Hand held mountcutter...

[Patrick @ John Jones]

Hi All.
Even though I have a superb, state of the art, brand new CMC, I've suddenly found the need to purchase a hand held cutter! I haven't needed to use one of these for 10 years or more... and as a result buried within my workshop tool box lie the remnants of what used to pass as one. Does anybody have any recomendations with regard to the best one to buy/use nowadays? Cheers

[JFeig]

Patrick,

Can you please explain what you need...... Are you doing and oversized mount and are doing straight lines... Or are you doing decorative design cutouts.

If it is oversized straight cuts. I disassemble one of my 3 cutters and clamp the machined bar with the sliding cutter head to the table (either a "c" clamp or an assistant) with the board between the bar and the table. Scrap board protects the table surface.

[Patrick @ John Jones]

Hi JFeig.
On extra large mounts I too would normally do the same as you but unfortunately these mount openings will have irregulaur shapes and are 125 + inches in length, so something freehand is the only way to go...

[JFeig]

My favorite hand mount cutter is old Dexter cutter..........it is chrome plated and has a big base that fits the hand. For small tight cutting (carving) I like the "cube" that used to be made be Dahl.


BTY when I started I had an "old timer" who used a mat knife and a steel straight edge. He had a right hand wrist that was almost twice the size of his left hand. After each cut he would strop the knife edge on 600 grit wet/dry paper

[Roboframer]

From memory, Cube cutter available from Lion, maybe the dexter too.

Very impressive website BTW Patrick - 38,000 ft workshop - Gordon Bennet! Do you do tours?

[Patrick @ John Jones]

Great thanks for the tips guys, I'll have a look at those cutters. It'll be quite strange using one again but like riding a bike... once you learn you never forget! Thanks for the compliments on our website. The workshops are quite big and we do give tours sometimes to visitors explaining our practice to frame only to museum standard.