How about cutting picture framing mats?

[johnm]

Folks -

The wif and I were on the front porch having Gin and Tonics, and she idly asked me if I thought that the 'bot could cut picture mats. Interesting thought, perhaps with a small 45 degree chamfer bit? My only thinking is that it would have to be pretty darn small in cross section since you're only cutting 1/8" thick mat board, and also wondering how cleanly cut the inside corners would be. For cutting circles, arcs, curves and ovals, it would be a real dream. Has anyone done this?

John Moorhead

[jhicks]

John, I've come close so this may not be your answer but its worth a try. I bought some very cheap "engraving bits" at the local Harbor Freight store. 21 different engraving tips on 1/8" shanks for $12.00. couldn't pass them up. I needed a paint mask stencil so I simply taped some $.49 cent white poster board to my table and used a small V engraving bit to cut out the stencil .015" deep. It scored the edge nicely and cut completely through just fine. Only one piece mind you but I'll be trying them again for plastic engraving before long.
I also see that sign shops sell a "gerber router knife tip" which I believe is sold to run vinyl cutting on their router tables but not sure. I can only imagine that its a simple "exacto knife" type blade that spins in a collar to let the knife follow the curve and cuts. Grimco has them in their catalog 800-542-9941 and they call them "Swivel blades for gerber routers" Not sure if this is what they are intended for but thats what it looks like to me. Turn the router off, drop the Z and follow the vector I guess?
There was another post not long ago about a vinyl cutter/ cnc adaptation you might try to dig up.

[trakwebster]

Here in the town where I live, I have a buddy who runs the Mount Shasta Gallery which sells 'western art'. He mentioned to me that there exist computer-driven mat cutting machines. If that's true, it might be productive to locate some of these machines.

Then peek at them and see what they're using for a cutter.

[pierrewessels@hotmail.com]

The company that I work for "during the day" is the largest wholesale picture framer in North America. Based outside of Vancouver BC we operate in 2 buildings totalling about 220,000 square feet and employ over 500 people - up to 700 seasonally! We have 7 industrial cnc mat cutters. They are are very fast at what they do - much faster than using a modified router.

The models we have allow for a straight 90 degree knife cut or a separate knife mounted at 45 degrees allows for making beveled cuts. When we are busy we can produce 10 to 15 thousand cut mats a day - as small as 10" x 10" and as large as 32" x 40".

The cnc mat cutters use a pneumatically raised and lowered knife blade. The x and y is usually a table/gantry type arrangement. The only z axis travel they have is about .5" from the up position to the down position (either up or down no middle settings).

Pierre

[cliff4049]

Hello all, I have read the message that are in here, I do own a cnc mat cutter it is the top of the line that this company makes and it is one of the highest rated mat cutter on the market, and we have very good luck with it. but with the way the framing market is going you always have to find new ideals to keep our business growing, that is why I am looking at the shopbot and why I had posted my message on new forum to ask for information on the machine, we are able to do a lot with our mat cutter but you're limited to the size of clip art you can cut and also how it cuts the clip art there are times when you want to add items to a mat that is smaller then what can be done with the mat cutter because it use a flat blade and to make letters and clip art smaller you need to be able to cut with a router type bit. plus you and also use the router to add to the wood moulding, we have tried a laser cnc for wood but you have a problem with how deep it will cut with out burning the wood, so I would like to find a machine to work on the mat board and wood.

[mrdovey]

Cliff...

There may be someone closer than I; but if you don't mind driving to Des Moines, you can try a test case on my PRT-96.

...Morris

[bill.young]

Hey Cliff,

I've tried to cut matboard for a friend that does framing with a bunch of different kinds of bits and haven't found any that will cut it cleanly enough...they all leave a fuzzy cut edge with lots of fibers sticking out. You could do a quick test with a v-bit in a hand router...my results have been disappointing.

Has anyone come across a bit that cuts matboard and that sort of material cleanly? Did you do any more tests with your engraving bits Jerry?

Bill

[dirktheeng]

I really think shopbot should get into the mat cutting because I think they have a superior product that could have dual functionality for less money. The cheapest mat cutter I have seen is over $12k. They could easily add another head that has a vertical rotational axis and a blade at 45 deg with a pneumatic plunge for the knife. They could probably sell an attachment for much less than what a mat cutter system could be baught for.

[jseiler]

If it doesn't matter too much what the mat material is made of, one can cleanly cut styrene plastic to use instead of standard mat material.

John