Logan 750 Simplex Plus Matte Cutter

[sapearl]

Since the early 70's I've matted, mounted and framed my work in one fashion or another. Several months ago I finally got smart and invested in a quality matte cutter. I purchased a Logan Model 750 Simplex Plus:

http://www.artsupply.com/logan/matcutter.htm

Prior to that I'd always used xacto knives, matte knives and metal straight edges. The results were usually pretty good, but sometimes there were ....... accidents :rolleyes:. The results I'm now finally getting with the Logan are superb, repeatable and relatively easy to achieve. I can kick myself for not doing this sooner. But now that I'm starting to exhibit and display more, I had to get professional tools to take care of that end of the business. It would have been silly to have invested all that $$$ in camera gear and nothing in the equipment to properly display my images.

There are a lot of fine mat cutters out there in a range of prices. I picked Logan because they are relatively common, can be gotten locally and online, and can often be purchased at a significant discount. Following are a series of photos showing the Model 750. I don't claim this to be any sort of definitve tutorial, but it will at least give you a sense of it's size and operation.

These first 2 images show the assembled Logan 750 sitting on my desk. The desk top measures about 30x60.

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[sapearl]

You can see the 750 takes up a bit of space and I had to clean off most of my desk to accomodate it.

The list price of this model is around $389 but you can usually find it discounted by about 1/3. As a space saving and economical alternative you can buy the model 301S instead for well under $100. It is used by many photographers but it only accomodates smaller boards with ease. It will take larger stock, but not as conveniently as the bigger models like the 750 that will take a 32x40 board. That is a good large size because you can economically cut it into four 16x20 boards.

I prefer to shop at a local art supply (chain) store called Utrecht because they provide excellent service and give very good advice and timesaving tips. They also issue a 30% off coupon a couple of times a year, so their price can easily match what's found online, with no shipping fee.

The next two shots show the matte cutter in action.

In the first, I've lifted the blade's guide bar so the mat stock can be inserted and properly positioned against the guide plate. There is a black squaring arm on the left (by my RIGHT hand) which helps keep the board nicely aligned. This does add cost to the 750 and is not critical, but it increases speed, efficiency and makes the work flow more smoothly. It's especially helpful if your hand "hicups" while using the blade.

The second photo shows me starting to mark the cut lines on the BACK of the mat in pencil. It is very easy to set the "border thickness" of the matte to be cut using the built-in measuring scale. Once you look at the hardware and try it the first time, it is quite intuitive. After you have mark all four sides, you are ready to start cutting.
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[sapearl]

Here is a close-up of the first line being drawn. For your (pencil) straight edge, you actually use the same edge that the model 702 Bevel Cutter rides on. The bevel cutter and blades are included in the box.

The bevel cutter has a small goove that runs the length of it's underside. This groove perfectly fits a small "rail" on the straight edge. You might be able to make this out in the second photo. This groove/rail combination makes it almost impossible to create a crooked cut. As you slide the bevel cutter along that rail, it makes a perfectly straight and smooth cut as long as you apply reasonably constant pressure and use a fresh blade.

This beats my old system of pressing a metal ruler down on a board, as I forced an xacto knife along its edge, hoping the straight edge wouldn't move. The bevel cutter stays "locked" in it's track by the force of your pressure. It cannot waver to the left or right. All cuts end up being perfectly straight.

Notice the small white index mark on the black bevel cutter. When you align that mark with your pencil mark on the mat, you know when to stop cutting. Also note the small round knob object to the righ of the bevel cutter. This is a stop. If all your mats require identical cuts, you can set these stops to prevent the bevel cutter from travelling beyond your pencil. This speeds up a large project involving numerous. cuts.

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[sapearl]

Here is the first cut being made.

The cutting bar/straight edge is in position over the mat board, the bevel cutter has been engaged in its grooved track, and with the blade extended into the cardboard, I am pushing it across the board following my pencil line.

This is done for each side of the mat board, always cutting through the back. You make your cut, lift the straight edge, pull the board out and rotate it 90 degrees, replace it, close the edge down and continue cutting until all four sides have been completed. Once you are done, your square or rectangular hole should fall right out.

Btw, pay no attention to avatar in the background. I'm jealous of that guy... he only appears to have more hair than I do.

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[sapearl]

This last shot pretty much shows me with the completed cut mat. This is not really hard work, but it does use your arm muscles pretty well when applying the necessary pressure. But once I was completed, I was really pleased at how professional the results looked with not too much difficulty.

