it with a hand held cutter.

I just thought today that it would look good with three colours rather than one and after a search on here I think this is termed as an open V-groove.
I had a go at one just using some coloured paper on the back that was sitting in my stash of A4 sheets in the cupboard:

This is my first attempt without any know how on how to accomplish the task.

open-v-groove.jpg (769.89 KiB) Viewed 5854 times

I am fairly pleased with the result but what I had in mind was a far thinner line of colour at the bottom of the groove, say no more than 1mm.
I would love to use this technique for my dragon paper cut that I am framing at the moment but not sure how to achieve such a fine 'gap' accurately with a hand held cutter.

I could wait until the course on Friday but really wanted to get the dragon project finished by then and move on to something else.
Any advice would be very gratefully received

[Tangent]

Just had another thought.

If I cut the edges with a reverse bevel then there would be no white showing but maybe this would cast too much shadow from every angle and the colour of the mount board behind would be too dark.
Might give it a try though.
Just getting through so much mount board with experiments!

[Kwik Picture Framing]

Easy to do it on a CMC

[Tangent]

Not even sure what a CMC is but I am imagining it is going to be something too big for my one bedroom flat and too expensive for someone just wanting to frame a few pieces for the walls at home.

[Roboframer]

Nah - you can pick up a used Computerised Mount Cutter for 8-10 grand easy, sure it takes some room but it could double up as a dining table (passing the salt could be fun) or even a bed!

A V groove with a reverse bevel would just be a 'groove'

[silvercleave]

This might help on U tube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcFgFeA4q3Q

Ian

Opps, just realised you want to do this without a mount cutter, but the principle is the same as by hand

[Roboframer]

Open V grooves are generally VERY open - like 10mm of the mount underneath showing; I think that something like 1mm of the mount underneath showing, with a bevel each side of it (to make that 'V') that are wider than the reveal itself, would not look nice, too busy. I think a simple pen line would look better.

I don't like open 'V' grooves anyway - a bit yesterday - yesteryear even, I prefer the look of a washline or an inlay mount.

(What's an inlay mount)? Well, glad you asked E.g. about half an inch out from the aperture, cut another aperture, and then another about half an inch out from that (mark the back of the board first). You'll be left with a panel you can paint/gild/stipple/whatever and when it's dry, stick it all back together again. Like a washline for cheats.



.

[Tangent]

Roboframer I love how much you make me laugh!

LOVE the wash line for cheats. Thanks
But also kinda stuck on the 'groove'

[Tangent]

And thank you silvercleave for the link

My hubby-type-person is not so enamoured with you though now that the Keencut Ultimat Gold is on my shopping list!
I didn't realise I could get one as small as 1m in length! LOL

I have been told that I have to rent a workshop!!!

[prospero]

Few tips.....

If you want a mount with a wider margin at the bottom, cut all sides to the width of the bottom and then slice down the sides afterwards. These bits will probably have been in the waste anyway.

Make sure the middle bit goes back in the same orientation as it came out. Put a pencil line across the back.

Use the bits you shave off the middle as guides to getting the grooves dead true.

[Tangent]

Thanks again Prospero.
Not sure I quite get the last one though.
But then I am only just up out of bed!

[Tim]

I wouldn't rent a workshop - I worked for five years in a 10' x 12' shed in the garden. I could only cut moulding when it was dry though, since the Morso had to be right next to the door, with the uncut length balanced on a trestle outside!

[Tangent]

It clicked Prospero LOL
If I had the Keencut that would probably be a great idea.

I will have to be VERY careful -still getting used to my pull style Logan 4000.
Not sure if it's just me but it doesn't seem to cut as close to my rule as the old one did.
More experimentation needed

Tim I will not be renting a workshop any time soon. I am only doing the framing for myself. But who knows what will happen next. I do lots of other crafts and have a duvet cover design that I hope is going to make me some money. Anything is possible.

It's just him indoors fed up with the sitting room 'looking' like a workshop.

I have two sheds and two greenhouses on the allotment though! Think I'd be worried about spiders!

[silvercleave]

Tangent we are now following you for the next part.

You say you live in London but that is a very large place, ?? (not the address just the general area would be nice)

Ian

[Tangent]

Crystal Palace or Sydenham SE26

[pramsay13]

I love my Keencut Ultimat Gold. Makes these a doddle.
You can buy one for around £300 - £500 second hand so probably depends on how many you will be doing.
Not many people framing for themselves are allowed to keep it that way when all their friends see what they are doing "oh, can you just do this little thing for me?"
So put the word out that you will happily take in extra work, mate's rates while you are learning, and start saving for this kind of equipment

[Tangent]

Ian Cornwall is bigger!
Where in Cornwall are you?

[Tangent]

Well I got a demo of the Futura at Lion South today and left with mixed feelings

I love how easy it is to operate and the idea of how much time it would save etc. but when I tried to use it I had overcuts of about 13mm!
Then the guy in the shop did one and got the same results!!!

He told me that someone had adjusted the machine and that it could be put right but it involved a lot of fiddling around.

The two problems with my owning such a piece of equipment were the cost and the storage of it.
I have been trying to stop smoking ever since I started again back in 2006 after being a non smoker for 11 years.
I realised that if I put my cigarette money away for 100 days it would pay for the Futura
And be a great incentive not to smoke

I came away feeling that I don't want to part with over £800 for something that isn't going to do what it is supposed to do

[Roboframer]

It does and it does it very well, it's also simple to adjust and calibrate.

I've still got mine, well not the futura, but the one before it, plus a complete cutting arm/head which is what I'm basing the above on and assuming the futura is at least as easy to calibrate/adjust.

[Tangent]

On this earlier thread Ricky said

I had a look at the Futura when a the fair very nice glide action.the sales person was still trying to eliminate the overcuts while I was there
So I only had a brief look

Is there anyone here with the Futura who can comment on the issue of overcuts?
The overcuts I saw today were 6 times bigger than the ones I occasionally get with my hand held Logan!