KEENCUT ARTIST User manual

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THE WORLD’S FINEST CUTTING MACHINES
ARTIST
MAT CUTTER
INSTRUCTION MANUAL
GB

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User Instructions
Contents
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4
Getting Started The Slipmat & Blade Information 5
Bevel Cutting Setting the Blade 6
Cutting a Simple Mat 1 7
Cutting a Simple Mat 2 8
Calibration 9
Maintenance Squaring 1 10
Squaring 2 11
The Slide Bearings, Lubrication &
Cleaning
12
Optional Accessories Vertical Cutting Attachment & Squaring
Arm
13
Fitting the Twin Production Stops 14
Using the Twin Production Stops 15
The “Plus Pack” 16
Cutting Techniques Cutting Unequal Margins & Offset
Corner Mats
17
Cutting a V-groove 18
Cutting Multiple Openings & Title Boxes 19
Know your ‘ARTIST’ Mat Cutter

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User Instructions
Know your ARTIST Mat Cutter
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Lifting Handle
Matguide
Base
Cutter
Head
Matguide
Indicator
Cutterbar
End Plate
Slip Mat
(not included)
Bevel Blade
Holder
Blade Clamping
Screw
Stop Indicator
Blade
Depth
Screw
Thank you for choosing a Keencut Artist Mat
Cutter. Every effort has been made to bring
you a superbly built product with the promise of
many years of good service. Please read these
instructions carefully in order to obtain
maximum benefit from your machine and
remember, in case of difficulties ask your
distributor or Keencut Limited for assistance.
Start Indicator

5 GB
THE SLIPMAT
A Slipmat (A) is used under the matboard (B) when bevel
cutting, this ensures crisp clean cutting.
Make it from standard matboard avoid using dense matboard.
Size - approximately 15cm (6") wide and at least 5cm (2")
longer than the longest mat you are going to cut.
When using - ensure the white side is uppermost and replace it
when the surface damage becomes obvious.
BLADES ARE ONE OF THE MOST CRITICAL PARTS OF THE MACHINE, in all cases the blade used
should be the one most suited to the job - when bevel cutting, a precision ground and honed blade is required
with an oil free surface (many blades are packed with an oil film to protect them) and the surface should be
corrosion free.
The hardness and toughness of the blade is also critical.
All these factors add to the manufacturing cost of quality blades, however the option to use inexpensive
blades leaves quality to chance and can increase wastage.
BLADE DEPTH is critical when bevel cutting. Too deep and hooking will occur, too shallow and the blade will not
penetrate. The tip of the blade should cut through the matboard and score the slip mat about 0.5 - 1 mm (1/64" -
1/32") deep. The method of adjustment is explained later.
HOOKING is when a curved cut is produced at the beginning of a bevel cut. This is caused by the blade bending
or moving sideways when being pushed into the matboard, the blade then springs or moves back to its correct
position as it begins to travel down the cut.
BEVEL CUTTING blades used on the Artist are rectangular and come in three varieties:-
User Instructions
Getting Started - The Slipmat & Blade Information
Please note: When using the Tech S.012 blades you can only use the one tip as indicated on the blade.
A
B
If you require sample blades contact Keencut direct and a small quantity will be sent F.O.C We would be
pleased to know your results!
TECH D 012
Double ground edge 0.012"
thick. (knife edge)
For general purpose cutting on most
matboard (some are supplied with your
machine)
TECH D 015 Double ground edge 0.015"
thick. (knife edge)
TECH S 012
Single ground edge 0.012" thick.
(chisel edge)
Particularly useful for thicker soft
materials like foam centred board and
double thickness standard matboard.
Suitable for many thicker, dense
matboards such as conservation board
and museum board.
CUT

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User Instructions
Bevel Cutting - Setting the Blade
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TIP Change your blade regularly. The cost
of half a blade (two cutting tips per blade)
compared to matboard is negligible.
NOTE:
The Artist has been tested and adjusted to give
accurate results on a standard matboard. You
may need to adjust the machine to give accurate
cutting if your matboard is of a slightly different
thickness to that of the test mat.
IF NOT
INSTALLING THE BLADE
Firstly remove the blade left in the holder from test
cutting, slacken the Blade Clamping Screw (A) and
slide the blade out from the back of the Bevel Blade
Holder.
Slide a new blade in from the back of the holder, push
it forward until it reaches the blade stop.
Fasten the Blade Clamping Screw.
KEENCUT
TECH D 012
A
ADJUSTING THE BLADE DEPTH
Place the slipmat (B) and matboard (C) in the
machine as for normal cutting. Slide the cutter head
towards the top edge of the matboard.
Depress the blade holder fully to penetrate into the
slipmat at a point close to the edge of the matboard.
Inspect the amount of blade penetration into the
slipmat, It should be 0.5 - 1mm (1/64" - 1/32"). B C
ADJUST THE BLADE DEPTH
Slacken the Blade Clamping Screw. Using the
2.5mm hexagon wrench, turn the Blade Depth
Adjustment Screw (D) clockwise to reduce the depth,
counter-clockwise to increase it.
Press the blade forward against the blade stop,
tighten the Blade Clamping Screw and check the
blade depth. D