In all seriousness, this is precision work and my $389 mat cutter cannot compare to what the pros use in framing shops that will easily cost $1K+. They are geared to high volume work day in and out. Those folks are also FAR MORE experienced and skilled in this art than I am. That's one of the reasons why they charge so much. I will never begrudge them that.

However.... with a modest investment, a modicum of patience, and some basic determination, you too can cut some pretty decent mats at a fraction of the price. If you are doing volumes of mats, then your saving swill be considerable. Any questions? :D

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[gnrlmike]

I wonder about those artistic, curly ones - did you do those?
And it's nice to put sketch on the wall to the face:-)

I hope continuation is coming.

[sapearl]

Thanks Mike :D - I wish I could take credit for the sketch.... caricature is not my strong suit.

While photographing a Bar Mitzvah reception several years ago there was a very talented artist there doing the most amazing sketches in only minutes. He insisted that I be one of his subjects and I've loved that image ever since.

[JonathanSQ]

Nice :) Did you buy this from the company you linked to? If so, good service or so so or..?
My mother & myself are thinking of splitting a cutter sometime this summer.
She does crafts & artwork, including painting, so she is thinking of matting some of her stuff.

Do you have any experience (yet) using this cutter with a full 32x40 sheet?
I'm thinking this would be better than the ' 450 Intermediate 40" ' cutter (for full size sheets),
but still would like to hear how easy this is for full sheets...

[spxxxx]

Do you complete the cut in one pass -

I'm using a ruler/guide system and even though the cutter fits in the groove find that to get a straight cut I have to make multiple passes . If I don't the blade deflects and causes poor results.....

[sapearl]

Hi Jonathan - no, I only showed that link because it had some nice diagrams althought I believe it is a pretty reputable source. I actually purchased the Simplex 750 at Utrecht which has a national chain:

http://www.utrechtart.com/dsp_view_product.cfm?classId=1813&subclassID=181311&brandname=&item=48715

The "list" price on this item seems to vary, but Utrecht's 30% off coupon brings it in line with a lot of web prices. I regularly shop at Utrecht - a couple of miles from my home - so I can stop in there any time and ask questions, or call them on the phone. They tend to be located near universities and art schools so are pretty tuned into the needs of the students.

Prior to my actual purchase, she actually demonstrated the unit in the store and gave me a quick training session. So far I've only used it with a 16x20 sheet but it is perfectly suited for the 32x40.

Nice :) Did you buy this from the company you linked to? If so, good service or so so or..?
My mother & myself are thinking of splitting a cutter sometime this summer.
She does crafts & artwork, including painting, so she is thinking of matting some of her stuff.

Do you have any experience (yet) using this cutter with a full 32x40 sheet?
I'm thinking this would be better than the ' 450 Intermediate 40" ' cutter (for full size sheets),
but still would like to hear how easy this is for full sheets...

[sapearl]

Hi Simon - yes, I can complete the cut in one pass as long as:

1. The blade is sharp and fresh
2. I have it set to the proper depth, and
3. I apply even and continuous pressure during the cut.

Do you complete the cut in one pass -

I'm using a ruler/guide system and even though the cutter fits in the groove find that to get a straight cut I have to make multiple passes . If I don't the blade deflects and causes poor results.....

[gkas]

Wavy cuts are usually from: dull blade, or a poor backing board. I actually thought of a third possible cause: cutting real cheap mat board. The density isn't very consistent, so the blade tends to waver.

[tofuboy]

I have the Logan 450 Intermediate. It works great, but I wish it had the long squaring arm like the 750 has. The 450 has a 5 inch or so 'squaring arm', it's not really an arm and I'm not sure how square mine is :lol:

[Uhland]

Tagging thread to read later.

[JonathanSQ]

Do you complete the cut in one pass -

I'm using a ruler/guide system and even though the cutter fits in the groove find that to get a straight cut I have to make multiple passes . If I don't the blade deflects and causes poor results.....

Thats basically what I have right now. At the time I couldn't find a blank
32x40" sheet (need for a 27x40" frame) and a local shop got one for $22.
Spendy. So I chose to get a simple cutter to cut this out, since it will
solely be for home display only. But this really does look like a nice product :)

[Dermit]

I have the Logan 650 and absolutely love it:

http://www.dick-blick.com/items/171/25/17125-OB-3ww-l.jpg

It is big enough to cut down 32x40 sheets (which i do all the time). It has a straight blade head fro cutting them down and an angle head for doing the opneings both mounted on the rail all the time so you never have to switch. It also has built in "stops" for when I cut multiple cuts at the same measurement.

