Quadruple mount?

[poliopete]

It's been a very long time since I cut a quadruple mount for one image.

This is for a very demanding customer who has chosen four colors from the Arqadia range for a large poster. The poster is of little value and will be dry mounted.

As full sheets are required there is very little room for error. I can get the mounts cut on a CMC for around £50 including mountboard, but I would like to take up the challenge myself.

Is this as simple as cutting two double mounts and planting one pair on another? or are there other things to consider?

All advice/thoughts gratefully appreciated.

Peter.

[prospero]

I've done triple layers but never a quadruple one.

As long as you keep all the drop-outs in register then you shouldn't have any problem.

If you're weighting the bottom then it does get a bit confusing. I think I would do equal margins
and trim the sides/top.

[cleaver]

Anyone near you got a CMC, Pete? I'd be inclined to take the hit on profit to save on the stress (especially if it's a PITA customer).

Good luck, mate!



Whoops, sorry I just re-read your post, and you said you don't want go the CMC route I'll go back to sleep now.

[Not your average framer]

Yes, it does not have to be any different to two double mounts. I make them up from time to time and sometimes even put a quadruple mount into a relatively small ready made frame. They do sell in ready made frames, but I only do them once in a while, if I have some smaller pieces of scrap mountboard at hand. They are not a significant sales item, but they may just catch someone's eye and perhaps I'll get a sale.

[poliopete]

Mark and Peter, thank you for your replies.

If the image was much smaller I would not be so hesitant but the poster is 920 x 600

At end of the day I'm daft enough to give it a go after all, there's only a few things that can go wrong

Peter.

[Steve N]

There is not much difference in doing a quadruple mount than a double mount, when I first started framing I did a display for the shop where I used every colour of mount we stocked and all the boards were 40x40cm and I just cut each mount increasing the border size by 5mm, then stuck them all together, it was about 1.5 inches thick, from the front it was just a series of mounts ending up quite small.

if you tried to do it the normal way , cutting face down starting with the top mount , then the next one down should be okay cutting , then when you do the 3rd one, use 3 bits of scrap mountcard under each end of the cutting bar, so there will be no bend in the middle of the cutting bar, which would mean the blade will not cut through the mount and then do the same for the 4th layer, have 4 bits of scrap mountcard each end of the cutting bar. Just make sure you clear enough space on you workbench by the mount cutter, take your time, don't rush it, in fact try it on a smaller mount first, have a practise, see if there is any problems, then you have only wasted some small bits of mountcard
Good luck

[poliopete]

Thanks Steve - such practical advice as usual. As for preparation, I always work as you suggest, clearing the decks, and allowing plenty of uninterrupted time.

Cutting a window mount this size, with my mount cutter, does mean lifting the guide rail off the lugs, cutting so far then, keeping the blade in the cut, slide the guide rail along to finish the rest of the cut.

I have cut over sized mounts hundreds of times this way without problems but cutting four that must line up precisely is a worry. Perhaps I have lost a little confidence as I've gotten older.

Peter.

[prospero]

If the mount does not fit you cutter then I don't fancy your chances 'winging' it. Especially if any of the reveals
are less than 5mm. If you have dry-mounted it then why a mount??? I'd close-frame it and concoct a frame to suit.

[poliopete]

Peter, your right to doubt my chances of getting the mounts right but that is what my customer wants. Concocting a frame would be a doddle but my customer has firm ideas.

At the moment I'm leaning towards letting Wessex Fine Art cut the mounts

[Not your average framer]

The easy way to cut a quadruple mount is to cut each layer to the same external size and then cut and the different layer separately before gluing them together, if you are cutting the mountboard blanks using the same stop settings on whatever you are cutting them to size, it will be a simple matter the line up the edges on all the levels, if the blank are cut on something which cuts to a true 90 degrees. I know it's not quite textbook, but that's how I do it. I imagine someone will tell me that is not doing it right, but it works for me.