3.5 mountboard

[pieinthesky]

Hi everyone - I am looking for some help and advice. I want to cut some 3.5 mountboard using my Ultimat Gold. I have changed the blade to 15d, but blade won't cut through the board. What am I doing wrong?
There isn't any advice in the manual apart from trying the 15 blade. Would really appreciate your help.

Thanks, Anne

[Jonny2morsos]

You need the Tech S .015 blade as the double sided blades flex too much on this thickness of board.

I think Keencut do a helpful hints sheet on cutting thick board so you could ring them and ask for one.

It is a bit of trial and error as the usual stops do not work on this thickness of board and when you finish the cut don't try lifting the blade out in the normal way. Lift the cutting arm with the lever and let the blade slide back out on its on or with a little gentle persuasion.

If you cannot get help frm Keencut send me a PM and I will look out the sheet I have and do you a photocopy.

John.

[Roboframer]

Meantime, here's some good reading, with links within to more.

I've not read it/them all, well, not today, but one tip I didn't come across was one thing I do, and that is to make a score line, no more than quarter the depth of the board and for practically the whole length of it on all 4 sides. Then, once you have calibrated your stops, and yes, you can use the stops, you should be able to cut in one more pass.

Your blade will dull rapidly, I use at least 2 per mount on 8 ply board, but usually I can't be bothered and go for bevelled strips!

[Townsend]

Well here's how I do it. Hold whatever blade you are using in a pliers with the top leading edge of the blade sticking out about 5mm. Use another pliers to snap this small triangle shaped piece off and, voila .....the blade will now sink much lower . Works for me on the thick Arquadia board and that stuff is quite hard. If this works for you Robo I will be delighted, as I have read and admired your good advice on many an occasion. From another Euro underpinner user and fan!

[Townsend]

Ooooops! I got a little confused there....must be the hour of the night and that glass of whisky I just had! Should have known Robo would have an answer, Haven't checked it yet, but your welcome to my advice also Pie! Now I'm off to bed before I confuse myself even more. ZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzz........

[The Crofter]

I think this problem was tackled a while back and it seems that the slot for the rectangular blade is wide enough to accept a trapezoidal blade which allows deeper cutting. I have only tried this on foam core, which works a treat, but would be interested to hear if it works on mountboard as well.

[Roboframer]

There's no need - blade depth is easily adjustable on the ultimat gold.

[The Crofter]

The original thread can be found here....

http://theframersforum.com/viewtopic.ph ... cut+blades

[Roboframer]

I'll elaborate on that.

Using a stanley type blade is a great way of bevelling foam board as you can cut to any depth without having to adjust the blade depth stop on the cutting head.

But you won't be worrying about over/undercuts as you'll either be cutting strips for wrapping or for making spacers, or maybe cutting an aperture, but not one that will be shown uncovered (I'd hope)

Experiment with a stanley blade on 8 ply by all means but you'll have better results with a chisel edged rectangular one.

But all that calibration - alter the blade depth so it just scrapes the slip mat, adjust the start and end of cut stops - then repeat to re-adjust for 4 ply - what a hassle.

This is one area where the Fletcher Terry machine beats the Keencut - it has spare blade housing magazines that you can pre-set to the depths you want.

Reverse bevels is another area it beats it in - oh and ball bearings instead of nylon ones.

[Not your average framer]

You don't need to use a stanley knife blade unless you are cutting 10mm foam board. The blade depth adjustment range will allow use of the normal rectangular blades for all the thicker boards currently available and even for 5mm foam board as well.

The single sided 15 thou (.015 Tech S) blade is the best choice. I cut through in two passes, the first pass creates a cut which guides and supports the blade to prevent the blade flexing on the final cut.

Make sure that your mountcutter bearings are properly adjusted to minimise any movement within the bearings.

Digital calipers are helpful and make it easy to return the blade depth adjustment to it's normal position after cutting your deep mount. Measure the depth from the back on the blade holder to the back of the blade. This works fine for normal thickness boards, but on thicker boards the back of the blade can be too far into the blade holder to reach with the digital calipers.

I don't recalibrate my mountcutter for thicker boards, as this wastes time, but instead add a little extra to the stop positions to suit. (Sorry I've never bothered to work out exactly how much for each thickness of board).

[Roboframer]

You don't need to use a stanley knife blade unless you are cutting 10mm foam board. The blade depth adjustment range will allow use of the normal rectangular blades for all the thicker boards currently available and even for 5mm foam board as well..

Yes it will, but using a Stanley blade (for foam boards) will save altering and then re-setting the blade depth stop.

[Townsend]

As will snapping off a little corner of a chisel edge.......and you get a better cut.

[Roboframer]

OK - so ........ snap 5mm off a corner of a chisel edged blade and you can adjust the blade depth without altering the blade depth stop ..... a-la Stanley blade - but for 8 ply board and not foam core - right?

I'll try this tummorah - not that I have any 8 ply board - but I can always bond two 4 plys - I'll let you know how I got on.

[Not your average framer]

Yes it will, but using a Stanley blade (for foam boards) will save altering and then re-setting the blade depth stop.

Yes that's true, but my experience is that when cutting extra thick mountboard the .015 Tech D does the business. I think that it's not just the thickness, but also the chisel edge which makes the difference.

I keep my old Keencut dart for doing thicker mounts, when size is not a problem. The Dart was originally supposed to be used with stanley knife blades, but switching to the .015 tech D blades made a big difference.

[Roboframer]

We are in agreement Mark. Stanley type blade good for foam board; rectangular chisel edged good for mountboard as well as foam board.

[Roboframer]

using a Stanley blade (for foam boards) will save altering and then re-setting the blade depth stop.

As will snapping off a little corner of a chisel edge.......and you get a better cut.

OK - so ........ snap 5mm off a corner of a chisel edged blade and you can adjust the blade depth without altering the blade depth stop ..... a-la Stanley blade - but for 8 ply board and not foam core - right?

I'll try this tummorah - not that I have any 8 ply board - but I can always bond two 4 plys - I'll let you know how I got on.

SITREP

I did have some 8 ply - cotton too - and I tried that snap-off method.

Thing is ...... if you use a normal, rectangular blade and adjust the depth by setting the depth stop, you'll write off at least one blade getting the depth just right and calibrating your start and end of cut stops.

But if you are setting the blade depth by pushing an angled (trapezoid ?) blade out of the housing by eye, then once you get it right, and have written off a blade, how do you set the same depth for the next blade with no stops?

You have to start over.

Plus - if you are making your own 'trapezoid' blade, by snapping off a corner of a rectangular one - the next one you make won't be exactly the same.

Then - snapping that corner off weakens the blade - you have the same flexing problems a stanley blade gives.

I think Keencut should sit up and take notice of this - if they had inter-changeable blade magazines you could have one set ready for any depth of board - you'd be limited only by the amount of magazines you have.

I use artcare; (plus just a few other boards like Arqadia suedettes) above the basic range you have rice papers, suedes, cotton boards etc - all '4 ply' but there are subtle differences in the thicknessses of those boards and I have to make subtle depth/stop adjustments for each - and then re-calibrate for the basic stuff, many times a day - some days.

I could use about 6 pre-set blade magazines and really wish I'd bought the Fletcher-Terry cutter instead of the Keencut. Boy was I mad (at myself) when I met John Ranes (demonstrates for Fletcher-Terry) a short time after I upgraded from a 48" Keencut to a 60" one.

CMC owners - just shuttup - OK!

[WelshFramer]

CMC owners - just shuttup - OK!

OK.

[Spit]

CMC owners - just shuttup - OK!

Best £5k I've spent.