Andy Pastuszak
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Posts: 1,591 
What I collect: United States, Ukraine, Ireland
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Post by Andy Pastuszak on Aug 3, 2021 15:37:29 GMT
I don't think I'd get along with a rotary cutter. I'd end up with miscuts all the time. The Fiskars I use is perfect. I can see everything and know exactly where the cut will be made. I can imagine some of you would cringe at me cutting the mounts with the stamp in the mount! I also lick the top/side loading mount with the stamp still in the mount. In the 50+ years collecting (although I did have a 30 year hiatus) I've never had a problem.
The titanium blade has a line in the holder showing where the blade is, so the cut is just to the right of the guide wire.
 (stamp and mount used for demonstration purposes only) I looked at this exact cutter, but it doesn't have a metric ruler. |
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brightonpete
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On a hike at Goodrich-Loomis
Posts: 5,110
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Post by brightonpete on Aug 3, 2021 15:46:22 GMT
I looked at this exact cutter, but it doesn't have a metric ruler. True, but then I never use the ruler with the way that I cut up the mounts. |
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Andy Pastuszak
Member
Praying for my family and everyone in Ukraine.
Posts: 1,591
What I collect: United States, Ukraine, Ireland
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Post by Andy Pastuszak on Aug 3, 2021 16:07:22 GMT
I looked at this exact cutter, but it doesn't have a metric ruler. True, but then I never use the ruler with the way that I cut up the mounts. I measure my stamps and cut the mount 5mm wider than the stamp and then insert the stamp.
I used to do what you do, and put the stamp in the mount and then use the cutter. At one point, the mount slipped (I can't remember why, but I am sure it involved a cat), and I sliced through a stamp.
At that point I did some measurements, and found that a stamp mount is 5mm taller than the size on the package, so if you cut a mount 5mm wider than your stamp, you should have a mount that's just the right size.
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Post by michael on Aug 3, 2021 16:40:23 GMT
For me this only happens occassionally. I use two options.
1) Measure the length of the mount, and cut to that length minus the required length.
2) Cut to slightly wider than required. Use the horizontal rule to measure the length. Cut small bits off until it is the correct length.
I copy the approach that is used on my hingeless Lighthouse and KABE albums, the mounts are cut 4mm over the size of the stamp and mounted to exactly fit the allocated marked space. As I'm not a worldwide collector, I guess I have more time to do this as I don't print many pages (on average one every 2 weeks over the last 9 years).
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Andy Pastuszak
Member
Praying for my family and everyone in Ukraine.
Posts: 1,591
What I collect: United States, Ukraine, Ireland
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Post by Andy Pastuszak on Aug 3, 2021 18:49:22 GMT
I don't think I'd get along with a rotary cutter. I'd end up with miscuts all the time. The Fiskars I use is perfect. I can see everything and know exactly where the cut will be made. I can imagine some of you would cringe at me cutting the mounts with the stamp in the mount! I also lick the top/side loading mount with the stamp still in the mount. In the 50+ years collecting (although I did have a 30 year hiatus) I've never had a problem.
The titanium blade has a line in the holder showing where the blade is, so the cut is just to the right of the guide wire.
(stamp and mount used for demonstration purposes only) I looked at this exact cutter, but it doesn't have a metric ruler. Rotary cutter blades seem to last longer than the blades on these titanium cutters. It doesn't make them better. Just something I noticed that's different. |
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cara
Member
Posts: 200
What I collect: Germany (FRG, GDR, Berlin); occupied Germany 1945-1949, Deutsches Reich 1872-1945, Switzerland, USA (newbie)
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Post by cara on Aug 3, 2021 21:01:36 GMT
With all these high tech cutters I now understand why there are so many (partially) imperforated U.S.-stamps  |
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JeffS
Member
Posts: 2,844
What I collect: Oranges Philately, US Slogan Cancels, Cape of Good Hope Triangulars, and Texas poster stamps and cinderellas
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Post by JeffS on Aug 6, 2021 1:05:53 GMT
I guess I'm just old school 
But it also opens envelopes including those stiff mailers and trims chip board and a variety of paper stocks. |
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DrewM
**Member** 
Posts: 32
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Post by DrewM on Mar 27, 2022 23:25:19 GMT
It's well-intentioned advice from experienced collectors who want to warn others away from doing certain things. But I suspect what they really mean is "It didn't work for me."
