Using a Keencut Laser, horizontal or vertical?

Nigel · Post by **Nigel** » Sat 13 Oct, 2007 2:35 pm

Hi, I have a Keencut Laser which will take a full size mount board, ie. 120 x 80cm. I have built a stand for this using angle iron, so it sits at about a 60% angle. I have found when I cut large mounts sizes that although the blade is sharp it will not always cut through the mountboard. I believe this is because the Keencut can warp slightly if is is not supported properly. So I have decided to re site it.
The question is would it be better to fix it to a wall and have it vertical or with a very slight angle, or to have it horizontal in a work bench?
Space is an issue in my workshop as it is in my garage.
Any advice would be an enormous help.
Nigel

Phill · Post by **Phill** » Sun 14 Oct, 2007 3:15 pm

Hi Nigel
I would use the Laser on a flat surface, make sure your blade is adjusted so that it just cuts into the undermat. Also when cutting large mounts make sure you keep an even pressure for the full lenth of the cut.

markw · Post by **markw** » Mon 15 Oct, 2007 8:15 am

I used to have a laser wall mounted using Keencuts mounting kit - this held the cutter at a slight angle to the wall. It worked very well for me and I had no problems with the bed warping.

WelshFramer · Post by **WelshFramer** » Tue 16 Oct, 2007 8:22 am

I have a Keencut Ultimate so I don't know whether my experience would hold true for a Laser.

For a long time I had problems with the blade not cutting all the way through when cutting a long bevel. Short cuts were fine (99% of the time) but long cuts frequently caused problems around the middle of the cut.

One day I spent a few hours experimenting and decided it was the way I was holding the cutting head. I was, in fact 'holding' the cutting head and that was the problem. Once I started just applying downward pressure on the cutting head without attempting to hold it in any way the problems ceased.

Originally I had been applying a sort of twisting force to the head and careful watching while cutting showed me that this was encouraging the bar to lift slightly. A purely downward force keeps the bar flat on the mountboard.

Moglet · Post by **Moglet** » Tue 16 Oct, 2007 10:17 am

I had the same problem with my ultimat, but the little extra downward pressure did the trick for me too. In fact, if I'm making a very long cut, I've been known to climb up onto the workbench beside the mountcutter to ensure even pressure for the length of the cut (I'm 5'6" and longer cuts are a bit of a reach!).

beth · Post by **beth** » Tue 16 Oct, 2007 10:49 am

I am 5 foot nothing, I climb on the bench or on a high stool and lean over to cut long cuts. I cant reach, let alone try to keep even pressure all the way through a long cut.

Moglet · Post by **Moglet** » Tue 16 Oct, 2007 1:45 pm

The "on the bench" technique is also very useful for cutting larger multiaperture mounts.

Beth, do you use any 60" length sheets of glass? If so, any tips on handling you can pass on?

Spit · Post by **Spit** » Tue 16 Oct, 2007 4:01 pm

A couple of these make the job easier

http://www.lionpic.co.uk/index.php?sess ... uctid=5013

beth · Post by **beth** » Tue 16 Oct, 2007 5:05 pm

used to use the larger sheets of glass where I worked we didnt have a wall mounted cutter so we used a straight edge, score accross, then snap the glass off, this was okay untill you had a bad score/cut

Never have been badly cut when using glass (touch wood) but have had quite nasty cuts from mount card bevels

Prefer using 3foot x 4foot now I have my own business, if I do need a piece bigger I get 3mm or acrylic cut to size

Merlin · Post by **Merlin** » Tue 16 Oct, 2007 5:54 pm

The mind boggles.

Ladies climbing on benches!!! I bet your customers had a few laughs.

However. I must admit before the CMC, I have been known to climb on a bench. I shut the shop first though..

osgood · Post by **osgood** » Tue 16 Oct, 2007 7:18 pm

These acrobatic framing shops sound very intriguing. Do you get visits from local TV stations wanting to broadcast these practises???