Trimming drymounted posters

Sherry Lee

SGF, Supreme Grumble Framer
Joined
Jun 25, 2002
Posts
2,228
Loc
Phoenix, Az.
Which tool/method do you find best for trimming excess foamboard from drymounted posters? I realize there are some products out there designed for just that sort of thing. Also, there's the 'ol box cutter manual method but after reading 'Indy's' thread on all the casualties, I'm going to refrain.....I can't stand the sight of blood!!!
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In theory, a wall cutter like the Fletcher 3000 should be very good for this.

In practice, like Cliff, I use the 2100. If I never had to hand-cut another mat, I would keep the mat cutter around for trimming stuff down.

The problem with the wall cutter is that you need at least one side already cut parallel to the poster to rest on the bottom rail. If you rely on the hold-down bar to keep it in place, it <strike>might</strike> will slip.

Cliff, please elaborate on "don't put the poster under the bar." Are you concerned about accidently using the bevel blade to trim or have you had other prolems with using the hold-down bar on the 2100 while trimming?

I fired an employee many years ago who went to trim a mounted studio portrait with the mat cutter and ran a deep cut through the image with the bevel blade. Everyone makes mistakes, but he compounded it by trying to touch up the cut with markers. I never saw it or heard about it, and it actually made it home and onto the customers' wall before they noticed.
 
That's my method also, Sherry. Your straightline mat cutter will do a fine job of trimming the excess.

And, if you are matting the poster and didn't trim the mounting board to size, (I don't trim them because they have a tendency to "squash" the edges in the vacuum press so I wait and trim the squashed edges off afterward.), you can lay the mat on the mounted poster, draw lines for trimming, and still trim it down to size on the table cutter.

Framerguy
 
In the past, I've used the Fletcher 2100 for this project but it seems to me that I once heard John Rahnes III advise against it...never realizing why. I may have misunderstood - perhaps I'll write him. I think that Cliff's point about not putting the artwork under the bar is to avoid indentations and/or markings from a possibly dirty bar....Cliff?????

But now, with a CMC coming, I'm going to have to 'park' the Fletcher 2100. And I agree that the wallcutter would be difficult.

I thought there were other types of easy-to-store cutters (and perhaps methods), for just this purpose....thus my question.
 
Sorry, for not explaining. Sherry has it correct. When I first started, I noticed the hold down bar would make indentations. This was more noticable when I was trimming something mounted on 3/16 FC (not as dense - more susceptable). It's just so easy to avoid by not ever putting the image under the bar!
 
I use the same method as Cliff and don't put the poster or photo under the bar for the same reasons. There is too much potential for damage if the image is under the bar. Besides the accidental bevel blade cuts, the edge of the bar isn't always smooth and can leave little scratches as well as dirt. After having trimmed literally thousands of portraits this way for our studio, I've gotten real good at lining them up for the first cut even if they are not mounted square.
 
I have always used an exacto knife and just run it lightly down the edge of the paper to get a score in the f/c then I go back and actually cut the f/c and one more run thru finishes the cut. I've done it this way for so long I can feel the edge of the poster against the blade and use it as a guide. I rarely use a straight edge except when I'm trimming to other than the size of the poster. The secret is to not try to cut it in one pass.
 
I usually use my f3100. Ron is right about not relying on the hold down bar. It will slip. I usually line it up, stick a shim under the leading edge, clamp and cut. Works great. I've got one of those fletcher metal straight edges for stuff I don't want to drag to the wall cutter. Gives you a bit more protection from the razor than a ruler. Using the 2100 seems like it would be a lot of work if you can't put it under the bar.

I think Ron's former employee moved to Maryland and tried the same trick at my place about 3 years ago.
 
Don't think so, Katman. He died about six years ago.

I've never noticed any marks or indentations from the hold-down bar, and I really like using it to, well, hold down the poster. Now you've given me something new to worry about.

Thank a lot.
 
I trim small pieces with an x-acto knife and a metal straight edge. Big pieces go to the wall cutter.

The one I was using had a lever below the support tray that clamped the hold down bar into place.

The dry mounts were never square and often it took two hands to line the piece up with the blade. I got quite good at flipping the lever with my foot.

No customers were permitted to observe this balletic performance.

Kit
 
A blade in my fingers, zip-zip, zip-zip, zip-zip & zip-zip done. I use the poster edge as a guide and light score then cut. 20 seconds total.
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framer
 
The straight cutting side of my C&H AdvantagePro.


-Mike.
 
Wallcutter is great, I must admit I use the bar clamp, put I place a piece of release paper between the bar and the image, to not get any dirt on it, but all this time I have yet to see it leave indentions, so i dont really have that problem. If its going to have a mat, I mount it on the FC them place the mat on top and use my
x-acto to cut, using the mat as a guide.
 
Rick,
On the Fletcher Trim Cutter, what keeps the 'poster' from moving while being cut? On the Fletcher 2100, the 'hold down bar' catches at least the one edge to help keep it from moving. I'm not familiar with their Trim Cutter.

Thanks.
 
Sherry,

The bar on which the cutting head travels is solid aluminum about 2.5" wide with a rubber type of pad running the length of the bar. The weight of the bar (a couple of pounds) on the item being trimmed is sufficient to hold things in place. I've never had a problem with it slipping. It's your choice whether the bar is on top of the image or on the side of the image being trimmed.

I like it because of the portability instead of being in a fixed position like our 2100. For me, it's much easier to handle than fighting the holddown bar on the 2100. But when we use the 2100, a piece of scrap suede matboard goes between the holddown bar and the piece being trimmed.
 
Thanks Rick! It sounds like the same concept as the 2100....just not as bulky, as you said.

I appreciate it.

Have a nice, safe Fourth...to you and all TG'ers!
 
I have used most of these methods but still prefer the Metal straightedge (with cork back) with utility knife - with a first pass to give a good lineup and then a 2nd pass to cut all the way thru.

I know of people that do this without a metal straightedge and I cannot believe that they can get a perfect straight cut time after time and my BIG fear is the blade going astray and cutting into the poster/image area... has just happened once - one time too many for me.

I also worry about using the wall cutter and the hold down bar making an impression in the foamcore... all these things to worry about - it's worse than golf!!

Roz
 
When using the metal straight edge method I found it best to put the ruler against the poster, not on the poster (straight edge, blade, poster), so when the blade goes off track it cuts into the blank foamcore.
 
I use the straight cutter and the squaring arm on my Chronomat. I don't put the poster under the hold-down bar, just the portion to be trimmed off. If the poster isn't square (it never is) to the board, there is a tendency for the poster to slip, especially if the amount to me trimmed is small. I get around this by making a light scoring cut (or two) first. I don't get any slippage after using a scoring cut. After the first cut, the squaring arm assists with the other cuts. If the amount to be trimmed is small ( 1/16" to 1/2"), the hold down bar won't be parallel to the cutter surface so you will get an angled cut. I get around this by placing a piece of board the same thickness as the board to be trimmed under the hold-down bar to keep it parallel.
 
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