[sapearl]

Dermit, that also is an excellent device. I also has the advantage of being a bit more compact than my 750. The black right angle squaring arm on mine is 27" long which takes up a lot of desk real estate. Yours looks like it can do the job just as well with a less intrusive piece of metal.;)

May I ask what you ended up paying for yours? Thanks.

I have the Logan 650 and absolutely love it:

http://www.dick-blick.com/items/171/25/17125-OB-3ww-l.jpg

It is big enough to cut down 32x40 sheets (which i do all the time). It has a straight blade head fro cutting them down and an angle head for doing the opneings both mounted on the rail all the time so you never have to switch. It also has built in "stops" for when I cut multiple cuts at the same measurement.

[Dermit]

Dermit, that also is an excellent device. I also has the advantage of being a bit more compact than my 750. The black right angle squaring arm on mine is 27" long which takes up a lot of desk real estate. Yours looks like it can do the job just as well with a less intrusive piece of metal.;)

May I ask what you ended up paying for yours? Thanks.

From what i remember (I am not at home right now) that squaring arm is long, probably the same as yours, 27", but i could be wrong. It is a large machine, but a beauty to work with.

I bought it about 4 or 5 years ago so i don't remember the price exactly but i do remember it was between $400 and $450 USD. It's paid for itself many times over. i never regret buying it, but it is a beast to store when not in use.

...I just looked at the Logan site and the squaring arm on the 750 and the 650 are the same... 27", but the 650 comes with an alternate shorter arm if you want to use it instead when you have limited space.

[KirkHMB]

Stuart has written a wonderful tutorial. I've used the compact (301s?) for many years, (I couldn't afford to mat to over 16 x 20 for years), and loved it. Here is one tip which can make the marking out easier.

In post #2, he's marking the edge on the mat cutter. I used a tool similar to the one shown here, but in plastic and much cheaper. I'll post a link when I find it.

http://incra.com/product_trules.htm

I work from the finished outer dimension of my mat into the opening. I typically use 3 sides approx equal with the bottom a little fatter, and this lets your quickly visualize the opening before you start cutting.

With my cutter, I found I had to stop just short of the line as shown in post #3 image 2 to get a clean corner, but experimentation will get you there fast.

For those on a limited budget, the compact will get you the same effect, without the nifty squaring arm, and you have to move the mat to get longer dimensions. And the arm doesn't lift as shown in post #2, image 1.

The also make a square cutter for cutting the mats into the square chunks (exterior edges) prior to cutting the beveled openings. (Never used)

But, those of you currently paying to have mats cut for you: The compact will pay for itself in about six 16 x 20 mats. The big one will take a bit longer, but gives you more production quality tools to speed you along. And they really kick butt over freehand. My buddy had cut freehand mats for years, and was rightly proud of his work. We bought the compact, and he was suddenly cutting 3-4x more mats than previous, since it was easier and the results were much better, to his highly trained architect's mind.

[KirkHMB]

Do you complete the cut in one pass -

I'm using a ruler/guide system and even though the cutter fits in the groove find that to get a straight cut I have to make multiple passes . If I don't the blade deflects and causes poor results.....

Yes, these will cut in one pass, and it is essential to do so for the best results. The cutter that comes with these hold the blades really rigid right down to where it enters the mat. The arm strength Stuart talks about goes into 1) hand strength to keep the cutter extended 2) arm strength to pull the full extended cutter through 27" of mat at full depth of cut, and making a smooth stroke. And, as noted when cutting long mats on a short cutter, really keeping things aligned will reduce the hiccup when sliding the mat down to start again. Using a clean stretch of backer board is critical, if you've got multiple cuts, the protruding tip of the blade can follow an old cut, causing a wave.

Practice on small scraps first.

[sapearl]

Thank you Kirk - appreciate the kind words :D. For as much as I've learned myself on this forum in two years this is the least I can do for people who appreciate such information.

That incra is a pretty nifty tool - nice of you to share the link. And again, just because I purchased the 750, that doesn't mean there is anything wrong with the 301s. It is a wonderful tool for the money and takes up far less storage space than mine. Many folks don't mat large prints and this satisifies their needs for years. If you're on a budget and work only in 8x10's and 11x14's it would be a wonderful choice.

Stuart has written a wonderful tutorial. I've used the compact (301s?) for many years, (I couldn't afford to mat to over 16 x 20 for years), and loved it. Here is one tip which can make the marking out easier.

In post #2, he's marking the edge on the mat cutter. I used a tool similar to the one shown here, but in plastic and much cheaper. I'll post a link when I find it.

http://incra.com/product_trules.htm......