Keencut SteelTrak substrate cutter review

[dgberg]

Another slow Sunday morning and thought I would throw up a mini review of the Keencut SteelTrak.
For years I have been fighting the handling of large panels, think 4x8 and 5x10' Dibond and Gatorboard.
Even more of a problem than the handling was the dust created when cutting.
I have a beautiful sliding table saw and it does a fantastic job of slicing these up except for the dust.
Even with my good dust system those particles cling to everything. I have known about the Keencut for sometime but with a price tag over $4k it has never been in my budget.
For the past 6 months I have had my eyes open on Ebay and several equipment forums. Finally one became available on Ebay.
I got him down to $1500 and it came a week later. Purchased a lot of equipment in my 35 year business career and this was one of the best.
Set it up and was cutting in about 30 minutes. This unit can take a 5x10' sheet. The cutting head rotates simply by pulling a knob and rotating the cutter head.
A razor for gatorboard, ultra board or sintra. Cuts like a hot knife through butter. A glass scoring tool for glass and plexi. A dual wheel cutter for dibond. It does a really slick job and not a bit of dust or filings.
The 2 wheel cutter puts a little tiny roll on the edge of dibond that I don't like but a quick trip to my jointer with carbide helical cutter takes that away with a single pass.
One step I wish I did not have to do but it is a whole lot easier than handling that big sheet on a table saw.
I use it most of the time for cutting gatorboard for photo mounts. Slide a sheet under the hold down pull the clamp that holds it firmly in place.
A flip out measuring device on either sides makes it so easy for repitious cuts.
Makes quick work of cutting small or large quantities of panels, dust free.
I have a wide format printing business but 75% of my income comes from mounting and framing.
The print customers feed that business. A single $40 print order turns into a $250 mounting and framing job very easily.
If you are presently just selling prints and want to step to the next level consider doing it all.
Takes a little investment in equipment but if you have the room go for it.

[arobinson7547]

I settled on the Fletcher 3000 and you are right; that little STOP is priceless for cutting multiples of the same size. The one thing I 'can not' do [and maybe none of these machines] is take a little sliver off of Foamcore you have to me sure to have enough material fed thru to give it some bite. Foamcore really is, well, Foam. My downside is the 3000 on goes to 1/4 inch (no half inch)

[dgberg]

Yes you are limited with the 1/4" Can you cut 3/8"?
We don't use foam core so never had a chance to try it.
Another thing nice about gator if I accidentally made a panel a 1/16" or 1/8" too large to fit in the frame.
I run it through my jointer and one or two passes and fits perfectly..

[arobinson7547]

with the Steeltrek, I did not realize until I saw the thing in person that these things are size rated for their vertical height. The 127 cuts a 5x10 board in the TALL position. It's hard to determine if you need 4x8 or 5x10 (meaning no matter what size you buy (just like [your] heat press) you'll always wish you had gottenn the next size up, for that one odd Job. It's the same when people buy Large Format Printers. You get 44 and then new 54. You get 54 and need 60. You get 60 and wish you had a 10ft machine.

I thank it helps to make those choices (think and reason it thru) before you purchase and just live with it. There is going to always be larger and a need for it.

While I have your ear, I really have to say, that the whole Large Format Heat Press thing is just the Consumer being Ripped (as in ripped off). I'm sorry but I just don't see those presses being worth what they are priced at. And here is how I KNOW. There are several Chinese presses for MUCH less money. There are other products that fall in the Finishing Market, like the Roller Royce laminating table (some name like that) that is priced insanely high. It's a product that CAN be built very well for, I'm sure, al LOT less money. I just think it's Gouging and the lack of competition.

[Richard.Wills]

A few things - Keencut have a new twin wheel cutter that is supposed to reduce the curl on the left hand cut side. Haven't got one yet, but that would simplity the DiBond cutting order dilemas. The twin wheel is also really good for cutting  down mounting board - the rolled edge actually give the boards a premium feel.

You can buy additional production stops to really speed up cutting lists.

There is a replaceable cutting sight line - if this gets damaged, replace or remove it, otherwise you get slight , and very repeatable dinks on DiBond.

The V-Groove cutter is kinda neat - Designing a load od storage divisions out of folded 3mm DiBond (can also be used to make sign trays).

The aluminium cutting head (atleast the one I got 8-10 years ago) is a great way to make curvy aluminium.

There is actually a seperate tool for scoring acrylic - works much better than a reversed stanley blade

A great machine and one that is definitely worth reading the instuctions for, and a regular CLA doesn't hurt.

[dgberg]

In reference to my Knight Maxxi press.
 Before I purchased the new one I looked long and hard for a good used one with no luck. I then looked closely at the HIX from Kansas and then the China and Brazil models. I had been thinking about this for years and just could not pull the string on 12 grand.
My best client a local hospital came through with 2 large projects and that's when I decided to go ahead with new. Those two projects paid for that press so no financing. I doubt I would have proceeded if I had to borrow the money. I could have gotten the same size press from China for half the cost but if something breaks you are really dead in the water until they send you the parts and you repair it yourself. That is too much of a risk. Are the Knight presses over priced, sure they are. They are made in a USA shop near Boston, probably the highest priced labor force in the NE USA. I would guess Knight could have that press made in China for half of what he makes it for but he doesn't. Will I get my money out of it, probably not. If I was 50 I would say sure. If I was 60 I would say maybe. At almost 70, no way but that's ok. I love what I am doing and could afford it and that is all that counts.

