Reducing cutter block slop on Magnolia mountcutters

[Not your average framer]

As some may have noticed on another thread, I am helping a family who are friends of mine to get equiped and to start their own framing business. While going with them last week to look at a Morso, (which they bought), they asked the seller if he would throw in his mountcutter as part of the deal.

I was amazed, but he agreed. It is an old Magnolia and was rather showing it's age, with quite noticable head block slop. I was planning on looking around for something a bit newer and with less wear.

Since they had got it, I needed to get it fixed and spoke to a friend who a gifted engineer. I briefed him on how it works and let him get on with it. He phoned me later the same day having fixed the loose hinges, a lot of sideways movement in the cutter bar, problems with the start of cut stop and even the slop in the head block as it slides on the cutter bar.

Now here's the good bit! He dismantled the head block and found two worn bronze bushes inside the aluminium head block. All he had to do was to remove, clean, rotate, and refit the bushes. I haven't got the mountcutter back yet, but he says the slop (or movement) has gone!

There's some broken measurement strips (rulers) on the cutter bar and the margin guide with the broken off bits missing, so I've ordered so self adhesive relacements from Axminster Power Tools. All being well, I hope to have set up the mount cutter to work with single sided blades, calibrated it, trained a young framer to be on how to cut mounts, all by the end of the week.

I'm still amazed. They now have a Morso, an underpinner and a mountcutter and it only cost £520 to buy the whole lot. There's a few limitations as the underpinner, (which is in excellent condition, with no noticable wear), does not like really hard mouldings such as ash or oak and probably has always been the same, but it's a working set up.

Those who are yet to get started and feeling overwhelmed by the cost of things, may like to consider the fact that there's a lot of older equipment around and often can be bought quite cheaply, if you don't mind a little bit of work reconditioning and fixing. I'm not saying that everything can be fixed, but a lot can be, if you are careful not the buy "a pig in a poke".

[MITREMAN]

Hi Not Your avarage Framer,
Good to hear about another Magnolia Cutter About.
I still have one and I'am still using it mines a Rapier model 48", whats yours? I can cut anything on it I need and maintain it well.

I was at Magnolia/framers Equipment when it was introduced it was Magnolia's answer to the American Keeton cutter which I also have in working order. In those days the bests machines where Keeton and C&H
then came the magnolia version.

I may have a manual somewhere if you need one.

My brother Peter at Framers Equipment may have some Spares as well as he bought up the complete Magnolia stock, I know he has the tape measures.

Regards MITREMAN

[Not your average framer]

Hi Jan,

This one is a Magnolia "Maestro". I haven't measured it, but it's probably a 48" version too. I got it back from my friend today and have been busy checking it out and calibrating it.

My friend is right that it has reduced the slop in the head block, but he's not a framer and for me it's still not as perfect as I would like. Part of the trouble is that the round bar which it slides along is also worn, which means that there is no slop whatsoever at one end, but still some slop at the end where it has seen the most use. I have already stuck on a new self adhesive tape measure which arrived this morning. Thanks for the info about your brother having got some, although I don't need one the info may help someone else.

I have figured out an operating technique to overcome the existing slop and can cut text book quality mounts, so my friends will be able to do so as well, we I teach them the technique. This involves lightly applying a twisting action to the head block with one hand via the start of cut stop mechanism while operating the head block as normal with the other hand as per normal. It solves the problem which was causing hooked cuts, but now no more!

It's not an ideal way of working, but these guys have spent all their cash and need to run with what they've got. I'm pushing them quite hard to get their workshop set up and to start practicing during the next few days. I intend to have them ready for anything before the Christmas rush, so they can get on their feet and start making a living. They are pretty much on the breadline right now, so it's really important to get things moving.