"Split-back mounts will hurt your stamps." If they do, I've never seen that.
My experience with open-top (three open sides) mounts is that thye allow stamps to move around and even fall out of the mount much too easily. I insert the stamps firmly into the "pinch" point at the bottom of the mount, but some still go cock-eyed or even fall out, especially when the album is bumped hard. You may not find that, but for me split-back mounts don't have that problem. But with split-back mounts, you have to choose the correct size for your mounts and not try to squeeze a stamp into a mount that is too short. Thats how you could damage it. This may be the source of this warning about split-back mounts. Someone is squeezing stamps into mounts of the incorrect size.
Solution: Don't do that. Select the size that allows a small extra amount of room. All size guides for mounts, and the sizes of the mounts themselves, tell you to use a mount a little taller than the stamp, so any measurement accounts for that. If your stamp is 31 or 32 mm tall, you use a 33mm mount. If the stamp size is between two sizes of mount, use the larger size. This takes no time at all to learn.
"Glue the mount to the page first." I have never done this. But feel free if you like.
I put the stamp (carefully) in the mount, then dab the top of the back of the mount lightly with moisture, then carefully line up the mount where it needs to go and apply it. I've never had a problem and there has been zero moisture problem. Just don't slobber on your mounts (or hinges).  One or two small dabs of moisture will do the job. You don't need to even lick a mount. That may be too much moisture. I imagine someone with a slobbering problem would suggest you glue the mount down first. It's a lot easier to control the amount of moisture you apply to the mount.
Also never moisten the bottom half of a split-back mount. This makes it impossible to open the mount later to remove the stamp. You want to be able to lift up the bottom of the mount. It should not be attached to the page. I'm sure everyone knows this.
As for the order of doing things, I always put the stamp into the mount first, both before I mount the stamp in my album and even (horror of horrors!) before I trim the mount. With just a little practice you'll know exactly where the cutter will cut. I've trimmed exactly one stamp too close. It was one of the first times I cut mounts, and I misjudged where the blade would come down. I have never done this since, so apparently it took me one stamp to learn where to cut. And I only knicked the perfs. If you allow a little leeway, you'll be able to cut mounts -- even with stamps in them -- every single time. Why do this? So you know how wide the mount needs to be. Your stamps look much better if they're not in overly wide mounts. This is especially true for black-backed mounts which are more unforgiving because you notice the edges much more than with clear mounts.
Have fun -- whatever way you do things.
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JeffS
Member
Posts: 2,844
What I collect: Oranges Philately, US Slogan Cancels, Cape of Good Hope Triangulars, and Texas poster stamps and cinderellas
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Post by JeffS on Mar 28, 2022 0:07:00 GMT
It's well-intentioned advice from experienced collectors who want to warn others away from doing certain things. But I suspect what they really mean is "It didn't work for me." "Split-back mounts will hurt your stamps." If they do, I've never seen that. I find open-top (three open sides) mounts allow stamps to move around and even fall out of the mount much too easily. Even though I insert the stamps firmly into the "pinch" point at the bottom of the mount, some still go cock-eyed or even fall out, especially when the album is bumped hard. Split-back mounts don't have that problem. But you have to choose the correct size for your mounts, and if you squeeze a stamp into a mount that is too short, you could damage a stamp. Solution: Don't do that. Select the size that allows a small extra amount. All size guides for mounts, and the sizes of the mounts themselves, assume that you will use a mount that is a little taller than the stamp is. This is just simple common sense. "Glue the mount to the page first." I have never done this, not even once. It just seems very strange, but feel free if you like. I put the stamp (carefully) in the mount, then dab the top of the back of the mount lightly with moisture and then I (carefully) line it up where it needs to go and apply it. I've never had a problem and there is zero moisture problem if you don't slobber on your mounts (or hinges). Develop a "moist, but never wet" tongue habit. You can do it. |
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DrewM
**Member**
Posts: 32
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Post by DrewM on Mar 28, 2022 1:57:22 GMT
Glue sticks make good sense to me, the only caveat being what kind of glue is in them. If it turns out to be damaging in some way, that wouldn't be so good. But on the back of a mount, even that probably wouldn't do much harm, and I don't think the glue is damaging given that large companies have tested it. Or so they say, anyway. We can trust large corporations, can't we? I guess we'll see over time. But I think that'a a good idea.