[dgberg]

A few things - Keencut have a new twin wheel cutter that is supposed to reduce the curl on the left hand cut side. Haven't got one yet, but that would simplity the DiBond cutting order dilemas. The twin wheel is also really good for cutting  down mounting board - the rolled edge actually give the boards a premium feel.

You can buy additional production stops to really speed up cutting lists.

There is a replaceable cutting sight line - if this gets damaged, replace or remove it, otherwise you get slight , and very repeatable dinks on DiBond.

The V-Groove cutter is kinda neat - Designing a load od storage divisions out of folded 3mm DiBond (can also be used to make sign trays).

The aluminium cutting head (atleast the one I got 8-10 years ago) is a great way to make curvy aluminium.

There is actually a seperate tool for scoring acrylic - works much better than a reversed stanley blade

A great machine and one that is definitely worth reading the instuctions for, and a regular CLA doesn't hurt.

I am going to check again with them about that new cutter. You gave me that tip right after I purchased the unit. I called tech support and the teenager that answered knew nothing about a new cutter. I will try again maybe his dad will answer.
Thanks for the tips, one of the best tools I own.

[Panagiotis]

I am going to check again with them about that new cutter. You gave me that tip right after I purchased the unit. I called tech support and the teenager that answered knew nothing about a new cutter. I will try again maybe his dad will answer.
Thanks for the tips, one of the best tools I own.

I just watched this Keencut video (posted on Oct. 7, 2020) comparing the SteelTrak original C type cutting head for aluminum composites with the new improved C2 type:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Czt4zYHMyM

I thought to resurrect this thread and post it for future reference.

[arobinson7547]

Thanks for the update on the new Head. If one where to buy one now, at least you would 'know' to start with the newest one and not let anyone sell you the old model.


Since this is a mixed thread, Dan mentioned the issue of Support on the GK/Chinese Heat Press.

Does anyone have any idea of the reliability of Large Format Heat Presses. You know 'some' devices are just plug and play and they just do what they do. I've not had any experience with this type of device, though. It 'could' be that they are pretty solid.

Meaining if this type of press is no hassle, I'd most 'certainly' get a Chinese model and save my money.

[Richard.Wills]

C2 looks interesting - have a job coming up that would really help with. Nice thing about steeltrak is that the heads are modular, so if you get an older model, you can upgrade.
For us right-pondians, the Keencut customer service is awesome. I'm sure that there are Chinese firms producing high quality kit with good CS, but it's often hard to beat local service. When we bought a 4k vacuum press, we got training, lunch and unlimited support from (Drytac) Hotpress. Sure you can always buy cheap, and if your lucky, come out ahead. But if you need to rely on the kit you buy, then R&D, CS and making enough to pay their workforce in the region you live in, means that buying local is going to cost more up front.

What large format should I get - depends on who has the best dealer support local to you, for the times when it goes wrong.

/rant

[dgberg]

I am anxious to see both cut edges done with the new cutter to see if any of the edge are rolled and the cost of course.
Presently only cutting gator with mine.
Using sliding table saw or Festool Track saw for dibond.

[Richard.Wills]

I'm pretty sure there will still be a subtle rolling of the edges - the nature of pizza wheels. But the bowing of the LHS piece looks to dramatically reduced. Currently, I have to factor in losing a few inches on the LHS of the cut to the curle from the current head. Cost looks to be £100 or so.

Have a job coming up that this might let me cut from 2/3rds of the number of sheets of DiBond. A Saw system can give lovely perpindicular edges, but the static loving dust...

I'll let you know the results, if/when I get the new cutting head.

[Richard.Wills]

New C2 cutting head arrived just as I was about to leave this evening. Very quick play - rolling of edges is reduced, but still there. LHS offcut has way less bow to it.

It's physically larger than the C head, and now the cutting head drifts down to the bottom of the machine, where it lurks, waiting for my shins (workshop layout is tight!)

Will play more on Monday.

[Panagiotis]

New C2 cutting head arrived just as I was about to leave this evening. Very quick play - rolling of edges is reduced, but still there. LHS offcut has way less bow to it.

It's physically larger than the C head, and now the cutting head drifts down to the bottom of the machine, where it lurks, waiting for my shins (workshop layout is tight!)

Will play more on Monday.

Thanks for the update! Please keep the information coming!

[dgberg]

Thanks as well.
Since I run all my dibond over my helical head jointer to get rid of the saw marks, how much of a roll is on that edge.
If it is less than an 1/8th" several light passes should get rid of it. Anything more than an 1/8th"
and I think I will stick with my sliding table saw.

[Richard.Wills]

"it's physically larger than the C head, and now the cutting head drifts down to the bottom of the machine, where it lurks, waiting for my shins (workshop layout is tight!)"

Update to this.
Just finished a large fiddly DiBond mounting job. Prior to starting, I called Keencut, to see if there is anything I can do to fine tune the counterbalance on the steeltrak. Instructions were emailed to me moments later, but didn't provide enough resistance to support the cutter head.

Their plan B: they sent out a replacement C2 cutting head, which has just the right amount of material cut out from it to make it weigh the same as the original cutter.

I've said it before, Keencut's after sales service is every bit as good as their products, which are first class.

I reckon the roll is a couple of mm at most.
With the new cutter head, I was able to cut and use strips 76mm wide on the LHS, something that I couldn't have done on the previous model.


Oh, and their new 080 blades are seriously awesome. Clean, low resistance, wickedly sharp and hold their edge

[enduser]

The video says "Made in Britain"

[Richard.Wills]

I know. Who'd of thought not all things were made in China.