3500 microns on the Keencut Ultimat? Not Bleeding Likely!

Grahame Case · Post by **Grahame Case** » Sat 08 Dec, 2007 3:51 pm

Major gaffe here,

we've taken on Arqadia Minuet in the ultra deep version, but we've realised today cutting it for the first time that the Keencut ultimat just isn't designed for cutting board of a depth of 4mm

I've spent 3 hours fiddling with it, and am now going to admit defeat and ask a favour of a local picture framer with a CMC to cut it!

oh well, this'll all change come spring time!

Not your average framer · Sat 08 Dec, 2007 5:51 pm

Grahame Case wrote:the Keencut ultimat just isn't designed for cutting board of a depth of 4mm

Ah! You obviously haven't asked Keencut how to do it, but I have!

You need to take out the normal blade and replace it with a Keencut 080 blade. That's the one used on the other side of the head for sizing the mountboard and it looks like a Stanley knife blade. With one of those, you can cut almost any thickness you like, even 10mm foamboard.

A quick word of warning: The standard Personna utility blades are not that stiff because they are a different material and thickness, but the heavy duty Personna bldes are thicker and a bit stiffer. However the Keencut 080 blades are a great deal better by miles, (You get what you pay for).

Grahame Case · Post by **Grahame Case** » Sat 08 Dec, 2007 5:56 pm

without gouging a hole in the blade channel?

i'll need to investigate further.

Not your average framer · Sat 08 Dec, 2007 6:22 pm

Hi Graham,

The blade depth adjuster works on the top of the front edge on the blade, but because the edges of the 080 blade are angled you can poke more of the blade tip out of the blade carrier.

Roboframer · Post by **Roboframer** » Sat 08 Dec, 2007 7:38 pm

You set your blade depth to cut through the board and just lightly score the slip mat - no worries about gouging the blade channel - if you do that you have cut straight through the slip mat, or not used one.

Also don't try and do it in one cut - I use 3 cuts

1. Starting well before the point that the blade enters the board, make a score line for your blade to track.

2. Then another, but deeper this time - again you don't have to worry about the stops.

3. Final cut with the stops set.

Practice on offcuts to eliminate over/undercuts - change blade often.

I use either the blade that Mark mentions or a chisel edged rectangular blade - the advantage of the Stanley type blade is that you do not have to adjust the blade depth screw. The advantage of the single-sided blade is that, with a fine permanent marker, you can mark the back of it on the housing for future ref.

Not your average framer · Sat 08 Dec, 2007 8:11 pm

Hi Graham & John,

Now I think about it, I can't remember needing to change blades to cut 3500 micron boards. I know the Ultimat will definitely cut 2500 micron boards by just adjusting the blade depth and without changing the blades. I do it all the time!

Is there not enough adjustment on the blade depth setting?

Roboframer · Post by **Roboframer** » Sat 08 Dec, 2007 8:36 pm

There is plenty of adjustment - it's just such a pain having to adjust by trial and error for both the correct blade depth and the 'dialling out' of the overcut (start of cut) and undercut (end of cut)

The Fletcher overcomes the blade depth problem by having changeable blade magazines that you can preset - if my next upgrade was not a CMC it would be a Fletcher Terry manual and 'hello EBay' for my ultimat.

I rarely have the problem though - Artcare bevelled accents take care of most situations where a deep bevel is required.

Wish either Fletcher or Keencut would make a machine that has the best of both - I like the Keencut stops and cutter bar holder-upper and I like the FT bearings, squaring arm and blade magazines - not too keen on the FT stops, which use pegs.

Grahame Case · Post by **Grahame Case** » Sat 08 Dec, 2007 11:15 pm

i think its just easier, -than fiddling around with calibration etc-

putting the pack of mountboard in my car, driving 10 minutes to the CMC with the sizes needed, get them t cut it, and they can keep the rest of the pack.

Moglet · Post by **Moglet** » Sat 08 Dec, 2007 11:21 pm

Grahame Case wrote:i think its just easier, -than fiddling around with calibration etc-

Man after my own heart, Grahame!

