Opinions Wanted Fletcher 3100 vs FSC

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astraios

astraios

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First of all I would like to say hi to all forum members ... I become addicted reading all of your posts.:icon21:

I am planing to buy a substrate cutter and really can't decide between this two models. I was leaning to FCS until but according to Fletcher Substrate/Cutter Swatch Book there is no "check mark" on cutting glass (can anyone confirm this).

I can see that most of you are using 3100 ... only problem for me is that 3100 cuts only aluminum sheets but not Dibond (and other aluminum composites). Has anyone try cutting Dibond on 3100?
 
I replaced my well-worn model 3000 wall-mounted cutter with a model FSC in my frame shop, and I am very pleased with it. It is a very heavy duty cutter designed for the sign & graphic imaging market, where cutting glass is not as important as cutting all sorts of board substrates.

However, a glass cutter is available for the FSC and, in my personal experience, it works quite well. The FSC also does a great job with acrylic sheeting and with matboards, foam boards, high-density foam boards, and plastics (such as Sintra and Coroplast) up to 1/2" thick.

In all, there are seven cutting heads available for the FSC, including attachments to cut and to v-groove DiBond, ePanel, and other brands of aluminum composite material. It comes with a laser cutting guide and a sturdy floor stand, as well as wall-mounting hardware.

I am a Fletcher-Terry user of 22 years, and an occasional consultant.
 
Jim Miller said:
It is a very heavy duty cutter designed for the sign & graphic imaging market, where cutting glass is not as important as cutting all sorts of board substrates.
Click to expand...

Does this mean that 3100 is a better solution for cutting glass?
 
astraios said:
Does this mean that 3100 is a better solution for cutting glass?
Click to expand...

No, I would say the FSC does as well cutting glass as the 3100 and the 3000. If any feature would be an advantage in glass cutting, it would be the break-out wheels, which some framers think it is an important feature for glass cutting. That feature is not on the FSC, but I never used it on my 3000, either.
 
3100

The head that comes with the machine for cutting hardboard (with 2 wheels in the head) is great for cutting D-Lite =
3 mil polyflute polymer with aluminum on either side. It should cut Dibond or Alucobond, since they are both about as thick (although more dense), but it will not cut Pro-Lite = 10 mil polyflute with aluminum on either side. One can cut the Prolite with the blade head and a number of passes, by cutting in from both sides. There are also scoring heads for that machine, as Jim noted, which look quite interesting for use with these same composite boards.

Hugh
 
As Hugh noted, wheel-type cutters are available for 3100 to cut sheet aluminum and hardboard.

The FSC has a cutting head made specifically for ACM (aluminum composite material), such as DiBond, ePanel, etc. It works very well and produces straight, smooth cuts with rounded edges. These wheel-type cutters eliminate the sharp burrs that would result from cutting the ACM with any kind of saw. It's clean, fast, and accurate, too.
 
Thanks for replay ... seems that best solution will be FSC (all features of 3100 + alu. composites)
 
Jim Miller said:
If any feature would be an advantage in glass cutting, it would be the break-out wheels, .
Click to expand...

Wait? DO people use the plexi wheels for snapping glass? That's overkill isn't it?

Does Fletcher suggest using the hold down bar for holding glass? I've never done that either.... and hopefully never will.
 
Bob Doyle said:
Does Fletcher suggest using the hold down bar for holding glass? I've never done that either.... and hopefully never will.
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No clamp for glass. There should be a giant warning on the bar warning to never use it on glass. The purpose of the wheels is for plex and not glass. Light pressure back on the right side for snapping glass. The ramp is configured so there is a void behind the glass so it will snap with light pressure.
 
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