Oval & Circle Mat Cutter from Logan Graphics - 201

To install a blade in the Logan 201 Oval and Circle cutter, first remove the cutting head from the scale bar. Locate the blade-holding knob and loosen it two or three turns. Insert one Logan #324 blade down into the blade holder from the top and use your thumb to wiggle the top of the blade so the blade seats properly at the bottom. So simply retighten the blade knob. Put the cutting head back on the scale bar and the blade is installed.

To set the size of an oval (for this case an 8 by 10), first slide the cutting head to the 8-inch mark on the scale. To set the differential setting, loosen the post knob on the top of the Chrome post and slide the plate inside the base to two inches for a difference of two inches on your oval. In this case, the difference between 8 and 10 is 2. Take a pre-marked piece of mat board, color side up, with a piece of backing board underneath. This can be done easily with a T square or similar device. Use the marks on the outside edge of the oval base to perfectly align the center of the oval onto the mat board. Use your palms to press down. The sharp pins on the underside of the base sync into the mat board and help hold the base still. To begin the cutting process, press your left hand on the base, and with your right hand on the scale arm, rotate the cutting head from a 1 o’clock position down to approximately 5 o’clock position. Spin the mat board underneath and continue.

On the first step, the blade doesn’t actually cut into the mat board. You’re simply lining up the wheel. After one full revolution, click the blade lever one step. Make another full revolution, and this allows the blade to score the surface of the mat board. After completing a full circle, click the lever to the second step, which allows the blade to cut halfway through the mat board.

On the third step, the blade is now cutting all the way through the mat board and scoring into your backing sheet underneath. At this point, you can remove the oval cutter, set it aside. The window should drop out, and you have a perfectly beveled, 8-by-10, oval mat. To cut a circle, loosen the knob on the top of the post and slide the post to the dead center of the base of the oval cutter. Again, use a backing sheet and a pre-marked piece of mat board, align the marks on the base with the cross hairs on the mat board, and press the base in to insert the pins. Following the same steps as before, roll the cutting head around the mat board once to align the wheel, and use your fingertip to click the blade lever to the first step. Make a full revolution with the blade scoring the mat board. Click it to the second step. Blade now cuts halfway through the mat board. And on the third step, we cut all the way through the mat board and score the backing sheet. Set the oval cutter aside. Window will drop out, and you have a perfectly bevel-cut circle.

Welcome to MyBinding Video. This is the Oval and Circle Mat Cutter from Logan Graphics. This cutter can take a bit to get used to, but its a very precise, useful tool. First you’ll need to load the blade into the cutter housing. Just loosen the thumbscrew and drop the blade in as far as it can go, with the blade facing left, and tighten the screw. There are two main adjustments to the cutter, the first is to set the diameter of your circle, the second on the inside of the base, is the oval offset which can be set up to 3 inches. Use a cutting pad or a piece of backing board behind your mat. To properly center your cut, mark two lines that intersect the very center of your mat. Set your cutter onto the mat, aligning the markers on the sides with the lines on the mat, and press down to set the bases small pins into the mat. With the blade guard all the way down, run the once blade all the way around the mat. On the second pass, lower the blade guard one setting to start scoring the mat. On the third pass, lower the blade guard completely and make one more full rotation. Your window should come away from the mat, leaving a perfectly bevel-cut circle or oval. For more videos and all your binding needs, visit MyBinding.com.