Stock and bits n' pieces

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+Rafe+
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Stock and bits n' pieces

Post by +Rafe+ »

Hi all.

So during this downtime I have tried to have a look at how I run the business, looking at everything from my framing methods, the workshop layout, equipment maintenance and stock/materials I use. A good exercise 4 years in. I have received amazing input from this forum, and I am super grateful, I have learnt a lot!

The workshop has been redecorated, machinery moved to optimize space (everything on wheels!), blades off to be sharpened and so on.

I am about to place a re-stock order of a few essentials and it struck me that I am ordering the same items without too much consideration of other options.
I don’t think that these choices are necessarily ‘business critical’ but I would like to have a better view of all options.

I also thought this might be a good opportunity to add something back to the forum. Over these years I have bought various amounts of ‘bits’ and stock, some not great and it has been a bit of trial and error. I thought that it might be useful for me to list my selections and my experiences and might be of interest to new starters or equally folks who haven’t used some of these items.

It would be great to know what your essential items are from your experiences.

My go to’s and why I use them.

Back Board - I use as standard NuBord from Wessex and use both thicknesses. I find it easy to cut, it has a good rigidity and it takes my branded stamp well. I have only used ART-BAK Aqua for a specific job as an alternative so far. I did like how light this product was.

Mount Card – I am a fan of Larson Juhl and my basic staples are Artic White Conservation both 1400 and 2400 Micron with Onyx being my preferred black mount as it can take a few knocks and doesn’t scuff (top tip from Jan Stanlick). I have also used the Bainbridge mounts they have some beautiful colour selections. I will be ordering a few ‘white’ variants to have in my standard stock, I have been a bit lazy with the Artic White.
I use off cuts of the same mountcard for my backing mount.

Moulding – I use a combination or R&H and Lion predominantly. I like the quality of Lions bear wood products and also their FSC rating, I have been meaning to do a little more research into R&H and their standards. I have also used Wessex but as yet no other supplier.
I haven’t used much pre-finished moldings and this is an area I need to expand into. I will be looking at LJ.

Hanging hardware – As standard I use double D-rings and strap hangers (Lions 6594). I use the strap hangers for frames A2 size and over. However, I do find that these hangers are 1-2mm too wide for some of moulding I use, namely L001 from Lion and looking at alternatives. The R&H equivalent moulding however, A103, is better when using this hanger.
For narrow profile moulding I found these to be pretty good from Lion (2982). I haven’t tried riveting d-rings onto the back board yet as suggested to me. I only stock 15mm as the narrowest moulding as anything narrower I find too tricky work with.
I use low stretch picture cord from Lion but considering wire. I am not too sure of the merits of one over the other?

Glass – I started off with GroGlass then recently moved to TruVue. I am told (by Wessex) that one difference, that is fed back by framers, is that GroGlass is slightly easier to clean… I haven’t noticed that. Key difference from me is that the TruVue works out a little cheaper, certainly at the volumes I am buying.
However, I am considering moving back to GroGlass mainly due to the amount of plastic packaging that comes with TruVue. I am committed to do my best to reduce waste, buy environmentally friendly products and aim to reduce plastics as much as possible.

Glue – I use Titebond 3 when fixing frames together. I suspect that I don’t need to be using the waterproof wood glue but I had a few bottles given to me and ended up sticking ( :clap: :wink: ) to what I know.
I use Neutral PH glue (Wessex NPHA1) when sticking mountcard to foamboard or Mountcard to mountcard. I like that dries clear, is flexible and reversable with water. Its easy to work with.
I have a bottle of Evacon-R that I bought and can’t remember why I bought it or what its used for v’s the above bought from Wessex?

Tapes - as standard I have p90 plus for t-hinging photos (c-type papers), gummed conservation tape for most other things and also use tissue papers (and wheat starch) for delicate works. I have had mixed feelings with using linen tape when hinging window mounts, I fully suspect this is user error not burnishing adequately or it being too wet / dry.
I used to use PH 7-70 tape but moved away from using it based on feedback and now prefer using gummed tapes.
I have used HD tape from Lion (6919) when I have mounted A2 sized Giclee prints that had been backed onto 10mm foambard. The tape worked a treat and seems to be holding up well (one of the works is hanging in our home and against all my advice to my customers, above a radiator).
I used various widths of gummed brown tape to seal the back of the frames.

I haven’t gone into detail about machinery or tools as this seems to be very well covered as does finishing. That said I have just purchased a headless pinner and would recommend it. I had looked to buy the Axminster tool but noted that it was a 24 gauge and I wanted a 23G. I bought from amazon the Salki 86900006, it fires pins from 12 – 35mm and so far it works well.
And finally, my tip for black hand finished frames. I find that ‘Pebeo’ black Gesso covers really well, dries quickly and can be waxed and finished nicely. This method allows for the grain character to show but with no brush marks.

Thanks for everything and I hope that this is of use.
Justintime
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Re: Stock and bits n' pieces

Post by Justintime »

Its really interesting to compare notes!
Backboards - I like the waterproof membrane on the Corricor and Artbaks, we have a lot of traditional stone cottages around here (cold walls). I've just discovered that LJ has a MUCH cheaper version..
Mountboard - Mostly LJ Con/whitecore, Crescent have a good range of coloured boards too (all from Wessex delivery).

Moulding - same, but I also use Lion's and LJ prefinished. Lions is good mid range and LJ has a higher end look and feel.

