Offcuts

Coxby · Post by **Coxby** » Thu 16 Jun, 2005 10:35 am

Does anyone have any bright ideas on the best way to keep/file offcuts. I'm currently putting them in a large box and never seem to use any! What a waste

I also have a 'Proteus' framing table with mount bays under the work top. I find that the sheets of mount card bend, is there a clever way of storing full sheets? Thank you in advance.

More So · Post by **More So** » Thu 16 Jun, 2005 11:01 am

The trick is to get into the habit of checking the box for suitable bits en route, either to or from, your moulding rack every time you prepare to make a frame.

Our (self made) mountboard storage unit has solid dividers at 10cm intervals, which does allow some curving but not to an unacceptable level. If I was doing it again I would try to make the slots at an angle rather than vertical. This would allow the sheets to lie flat against the slope. Has anyone tried this?

JFeig · Post by **JFeig** » Thu 16 Jun, 2005 12:24 pm

here in the US we call them "cutouts" or simply "scrap board". In either case since they multiply like rabbits, they are never all used. I have for years cut them unto standard sizes for making ready made mounts ( 5x7, 8x10, 11x14,16x20 etc). My maximum ready made size is a 16x20 mount.

I price them from $.70US to $2.90US for standard board and $1.10US to $5.00US for conservation boards. These prices have not changed much in the last 10-12 years. The artists like them due to the prices.

I also have given boxes of cut ready made mounts as well as uncut scrap board to schools, sheltered senior groups, and other needy organizations where they have art programs and no money for supplies.

I have a small mount cutter (24") and I can cut about 50-100 an hour in the evening. Now with a CMC the cut rate is about the same, but easier on the arms.

Jerry

Framing Norah · Post by **Framing Norah** » Thu 16 Jun, 2005 3:46 pm

We keep mountboard offcuts that have a reasonable chance of re-use in two fairly large slots inder a bench. All the whites/ivories in one slot and the colours in the other. Keep them filed in numerical order and you will have no problem checking for, and retrieving, the desired mount.

In addition we always place the offcut in the portrait orientation and the slot is marked with a vertical scale. This allows us to see straight away if the chosen board is big enough for our purposes without having to take it out and measure it.

Smaller offcuts, with a lesser chance of being used, are thrown on a pile on a shelf. Once the shelf starts to groan, we take half of the pile and give it to a local art group.

We automatically check for an offcut before cutting into a full sheet.

SquareFrames · Post by **SquareFrames** » Mon 27 Jun, 2005 6:32 pm

Hi,

FN
Love the idea of a vertical scale for the offcuts.

We keep ours separately but not in numerical order, just havent the space, we do keep them in colour like you, whites / ivorys, etc. the rest we try and keep it up to date, but when push comes to shove and its busy, they are just set in any which way. Once a week (normally on a Sunday morning when everyone else is asleep) I go and sort it all out ready for the next working week.

As mentioned before in a posting, we give all our unworkable offcuts to local schools for the hadicapped, etc. FOC, I decided long ago that I would only help the special needs schools (One of our artists teaches in a special needs school) and only those artists / art clubs that supported us.

Does anyone charge artists / art clubs for their offcuts? I have heard of some framers charging anything from 50p -£1.00 per offcut, seems a bit much for a scrap piece that would be thrown out eventually.

Steven

Steven

Framing Norah · Post by **Framing Norah** » Tue 05 Jul, 2005 2:42 pm

SquareFrames wrote: FN
Love the idea of a vertical scale for the offcuts.

You can never have too many vertical scales.

Other areas where they can be very useful: -

A scale in the glass storage area can be used to judge glass offcut sizes in the same way as the mountboard.

A scale going up to the ceiling can be handy for measuring moulding, it allows you to quickly verify delivered quantities, and is also useful for stocktaking.

markw · Post by **markw** » Wed 06 Jul, 2005 12:35 am

nothing quite as frustrating as a length of moulding thats just too short. apart from the same moulding thats not quite the same - or damaged. my advice is an annual cull - you have to be realistic and realise you just arent going to use any of it - untill the day after the cull. as for mountboard - you charged the customer for the whole board - be fussy about what you keep - give the rest away to playgroups - schools - art groups.

Bagel Framer · Post by **Bagel Framer** » Sat 22 Dec, 2007 10:12 pm

Hi all,

I need to make a mountboard storage unit of some description and can understand the idea of making angular dividers as "more so" refers to.

Is there any reason why said unit can't be made horizontal? The main reason I can think where vertical is better is that mountboards would be easier to access and get to.

Thanks!

Roboframer · Post by **Roboframer** » Sat 22 Dec, 2007 10:29 pm

Wahay - a resurrected topic!

Horizontal storage is great - but the problem is weight - hey - I'm a poet!

If storing horizontal, you want lots and lots of narrow shelves - you don't want more than 5-10 boards per shelf if there are mixed colours on each shelf - put 10 sheets of board on your bench and try to take the bottom one out.

If you have a shelf per colour - that's a lot of shelves.

Vertical storage does not need strength - you can 'flip' through sheets - the strength that vertical storage requires is wasted space - unless you have it to spare.

