print/film trimmers

[mark_parsons1]

I'm looking for a print trimmer which can handle materials (paper and film) up to 24" in length. As some of the material will have to be handled in the dark, the trimmer needs to have an adjustable stop on it. I'm considering the Rotatrim M-24, which seems like it fits the bill, but I've never seen one in person. Any recommendations or advice would be appreciated.

 

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Thanks,

[chad_jarvis1]

I own a Rototrim Mastercut II, and although it is smaller, I would

highly recommend the company's other trimmers based on its quality.

It's an excellent product.

[simon2]

Ditto on the Rotatrim endorsement. I have the 54" and it's great; I

use it to cut everything from 5x7's to huge posters. If you don't drop

it, a Rotatrim will serve you well for life. (Note, though, that the

longer Rotatrims take up a lot of counter space and you don't want to

be moving the big models on and off the counter all the time. . . so

don't get one much larger than you think you'll need. I could have

gotten by with a 36.) The only tricky part with large pieces like big

posters is making sure your cut is square; the trimmer is only 12"

wide regardless of length so there's not a long edge to put against

the border that's at the right angle to the cut. In these cases it

helps to draw a right-angle line on the material (using a large

square) before putting the piece in the cutter.

 

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Also, the ruler on my cutter seems to be placed about 1/16" close to

the cutting edge, so an indicated 8" cut actually comes out just under

that. Not a big deal--I compensate automatically now--but don't cut a

whole batch of material without first cutting a sample and measuring

it with a separate ruler, not the one built into the cutter. Then you

can set the guide accordingly (to 8-

[simon2]

That was "to 8-1/6, for example, on my cutter."

 

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Don't know why it cuts

[triblett_lungre_thurd]

I have the m-24 also and it's a fine piece of equipment. The advice

about dropping it is sound as with all gear but I've a couple of

warnings to add. Don't pick up the cutter by it's rails for a couple

of reasons: the gunk on your hand can build up and cause the

sliding cutter and or rails to get dirty and pit and don't lift it by

the

rails or the cutter head because you could bend the rails slightly and

loose some accuracy on your cuts. It's much more robust than I'm

making it sound but you can never be too careful.