I've mounted a few cheap items in my albums using double-sided tape, and not just because I'm too lazy to cut a mount for them but because I want to see if the adhesive holds them for a long time and what harm is done. So far, they're still there with no damage at all. If they start falling off the pages, though, that experiment will be over. Some glue sticks, I notice, are designed to be removable for a few minutes to give you time to think about it, then the glue hardens and becomes more permanent.
I think it's Davo brand mounts that are removable due to their adhesive, so they must use the same sort of removable glue. Or are they just self-adhesive (like stamps of the same type), but not removable after they're mounted? Not sure. If a glue stick allows you to remove the mount with the stamp in it -- to reposition the stamp or to put it on a different page, or whatever -- that's a benefit. As long as the glue doesn't stop holding. I wonder how well they will hold over many years?
One advantage of a glue stick is "no slobber" on the mount.
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brightonpete
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On a hike at Goodrich-Loomis
Posts: 5,110
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Post by brightonpete on Mar 28, 2022 2:01:49 GMT
Quite often these days, I am re-mounting stamps to show off differently, or there are too many errors on the page. I just take my tongs, remove the stamp, then slide one of the the tongs under the mount and carefully swipe away until the mount comes off. It's now ready to be re-used since I just lick a small area at the bottom. Maybe I'll try the glue stick and see how that works. Does it hold up over 50 years?
Not that I'll be around that many years! I'll be lucky if I am still here in 5!
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angore
Member
Posts: 5,700
What I collect: WW, focus on British Empire
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Post by angore on Mar 28, 2022 11:24:01 GMT
I use a glue stick (Elmer's Craft repositionable) with top loading mounts (smaller sizes) and I apply the glue (dab) to page rather than mount.
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brightonpete
Departed
Rest in Peace
On a hike at Goodrich-Loomis
Posts: 5,110
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Post by brightonpete on Mar 29, 2022 0:26:02 GMT
I use a glue stick (Elmer's Craft repositionable) with top loading mounts (smaller sizes) and I apply the glue (dab) to page rather than mount. |
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paulc
**Member**
Posts: 33
What I collect: USA, Argentine, Bolivia, Brasil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Peru, Venezuela
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Post by paulc on Apr 23, 2023 18:12:11 GMT
Here's the Carl 6" cutter I've been using for stamp mounts for years. I love it.  |
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Andy Pastuszak
Member
Praying for my family and everyone in Ukraine.
Posts: 1,591
What I collect: United States, Ukraine, Ireland
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Post by Andy Pastuszak on May 11, 2023 1:02:48 GMT
Here's the Carl 6" cutter I've been using for stamp mounts for years. I love it. I bought this off Amazon and it arrived today. It's ALMOST perfect. This is my only complaint:
I really wish there was no gap in the ruler. Any mount I need cut between 70 mm and 72mm might end up being a little off since I have to "best guess" the position.
Other than that, the cutter is wonderful. It's a nice small size. It has a rotary blade. There is a blade cover. Ruler swings out to 210 mm.
Look at how small this thing is (USA Philatelic for scale):
Thank you paulc for recommending it! |
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paulc
**Member**
Posts: 33
What I collect: USA, Argentine, Bolivia, Brasil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Peru, Venezuela
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Post by paulc on May 18, 2023 1:04:51 GMT
I have another cutter I use for larger items, it's a Carl DC-200.
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Andy Pastuszak
Member
Praying for my family and everyone in Ukraine.
Posts: 1,591
What I collect: United States, Ukraine, Ireland
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Post by Andy Pastuszak on May 18, 2023 1:40:30 GMT
If you need to cut multiple mounts, here is something I came up with. Everyone may know this already, but it's new to my brain.
Take a post-it note and stick it at the size marker on the ruler. When you slide a mount in, it will hit the post-it note and stop. Then slice.
I like this so much I do it every time I cut any mount. I don't need to worry about the mount moving.
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angore
Member
Posts: 5,700
What I collect: WW, focus on British Empire
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Post by angore on May 18, 2023 10:06:55 GMT
My Showgard cutter has a cantilever spring feature to hold mounts while cutting. My biggest cutting challenge is large mounts that do not fit in the Showgard (height/width).
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One or two small dabs of moisture will do the job. You don't need to even lick a mount. That may be too much moisture. I imagine someone with a slobbering problem would suggest you glue the mount down first. It's a lot easier to control the amount of moisture you apply to the mount. 