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User Instructions
Bevel Cutting - Cutting a Simple Mat 1
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3DRAW THE CUTTING LINES
Lift the cutter bar using the handle and place the
matboard coloured face down on the slip mat.
Ensure the left hand edge of the matboard is touching
the mat guide and lower the cutter bar to clamp the
matboard in position.
Draw a pencil line down the length of the matboard.
Rotate the board and repeat drawing a line along
each of the four sides of the matboard.
The following example shows how to cut a simple mat with a border of 3 (cms or inches) on all
four sides.
SQUARENESS
Before cutting the inside of the mat it is essential that the blank is accurately cut to size and has square
corners. Do not rely on full size sheets of Mat Board being square and always check the squareness of pre-
cut blanks. The Artist Matcutter is not fitted with a vertical cutter (for cutting the outside of the mat) as
standard, it is available as an option.
See the ‘Optional Accessories’ section.
IMPORTANT
1 CUT THE BLANK
It is important to cut the blank of matboard accurately
to size with square corners. Any size of blank larger
than 20cms(8”)square will suit this example.
2SET THE MATGUIDE
After checking the blade depth place a slip mat in
position on the cutter.
Lock the Matguide Limit Stop (A) on 3 (cms or
inches) - this sets the border width. A

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User Instructions
Bevel Cutting - Cutting a Simple Mat 2
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4READJUST THE MATGUIDE
The blade cuts about 1mm (1/16”) to the left of
the Cutter Bar, move the Matguide to the left
by that amount and when cutting the blade will
cut down the pencil line.
1mm (1/16”)
5THE START
POSITION
Bring the Cutter Head
towards you until the Start
Indicator (A) lines up with the pencil line.
A
6INSERT THE BLADE
With your left hand, grip across the Cutter Bar
in front of the Cutter Head, and tight to it, to
prevent the Cutter Head moving away from
you when the blade is inserted. Tip the Bevel
Blade Holder forward to insert the blade in the
mat.
8THE END POSITION
When the engraved line
on the Blade Support
Plate reaches the finish
line retract the Blade
Holder.
9CUT THE OTHER THREE SIDES
Turn the matboard a quarter of a turn and cut
the other three sides in the same way.
7MAKE THE CUT
Pull the Cutter Head towards you using
constant downward pressure to make the cut.

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CALIBRATING THE START POSITION
Measure the amount of overcut or undercut at the Start of Cut, mark out
a mat as explained previously and position the cutting head on the
pencilled starting line.
Loosen the Start Indicator Adjustment Screw (E) using an Allen key and
slide the Indicator away from you by the amount of overcut or towards
you by the amount of the undercut. Holding the Cutter Head still tighten
the Indicator Screw and check that the distance between the pencilled
line and the Indicator mark is the same as the overcut/undercut.
E
User Instructions
Bevel Cutting - Calibration
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INSPECTION
Inspect the corners on the coloured side
of the mat and look for any overcuts or
undercuts at the start or end of the cut.
Be careful to identify correctly the Start
and End of the cut, remember the
matboard has been turned over.
CALIBRATING THE END POSITION
Measure the amount of overcut or undercut at the
End of Cut, when cutting the next matboard allow for
the difference visually. That is, if your were
overcutting stop before the engraved line on the
Blade Support Plate reaches the pencilled line and
visa versa.
TIP The End of Cut can be accurately and
easily judged by the position of the blade
itself in relation to the pencilled line. Try
practicing on some scrap matboard first.
BLADE DEPTH
Altering Blade Depth is not the correct way of
calibrating for overcuts and undercuts. The
blade depth should be set first and the cutter
then calibrated accordingly.
IMPORTANT
Firstly, measure the border width on the coloured
face of the mat. If the border width is not accurate,
say it measures 3.1cm (3 1/16”) release the
Adjustment Screw (A) and slide the Mat Guide
Adjuster (B) so it reads what you have measured—
3.1cm (3 1/16”).
The Mat Guide is now calibrated to cut any size of
border width accurately made from that thickness of
matboard.
A B
A
OVERCUTTING
A- Start of cut
B - End of cut
B
C
UNDERCUTTING
C- Start of cut
D- End of cut
D

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3 Repeat for the third edge. 4 And again for the fourth edge, always making sure
the bottom edge of the mat is in close contact with the
Measuring Arm
User Instructions
Maintenance - Squaring 1
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YOU SHOULD NOT NEED TO ADJUST THE SQUARING OF THE MACHINE!
SQUARING THE CUTTER BAR AND END PLATE is carried out in our factory before despatch on all new
machines. Therefore adjustment should never be necessary.
1 Take a matboard at least 65 x 65cm (25” x 25”) in
size. Clamp it under the Cutter Bar and trim off
approx 1cm (1/2”) from the left hand edge using the
vertical blade, ensuring the bottom edge is in close
contact with the Measuring Arm.
2 Turn the mat a quarter of a turn counter-clockwise
and trim the same amount from the second edge.
SETTING THE END PLATE SQUARE
WITH THE CUTTER BAR
The best method of squaring the End
Plate (A) with the Cutter Bar (B) is to
use the Optional Vertical Cutting
Attachment and cut a test matboard as
described below. If you do not have the
Vertical Cutter use a carpenters of
draughtsman's square between the
right hand edge of the Cutter Bar and
the End Plate, skip this section and
proceed over the page.
A Square B