Posted by Rick Lamb on January 1, 2007 at 11:59 AM
Hi folks, I've been cutting mats on a Logan Simplex 750 that we bought a few years back. It "works" but is VERY labor intensive. Recently the alignment bar got out of alignment - just as I needed to mat/frame 8 prints for my first gallery show!!! Try as I might it just wouldn't line back up again. The alignment bar isn't "adjustable"............
After a frustrating day of the above misery at 11PM Nancy & I decided to go give a look on Craigslist.com to see if maybe just maybe there was a Fletcher for sale locally. We found one and picked it up yesterday. It was a used mat cutter the original owner bought 8 years ago but never really used (she cut a total of 2 mats before giving up... She said it hurt her back to use it).
Well there's a trick to cutting mats and not tweaking out one's back. If the table the mat cutter sits on is too low it really will hurt after only 30 minutes or so of mat cutting. Raise the table it sits on so that the top of the mat cutter sits at approximately the same height as your belly button. This will save your back for sure. I raised our mat table 6 inches.
WOW what a difference this Fletcher is!!!! This tool - once squared/tuned - will cut PERFECT mats repeatedly without fuss or muss. Unlike our old Logan.....
The tuning took one fun filled evening to get everything squared up and the fine adjustments set. Our Fletcher came with the optional Measuring Stops & Right Alignment Bar (which UNLIKE the Logan is FULLY adjustable). These allow MUCH FASTER mat layout and cutting. With the Measuring stops pencil lines on the back of the mat are a thing of the past. Once tuned all one has to do is set the Measuring Stops and cut away. Now when I cut the opening for a mat said fall out actually falls out with NO over or under cuts at all!!!! SWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET!!!!
So was it worth the $1025.00??? Oh yeah baby!!!! I used to dread mat cutting - now I'm lovin it!!! Mat cutting is no longer the chore it used to be!!! YaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaHoooooooooooooooo!!!
If you find yourself in the market for a reliable/easy to use mat cutter I HIGHLY recommend finding a Fletcher!!!!
Posted by Mark Hudon on January 1, 2007 at 12:05 PM
Post a picture of it, Rick.
Posted by Rick Lamb on January 1, 2007 at 12:57 PM
The cutter shuttle has two blades - one beveled and one vertical. This thing really is amazing!!
Posted by Mark Hudon on January 1, 2007 at 3:10 PM
Wow! Nice! I want one! How big is that table you have it on? Is it attached to the table. Truth be told, I've had very good luck with my Logan 750. I can bang out mats pretty quickly and accurately, even double mats. I think having been a carpenter for 13 years and having cut up a bazillion sheets of plywood, siding and sheetrock I have a real good feel for measuring and cutting.
The table is an old metal folding table I've had for years. It's 5' long and the mat cutter just sits on top of that.
My lack of "carpenter skills" was my undoing with the Logan....
Posted by Bryan Swan on January 1, 2007 at 10:30 PM
For a grand, if I ever have to cut my own mats, I'll just come over to your place Rick.
Posted by Nancy Lamb on January 2, 2007 at 11:02 AM
Our Logan is for sale, folks. We rarely used it. Perhaps 20 mats were cut. Bought at about $350, we will sell for reasonable price.
Rick is currently using a bed post raisers under each leg of the table. I'd like to build a large box (5 ' x 4' x 1') with drawers to place directly underneath. It would be far more stable and we could put the scrap matting material inside. Neat and tidy. Anyone know of such a box?
Nancy
Discussion
7 repliesAfter a frustrating day of the above misery at 11PM Nancy & I decided to go give a look on Craigslist.com to see if maybe just maybe there was a Fletcher for sale locally. We found one and picked it up yesterday. It was a used mat cutter the original owner bought 8 years ago but never really used (she cut a total of 2 mats before giving up... She said it hurt her back to use it).
Well there's a trick to cutting mats and not tweaking out one's back. If the table the mat cutter sits on is too low it really will hurt after only 30 minutes or so of mat cutting. Raise the table it sits on so that the top of the mat cutter sits at approximately the same height as your belly button. This will save your back for sure. I raised our mat table 6 inches.
WOW what a difference this Fletcher is!!!! This tool - once squared/tuned - will cut PERFECT mats repeatedly without fuss or muss. Unlike our old Logan.....
The tuning took one fun filled evening to get everything squared up and the fine adjustments set. Our Fletcher came with the optional Measuring Stops & Right Alignment Bar (which UNLIKE the Logan is FULLY adjustable). These allow MUCH FASTER mat layout and cutting. With the Measuring stops pencil lines on the back of the mat are a thing of the past. Once tuned all one has to do is set the Measuring Stops and cut away. Now when I cut the opening for a mat said fall out actually falls out with NO over or under cuts at all!!!! SWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET!!!!
So was it worth the $1025.00??? Oh yeah baby!!!! I used to dread mat cutting - now I'm lovin it!!! Mat cutting is no longer the chore it used to be!!! YaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaHoooooooooooooooo!!!
If you find yourself in the market for a reliable/easy to use mat cutter I HIGHLY recommend finding a Fletcher!!!!
http://www.ramblinlamb.com/fletcher
The cutter shuttle has two blades - one beveled and one vertical. This thing really is amazing!!
My lack of "carpenter skills" was my undoing with the Logan....
Rick is currently using a bed post raisers under each leg of the table. I'd like to build a large box (5 ' x 4' x 1') with drawers to place directly underneath. It would be far more stable and we could put the scrap matting material inside. Neat and tidy. Anyone know of such a box?
Nancy