Hanging - I tried wire, it hurts. Lions No.1,2 & 3 now.
Glue - Same, because its strong! I went to pull a sample I made apart the other day, took a lot of effort, then realised that it didn't even have any wedges in it. Evacon-R is EVA as opposed to PVA. It's an archival quality glue, so for anything inside the frame, when required.
Justin George GCF(APF)
Insta: georgetheframer
+Rafe+
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Re: Stock and bits n' pieces

Post by +Rafe+ »

Thanks Justin for the clarification regarding the glue!

As you say it’s interesting to compare notes. I am obviously not a veteran but certainly have learnt from experience and my own mistakes.

Would be interesting to hear others experiences.

Enjoy the sunshine.
Chris_h
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Re: Stock and bits n' pieces

Post by Chris_h »

It’s interesting reading what other people like to use.

I have heard lots of people like the Titebond 3 glue, not sure if I got a bad one, but I found it quite watery compared to the Wessex PVA woodglue I normally use. I found I was forever having to clean dried glue off the underpinner so witched back to the wessex one.

Mountboard all Larson Juhl, I find it feels more rigid. I do a lot more window mounted print work and find it feels more solid than some of the other boards. I don’t frame original artwork myself, everything I mount or frame for my customers I also print their work too.

Backing, I tend to use MDF and Artbak. Smaller stuff I tend to grab the artback, 70 x 50cm and above I tend to go for MDF. I also use a lot of MDF in my packaging. Boxes are made to sizes I need and then I line the boxes with 2mm MDF.

Tapes I use p90, ph7-70 and very occasional gummed conservation tape. Tape for the backing is always sekisui tape.

Glass is standard 2mm float or Anti reflective art glass from Groglass, I also find it cleans easier than the Truvue stuff. For cleaning I clean everything with Opti-Bright from Wessex, blue paper and a microfiber cloth

Moulding most comes from Mainline a bit from LJ.

Hanging I use cord, I like the Wessex cord. It might just be me but I always feel cord adds a little to the handmade feel of a custom made frame. That and I can also do cord much quicker than I can wire.
Not your average framer
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Re: Stock and bits n' pieces

Post by Not your average framer »

I like to be able to do as much as possible using stock and re-order and restock at my convenience. Large amounts of mt moulding stock is bare wood mouldings, general more than 90%. Moulding suppliers are a bit of a mixture, I like Simons, Rose & Hollis, Wessex Pictures and Frinton Mouldings. I've got some older mouldings from Wessex and Frintons which are more that likely discontinued, but the quality is amazing.

I've got a fairly extensive stock of mountboard, which goes back over many years, including Tru-vue, Arquadia, Colourmount, and Simons super value conservation boards. Originally I bought the stock of Western Arts when they closed down, which included 850 sheets of Tru-vue mountboard in un-opened packs, there's probably some Tru-vue boards left, but not that many. I keep quite a few decent sized off cuts, which I find helpful.

Backing boards are Simons BACK/12 and BACK/14 (if I've got the nubers right), a bit of left over Brittania Combcor (which is 5mm thick) and some Simons BACK/01, which is more for just packing and cheap bits and pieces, which I sell from time to time through the auctions.

Glass always comes from Wessex Pictures these days. I buy various bits and pieces from Lion and various paints from Jackson Art Supplies, Craig and Rose, Farrow and Ball, plus Homebase.

I do lots of hand finished framing and stacked mouldings. Mouldings often get bits cut of and stacked with bits from other mouldings. Customers trying to match older and unobtainable mouldings often come to me and I'll make up something, which is often quite a close match using whatever, I can alter to look right. I'm very definitely old school and do lots of older bits and pieces, which are quite popular in this part of rural Devon. There's lots of ancient cottages, barn convertions, old farm house and the like around here and lots of customers like things a bit old fashioned looking, to suit their old fashioned homes. I also get asked to repair all sort of old relics, from all over the Dartmoor area.
Mark Lacey

“Life is short. Art long. Opportunity is fleeting. Experience treacherous. Judgement difficult.”
― Geoffrey Chaucer
fusionframer
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Re: Stock and bits n' pieces

Post by fusionframer »

Chris_h wrote: Wed 24 Jun, 2020 9:46 am
I have heard lots of people like the Titebond 3 glue, not sure if I got a bad one, but I found it quite watery compared to the Wessex PVA woodglue I normally use. I found I was forever having to clean dried glue off the underpinner so witched back to the wessex one.
Titebond is decent glue, like you say, you may have got a duff tub.

Titebond original or 2 will be better for framing. Titebond 3 is known as PITA for dried glue squeezing out and it is harder to remove. I tend to use 2 if need external glue, original if it is indoors only.

Nick
www.fusionframing.co.uk

Never trust a dog with orange eyebrows.
+Rafe+
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Re: Stock and bits n' pieces

Post by +Rafe+ »

Hi again,

Thanks for the comments so far. Out of curiosity I am going to try Titebond 2. I have found that TB3 can be a bit messy to work with.

Has anyone got any suggestions regarding strap hanger issue I mentioned? Are there any alternatives, if so can someone point me in the right direction?

Cheers
I use double D-rings and strap hangers (Lions 6594). I use the strap hangers for frames A2 size and over. However, I do find that these hangers are 1-2mm too wide for some of moulding I use, namely L001 from Lion and looking at alternatives.
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