The Framers Forum

I'm hoping someone can help me please.
I bought a second hand Keencut ultimat gold and followed all the instructions to assemble it but can not for the life of me get it to square up properly. It is at least 5mm out when trying to cut a simple square mount. I looked up the instruction manual on the keen cut website and followed it to a T for squaring up the cutting bar but it's still not working.
Any tips or advice on how to get this square as it's obviously not good.
Thanks, Elaine

That's a long way out!

Are you squaring up using the bottom bar or the left hand side one?

Get yourself a square and check that your mount board is exactly square to start with. Then push a decent sized (50cm) definitely square bit of mountboard against the bottom guide (nearest to you under the cutting rail) the cutting rail should be at 90 degrees, and so should the left hand guide.

Once you can see which bit is not square, I'm sure we can help you sort it

Alternatively you are welcome to give me a call and I will talk you through it

Thanks for your advice I'll go try everything you've suggested and then get back to you if I'm still having trouble.
At the moment I'm using the bottom bar to square up so I'm wondering if that's off.

Thanks again,
Elaine

It would be unlikely that the small bottom bar attached to the main part of the machine was out of square, but if you have the Right hand extension attached - that may well have been damaged, and not sitting true.

and the matguide t bar - if thatsnot square to the cutter bar - the 'windows' you cut will never be square - its easy to check - set guide as far to left but still on the base - small piece of mountboard under the cutter bar - draw a pencil line on the board first with board nearest you and then with board moved to the top away from you - they should be exactly over each other . If not adjust with the two screws on the t bar . hope thats not confusing.

Ok so I've been trying everything everyones kindly been advising me too do so far and I've got to this point.

When cutting a mount board to size 3 sides are all perfectly square but the first side I began cutting at is always at least 4mm off, sloping from the top so that the 4mm is away at the bottom next to the base. The manual says if this is the case you have to turn the hexagon adjusting screw clockwise until its corrected but this screw is already as tight as it'll go....

So this is the major problem as if I can't get the board to be square from the start this will then through off all my apertures. But it's really confusing me as how can 3 sides be perfect and one so badly off?

hi,

make sure you slide the mountboard in from the left and cut a strip off the end to get a straight and square start to the mount. dont rely on the measuring arm as this bends and moves. the t square (if that is the problem) can also be adjusted with an alan key. i found following the instructions in the manual worked for me but took a lot of tweaking.

ell.