You don't need shelves if storing vertically - just separators that don't bear any weight - the shelves required to store (say) 10 sheets of mountboard, need to be (say) 5 sheets of mountboard thick - and braced.

osgood · Post by **osgood** » Sun 23 Dec, 2007 4:01 am

Coxby wrote:Does anyone have any bright ideas on the best way to keep/file offcuts.

I file almost all of mine in a one cubic metre dumpster!

ross · Post by **ross** » Sun 23 Dec, 2007 10:42 am

We have a number of bins made inhouse from MDF approx. 1000(L)x400(W)x 600(H) that have small wheels on them that are stored under our work benches. Matt-board offcuts are stored in sequential order in the bins - a listing on the face of each bin identifies what it contains

Prior to cutting each batch of matt-boards, the operator checks the bins for offcuts suitable for each job before selecting a full sheet from the racks where they are stored in a vertical manner

Definitely would not store matt-boards horizonally

Ross

WelshFramer · Post by **WelshFramer** » Sun 23 Dec, 2007 1:52 pm

ross wrote: Definitely would not store matt-boards horizonally

Ross

Why's that?

I have a horizontal storage rack (http://www.welshframing.com/boards.jpg) mostly made by B&Q who cut the MDF sheets to size; some bookcase runners from Screwfix and the slide-out shelves strengthened with some moulding.

The worktop doubles as a frame assembly area (built to be the same height as the Cassese) and a work area for the vacuum press (just off to the right of the picture).[/img]

kev@frames · Post by **kev@frames** » Sun 23 Dec, 2007 3:09 pm

we cut any offcut into stock mounts asap before the piles become unmanageable. standard board just gets torn up and dumped in the trade waste dumpster. use as much as possible for liners (undermounts) and mount backs, but still end up with mountains of the stuff. sell bundles in the shop for a couple of quid, box up and ship loads to a chap who makes cards for a childrens hospice.

the only effective waste management strategy is to bite the bullet and throw the majority away

Framer Dave · Post by **Framer Dave** » Fri 28 Dec, 2007 6:32 am

The best method for storing pieces or full sheets of mount board I've come across is numerically. Personally I think it's insanity to organize by color. After all, the samples are identified by number, the worksheet specifies a number, and you order them by the number.

You don't need a huge number of bins either. Number the bins from 00-99; the divisions will depend on how many bins you have. Then file the boards away according to the last two digits, regardless of color, manufacturer or type.

All the boards are numbered in the top left corner (when viewed in landscape format) with a code for the manufacturer followed by the number and are then stored with the shorter edge out. This way you don't have to pull the board all the way out to hunt down a number, and you won't be fooled into thinking you have a larger piece than you really do.

Following this system you might have in one bin, left to right: C1775, B8576, A4880, B8442.

osgood · Post by **osgood** » Fri 28 Dec, 2007 7:32 am

WelshFramer wrote: Why's that?

Mike,
I think the best way to store mats and mat offcuts is vertically. I also agree with FramerDave that they should be stored in numerical order.

When stored vertically, the mats/offcuts can be flipped through easily to find the one you want, then it is also easy to slide it out.
When stored horizontally, it is much more difficult to locate the one you want and even more difficult to slide it out if it is near the bottom of the stack. Sliding them with the weight of others on top will also make shiny spots on the surface of darker mats.

Spit · Post by **Spit** » Fri 28 Dec, 2007 11:40 am

I did mine as slightly off vertical, the top surface doubles as a workbench.

Moglet · Post by **Moglet** » Fri 28 Dec, 2007 5:21 pm

As per Dave and Ormond, I would heartily recommend numeric as the way to go for board filing. I changed from colour to number inside two months 'cause I was hacked off at taking ages to find boards.

osgood · Post by **osgood** » Fri 28 Dec, 2007 6:59 pm

Spit wrote:I did mine as slightly off vertical, the top surface doubles as a workbench.

Mine is similar to yours, but has a vacuum press and a lot of other junk on top. (It's also a bit bigger and chocablock full! I have nearly the same amount again in heaps around the place which is all going to the cardboard recycler next week when I go back to work.)

My full sheets and parts sheets are stored with the good sides all facing the same direction, and the number pencilled on the back of the upper front corner. I can find them easier that way.

Spit · Post by **Spit** » Fri 28 Dec, 2007 7:23 pm

osgood wrote:It's also a bit bigger and chocablock full!

That photo was from when I had just finished building it, it's got a lot more in it now!

BTW I do the same as most, numbered order. I use the same numbers in pre-view and estlite, so its consistent throughout the production process.

ross · Post by **ross** » Sun 30 Dec, 2007 11:41 am

Sorry Mike, but I missed your query as to why I wouldn't store matt-boards horizonally and I see Ormond has basically provided the answer I would give - I just think the weight factor has to be considered and we find the vertical storage an easier way to store

You have obviously devised a system that is working for you to use the horizon way of storage - do you find difficulty in getting the lower sheets out. Mind you, in times when we have large numbers of full sheets in storage, it can be difficult getting 1 sheet out of an overcrowded storage rack!!

We store all matt-boards in numeric order

Ross

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