The Framers Forum

A quickie... Just wondered if anyone has any top tip for fixing the cutout in the front sheet of a double mount whilst cutting the back one, which avoids ruining either cutout? (so I can use it for a smaller job later. Yes I'm a skinflint )

A dab of ATG tape right in the centre.

ah I get you, can you believe I never thought of the bit right in the middle as ultimately being wasted anyway
thank you!

Yep, ATG tape is the way.

Dang! Too late - I was almost in a position to say something on here that might have been considered useful . Yes - .... what he said, that's what I do (well, it's the way I was taught)

I use strips of liftoff tape placed carefully around the edge of the upper mount 'window'. This has the benefit that you don't mark the undermount in any way, so whatever size your cutout it will be usable if needed. Since I use a Keencut mount cutter, I always cut the undermount about 2-4mm smaller then the upper mount too, before using double sided tape to stick them together. That way the start-of-cut spring bar always registers against the upper mount, so the cuts are always exactly parallel. If I get time later I'll put up some pics showing the process....

staple ?!

I used to do it exactly as per tim.

I don't get the bit about the strips of tape around the edge of the upper mount window.

When sticking the two (or more) mounts together, especially if the lower mount(s) is (are) cut slightly smaller than the top mount, I suggest you use PVA, with just a few spots of ATG tape to hold while it goes off, it's a better bond, cheaper too. Good practice for anything else that would be visible if it failed, like foam board (or whatever) rebate glass spacers.

Even with a CMC I still cut the bottom mount slightly smaller than the top mount (unless I'm telling the CMC to cut the outside as well as the apertures) - saves having to line the outside edges up perfectly.

The strips of tape are just to hold the middle of the top mount in , that bit is then used as the cutting mat for the bottom mount which is is stuck together before it it is cut with pva/atg tape. the two middles are popped out together then the small tape strips are removed. again hard to explain but the result is a perfectly aligned double mount , all will become clear if Tim posts pics, I no longer have a manual mount cutter to demonstrate , although I can get my hands on one if needs be.

Talking about this method has made me realize I could actually use this again on my cmc , I had disregard it because of the face up cutting of the green head , I no longer do face up cuts, the small strips of tape will not be necessary either on the cmc and I can set it to cut both external at the same time and it will save me aligning the mounts. I will report back.
If it works a video may be in order

Thank you Tim, you may have helped further improve and speed up our mounts.

I am also a bit lost as some of these descriptions seem to over complicate the issue.

1. Cut top mount to required size,ie 6cm
2. Cut bottom mount slightly smaller (i do it 1cm smaller)
3. Cut top mount (face down) and then lay on desk, face down with middle where is started
4. Go round the 4 sides with some double sided tape, followed by some spots of PVA, then put a bit of double sided tape in the middle
5. Place bottom mount,face down on the top mount, keeping the edges inside the top mount, press it down
6. Back to the mountcutter and do second cut, ie 6.5cm

Job done

Clear and spot on

Using that method, wouldn't the double sided tape in step 4 mark the upper surface of the cutout of the bottom mount.....?

Actually, on further thought, (and replying to my own question), since whatever happens to that piece in a later life, as long as you stick it ONLY in the middle, chances are you're never going to use that bit anyway, since it'll ALWAYS be part of the passpartout.

I like these threads, they makes you think.

I have to cut some double mounts tomorrow - I'll try and remember to take some piccies of my earlier method anyway...