The Framers Forum

Hi Pete,

It's Mark Lacey. If possible I try clean un-varnished acrylics with Vulpex diluted in water as the first option, rather than white spirit. Not that I've experienced anything bad using white spirit on acrylics, but if water will do it, why use anything more agressive.

For my sin in another life I sold polymer test equipment….I got to know the polymer industry quite well……….I still subscribe to one of the main polymer publications Most of the products I currently sell in my business are made of polymers…..some of which I spec into the electronics and heath care m...

I have a limited stock of hardened steel veneer pins in various sizes and I find them very useful, as they don't bend. Unfortunately, I'm starting to run out of many of the most useful sizes and so far I have failed to locate a source of supply for these. They have a black finish and I think they pr...

Does anyone know a sure-fire way to tell if you are dealing with an oil or acryilic, before you choose you method of cleaning?

I test a small area first to see if anything bad happens, but it does not necessarily tell you very much other than nothing bad happened.

Now you have to know which varnish is compatible with the inks used and the coating on the canvas, before you risk varnishing it.

There's gotta be an easier way to earn a living!

Les Sutherlands equipment is still available and includes:- Morso F + spare blades. Cassesse manual underpinner. Keencut Excaliber. Keencut Ultimat gold Point guns, etc. Location = Tedburn St Mary (near Crediton), Devon. Edited to remove Margaret Sutherland's phone number, now that all the above ite...

Well these are the words of someone qualified... "As pestilenial as plastics may seem in our environment, in museum collections, they are properly regarded as being unstable and difficult to maintain. Wood and metal are far more stable, in the long term" Unstable? Yes, the plasticisers in...

The special ink-jet compatible coating on some types of ink-jet canvas is not that well bonded to the canvas substrate. It only needs to adhere to your thumb slightly more than it adheres to the canvas and....... So far I've not fallen foul of this problem, but I recently refused to clean an ink-jet...

If it's not too late and the job is already done. How about this! I wonder if your customer ever saw the film "Terminator 2". If the film there was a cabinet containing a robotic arm from "Terminator 1" and a large looking silicon chip or microproccessor. If you didn't see the fi...

Gummed paper tape does not stay stuck to plastic moulding, points for fixing backs fall out to easily and as for flexi-tabs.... They often look c**p a few years later. So what do they do for the prestige of your business?

Also I believe a guy named Steve, who runs 'The Frame Shop' in Worthing had ties with them. His phone No is 01903 261180. Thanks John, I left a message on his answerphone and he got back to me today. He still has some of Derek's remaining stock and can help me out. Derek's business as it turns out ...

It looks like they have gone. They don't appear to have filed any accounts since 2005 and there is an ominious entry about "striking off", which I assume in my ignorance may be related to the register at companies house. Details are at: http://www.simplycreditreports.com/company-number/031...

re size: this can be an issue. tend to try and limit the size on narrower plastics for two reasons: screws dont seem to hold as well on d rings etc, and of course a bendy rim if picked up bythe top (by the customer) can come way. so sometimes we run a drop of hot melt between the backing and the ri...

Hi, I've had a catalogue and samples from "The Hand Made Moulding Company" for quite some time and nobody ever asked to have anything framed in one of their mouldings until now. Unfortunately, the phone number, fax number and web site in their catalogue appear to be no longer in use. Can a...

I don't use wire at all and didn't realize that so many others do until reading this thread. Perhaps someone would like to educate me and tell me what it's advantages are compared to cord. I use Lion's low stretch polyester cord in sizes 1, 2 & 3. I use size 1 with the small single hole D rings,...

If this thing is an artificial arm, one could perhaps frame it holding something in it's hand. For instance, this could bring a new angle to framing a cricket bat. Might start a whole new trend in framing - cutting edge stuff here!

Hi, Unfortunately, I have been told that Les Sutherland is unwell and unable to continue his business. I don't know the nature of his illness and did not feel it right to ask, but his wife Margaret is selling his equipment and stock. My impression from my conversation with Margaret is that neither h...

Hi, I've just found out about a plastic material called "Polymorph", I don't have a use for it right now, but it looks like something useful for framing difficult items. It's an easily mouldable plastic which becomes mouldable at 62 degrees centigrade in hot water or by warming with a hair...

Right now, most of our business is the higher value end too. Very little cheaper work at all. It's a big suprise, because December was well down.

Hi Mary, I haven't done the sums yet, but we are so busy I can't manage with my present staff and this is just the over the counter stuff. I also have 34 pictures to restore for a company which provides us with insurance work, a further 19 cleaning & restoration jobs from other customers and sev...