Grahame Case · Post by **Grahame Case** » Sat 08 Dec, 2007 11:30 pm

roll on the days of Computerised Mount Cutting!

osgood · Post by **osgood** » Sun 09 Dec, 2007 12:02 am

Grahame Case wrote:roll on the days of Computerised Mount Cutting!

You guys who are looking to buy a CMC, should ask the demonstrators of each brand to show you how they cut thick mats.

I'm not sure that all brands will cut the thicker mats and it would be a shame to buy one then realise that you can't cut them!

Moglet · Post by **Moglet** » Sun 09 Dec, 2007 12:08 am

Good tip, Ormond. Top of my list for the Spring Fair is to check out the differences between CMC's. Cheers, mate!

Roboframer · Post by **Roboframer** » Sun 09 Dec, 2007 12:46 am

Summut else I want from a CMC - capable of cutting apertures in oversized boards - 60" wil do - that's what my manual keencut can cope with.

Don't wanna pay a squillion quid to find myself walkin' the walk again - you know - the cut you can't reach the end of by leaning over.

Grahame Case · Post by **Grahame Case** » Sun 09 Dec, 2007 12:51 am

Roboframer wrote:Summut else I want from a CMC - capable of cutting apertures in oversized boards - 60" wil do - that's what my manual keencut can cope with.

Don't wanna pay a squillion quid to find myself walkin' the walk again - you know - the cut you can't reach the end of by leaning over.

John, same here mate. we've seen an increasingly large number of bigger prints etc coming in for framing. and the trend is growing and growing.

if anything we'd be looking at one that cuts Jumbo boards up to any thickness.

Grahame Case · Post by **Grahame Case** » Mon 10 Dec, 2007 11:40 am

got our mounts cut

but some Muppet just cut a sheet of museum glass down to CM sizes rather than inches. and didn't have enough left to complete the job.

just as well that Glass & Mirror are coming!

kev@frames · Post by **kev@frames** » Mon 10 Dec, 2007 7:13 pm

it does also help a great deal to keep it all "squared up" if your bottom mat (slip mat or whatever you call it) is the same thickness as the one you are cutting, and do it in three or four "scores". (This, of course, isn't practical on a laser), but with the swivel clamp (rail) on the ultimat it really helps a lot and stops the blade straying out of the channel and into the aluminium.

Although our Wizard will cut a 60 inch mount, we actually get very little call for "oversize" mounts. Frustratingly, when we do, they are even bigger than the 60 inch we can cut

Some "jumbo" boards (over 42 inch wide) wont fit in it either! US sized "jumbo" boards are OK. But I guess that is what you can expect from an american machine.
Thickest we cut on the cmc is about 2000 micron, but demand for thicker mounts does seem slightly on the up.

Jared Davis CPF, GCF · Wed 12 Dec, 2007 10:42 am

Hi guys,

Reading your thread with interest, and this is my first post on this forum - so "G'Day" from Down Under.

We have also seen a growth in popularity of thicker matboards down here in Australia recently as well.

I thought it might be worth noting that not all CMC's can cut bevels 12ply (4.5mm) thick matboard, so if you are in the market for a CMC in the future, always make sure you see a piece cut with one before you buy it.

Gunnar CMC's are capable of cutting bevels in 12ply (4.5mm) and were the first brand of CMC to be able to offer this feature. To my knowledge (between Valiani/Wizard & Gunnar), at this point in time, Gunnar are actually the only brand of CMC that can do this as well?

Also, the other challenge is being able to cut thick board like 8ply - 12 ply (3.0mm - 4.5mm) without hooking, which is guaranteed on Gunnar CMC's - but, once again, the only way to be sure is to actually "see" a piece cut on one for yourself. Even if the CMC brochure claims that they can cut through 8 ply, is the quality of the cut acceptable to you?

kind regards,

Jared

Grahame Case · Post by **Grahame Case** » Wed 12 Dec, 2007 10:48 am

thanks for the tip Jared,

the framer we went to had a Gunnar, and the mats have come out excellently, i'm really impressed with it actually.

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3500 microns on the Keencut Ultimat? Not Bleeding Likely!

3500 microns on the Keencut Ultimat? Not Bleeding Likely!

Re: 3500 microns on the Keencut Ultimat? Not Bleeding Likely