Circle cut

[ERIC]

Am I asking for trouble?

I use the F/T MatMate oval cutter, so it can be tough to get a perfect cut . . . but I need to cut the stucco textured board from Crescent.

Since I'm cutting from the top - won't the surface pattern cause the blade to flex back and forth as it passes through different thicknesses?

How well do CMC's cut these boards?

[ 08-16-2003, 04:43 PM: Message edited by: ERIC ]

 

[John Ranes II CPF GCF]

Originally posted by ERIC:
......Since I'm cutting from the top - won't the surface pattern cause the blade to flex back and forth as it passes through different thicknesses?........

Eric,

On simple oval/circle openings on matboard, the MatMate does just fine, but I would guess that indeed the irregular surface will give the blade holder trouble holding true.

Taking a couple of extra rotations with the wheel first might help, by making a more defined "track" for the head to follow.

Give the MatMate a try, then if the results aren't perfect farm the job out to someone with a CMC. Although the CMC's will definitely cut true, remember that the bevels on these textured boards sometimes make the opening appear irregular due to the varied thickness.

Regards,

John
Consultant to The Fletcher-Terry Company

[ 08-17-2003, 12:55 AM: Message edited by: John Ranes II, CPF, GCF ]

 

[printmaker]

Originally posted by ERIC:
...it can be tough to get a perfect cut . . .
How well do CMC's cut...

Here's my 2 cents worth, Eric, from someone who cuts many, many hundreds of circles each and every year over the past couple of decades:

When it comes to cutting simple, "perfect" circles, the old C + H oval master cuts better and faster than than the (7 or so) CMC's I'd looked at (and yes, I now have a CMC which I dearly love)...

Like most other skills, the C + H requires a steady hand and a bit of practice to get those cuts "perfect". The first few thousand tend to be the hardest; after that, it's a breeze.

The best circles I've seen cut on a CMC have been on a Fletcher.

On the other hand, as my eyes get worse with age, the circles are appearing much more "perfect".

Best of luck, Eric.

 

[Susan May]

Is it possible to cut from that back? I have an old C&H oval cutter, and I can turn the handle the other way, and cut from the back of my mat ( with the bevel going the correct way).

I always cut from the back on Ovals now... it keeps that mats from having that second score line on the surface. (Note to John Raines: Oh, how I wish I had that Fletcher oval cutter!!!)

 

[BUDDY]

Sue :as Eric said and I'm sure John will agree ,with enough practice you will be amazed at what you can accomplish with any cutter.
Case in point: i first learned to use a C& H circle cutter from Herb Carithers. He taught us to cut circle and oval V-grooves long before CMCs and any other attachments. Mind you it wasn't always PERFECT . He taught us to lightly cut the first pass in one direction from the front then move the settings appx. 1/16 inch in and cut the next pass lightly in the opposite direction.This took a soft touch and some practice ,as well as sharp blades,but it was doable.So i don't see why cutting from the rear with the opposite spin wouldn't work.After all on CMCs you can do this with a reverse bevel .I sometimes change the direction of the Wizard Leaf cut by useing the reverse bevel from the rear.So Imporvise it opens up all sorts of wonderful possibilities .
BUDDY

[ 08-17-2003, 05:57 PM: Message edited by: BUDDY ]

 

[Framerguy]

Susan,

YOu can have mine. It is almost 15 years old and has never cut a decent oval since new! I have changed almost all the working parts on it on the advice of the Fletcher crew and it still doesn't track correctly. It always hits the start point a little bit off track and leaves a nick which must be emery boarded smooth before the mat can be used.

It isn't so obvious on larger cuts but on small ovals it is nasty. And I do alot of small ovals in mats for cameos.

Framerguy

 

[Bogframe]

I have a Fletcher 3000 and a Gene Green Oval Machine, neither of which have given me a bit of trouble from day one. I prefer the Green because it takes up a lot less space and was nearly a third of the price of the Fletcher. Both are accurate machines, and if you really want to upgrade, I'd recomend either one.

 

[ERIC]

Thanks everyone for your tips.

I cut so few oval/circles that I have not logged time on the MatMate, I don't have much chance of cutting my "first few thousand" anyday soon!

I will try putting the head on reversed to see if cutting from behind helps, but I will first try it from the front.