V-groove and circle mat cutters

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itgsports

Grumbler in Training
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Mar 30, 2006
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california
Hello, I am looking for something basic to do circles and v-grooves. I really dont want to spend much money on this until I can see if it going to be worth cutting mats this way. I have looked into the Alto's 360 for the circles and the Logan V-grove 703 for the Vgrooves. I know they are both kind of basic tools but has anybody on here used either one?
 
V-grooves can be done on any straight line mat cutter.

Fletcher has a pretty good hand held oval cutter. It does take some practice to get it down.
 
How many mats do you intend on cutting in a week? I tried this and became frustrated with less than perfect results. I ended up with a professional machine. There seems to be many oval cutters for sale on the used market.
John
 
We are also a small shop (3 employees) and will never go back to the manual ones.

Like John said, depending on how many mats you cut, a CMC, which can be leased for a couple of hundred per month, can be more efficient, less aggravating, will save your nerves and gives you no carpal-tunnel-syndrome.

And they can cut anything you can imagine.
 
Thanks I was thinking about a CMC, but not quite there yet. I am still just starting out and dont really want to make that type of investment until I can feel it will be worth it. I cut about 20 mats per week, so until I can up my sales it isnt really worth buying a CMC.
 
itgsports,
Is that 20 oval mats or 20 of any shape in a week?

If you cut 20 oval mats a week, I'd really consider putting that CMC on the list. You could save yourself time. In a business, time is $. Lots of $$.

If your doing 20 mats total a week, then yes, a CMC may be overkill. Look for a good professional manual oval cutter.
John
 
As far as manual oval cutters go...the best one out there, IMHO (that's the first time I've done that!), is the Fletcher 5100 (I think that's the #). I used to sell these for a distributor and used it before CMC's took over. It's a very sweet machine with a fixed blade head, not swivel like C&H, and it will also cut oval glass (I hate cutting oval glass by hand...it's not as pretty.) The oval mats are perfect, though, and you may be able to find one inexpensively.

The other oval cutter that I really like (and also cuts glass) is Gene Green's Oval Machine. Is he still around? That ones a little futzy, but with a little practice, and for a lot less $$ it does a nice job too. My $.02.
 
Hello, thanks all for the input. Yeah right now I only cut about 2 total mats. I havent even had a request for an oval mat, but would like to have a cheap option if it does come up. I do have a speed-mat so they do sell a circle cutting attachment for there machine..thanks again
 
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