Omer Air Flexi Driver

[Adrianp]

I am considering changing my Fletcher FrameMaster point gun to an Omer Air Flexi Driver. I would like points to be of similar thickness/stiffness to the Fletcher Framers Points but have been advised by Lion that even the Semi-Rigid points are not as stiff. I have little call for more flexible points and if I do I have the yellow and green guns.

I would welcome any comments from anyone with experience of the Omer driver.

Lion did say however that the points in the Romaflex F-15 driver are stiffer. This is a machine which I know nothing about does anyone use one?

Comments are eagerly awaited.

[Roboframer]

I have the 53 it fires flexible and semi-rigid tabs- Omer do a gun that fires rigid tabs only - the Omer 53.5 - not sure how rigid they are.

Fletcher make a pneumatic gun that fires the same rigid tabs that you are used to, but it won't take other makes of tab.

The photo below shows rigid tabs fired manually and semi-rigid fired pneumatically with the Omer 53 - take note how much further they go in to the wood!

They are both also shown bent out and they were both as difficult to bend - the semi-rigid is much more difficult to completely remove.

omerfletchertabs.jpg

[Not your average framer]

Hi Adrian,

I don't yet have an air powered flex-gun, but I use the Alfamacchine semi-rigid tabs with a manual gun and personally I don't find them any problem in normal use. One advantage with the semi-rigid tabs is that compatible semi-rigid tabs are available from different suppliers.

Perhaps the supplier you intend to purchase from has a demo gun, so you can try it with the semi-rigid tabs, before you decide. Or alternatively perhaps they will be willing to send a few tabs as samples, so you can see how stiff they are for your self.

Also being fairly local, you are always welcome to come and try the semi-rigid tab in my workshop, if this helps.

All the best,
Mark

[Graysalchemy]

I use an omer 53 and they are IMHO the most robust guns. The semi rigid points are stiff enough to securely hold a picture in a frame but can still be bent back, but not as easily as flexi tab. Because they are semi rigid then they would not pass conservation leval of framing, but that is only because the guild stipulates that they be rigid and not give a measurement of the tabs gauge.

I would not choose any other gun they are IMHO the best.

[Roboframer]

I've only ever had the Omer - it's not jammed once - or had any other sort of problem in - I dunno - 6 years of constant use.

But when I decided to go pneumatic I thought I'd ring the Lion tech help desk for advice and the guy said sorry he couldn't recommend one over the other - had to be my decision, but he asked which I was thinking of and when I said the Omer - he said "THAT'S the one" - and not to worry about the repeater or the rigid one. He explained what I've shown above - a semi-rigid tab fired from the Omer (and probably any other pneumatic gun that will fire them) is more rigid and secure that a rigid tab fired from the manual tabmaster.

Because they are semi rigid then they would not pass conservation leval of framing,

There you have it - I'm not a conservation framer after all.

[Jonny2morsos]

I have an Omer 53 which I bought 2nd hand for thirty quid! I have only ever used flexi tabs and it has never missed a beat although now days I just use it for frames I sell on to end users photographers etc. who need to open up the back to put in photos or for ready mades.

I use rigids from the black Fletcher gun for all other work but having read the above and looked at Robo's photos may give the semi-rigids a go.

[stcstc]

i use an omer 53 with semi rigid and they work really well

i buy semi rigid from lion

robo pointed me at them, cant remember the number though

[Roboframer]

i buy semi rigid from lion

Well, Lion are good, but they've never had that effect on me

[stcstc]

[Adrianp]

I have read the replies with interest and thank those who responded. The Omer appears to be the tool to have so I need to save up or raid the Piggy Bank.

Thanks once again.

[Not your average framer]

If you get the standard Omer gun then you can use the same gun for semi-rigiids and flexi-tabs. Where I was trained they used to get dropped on the concrete floor quite regularly, but it never seemed to do them any harm. I've only ever heard go things about them!

[Roboframer]

Mine hangs on a tool balancer - OK, a bungee! It's also on a coiled airline and can reach anywhere on the bench. I'm thinking about getting either the repeater or the one that fires rigid tabs as well, but mainly so gunfights can be more fun, I hate it when it's my turn on the manual gun.

[Not your average framer]

Going back to my previous post: Because they were connected to a coiled lead the lead had to drag across the bench which tended to determine which end of the gun hit the floor and perhaps slowed the impact. We never used balancers and it did not seem to be a problem!

[Bagpuss]

I just bought an Omer 53 this week, can anyone give me the product code for the "semi-rigid" tabs from LION please ?
I got some "semi rigids" from Simons but I'd just call them "rigid", not an ounce of bendiness at all
I want something that is not as bendy as a bendytab you might find in a photo-frame but rigid enough to secure backing boards into the back of frame and then be able to bend them back again when you find a hair under the glass
Thanks,
Adam/Bagpuss

[Jonny2morsos]

Catalogue No 6998

The box says Framers Corner/Charnwood Rigid Tabs for T220 Tab Gun

They work fine on my Omer 53

I would say they are pretty rigid though, easier to pull out and put new ones in than bend.

[Not your average framer]

I use the Alfamacchine Semi-Rigid tabs. You get 10,000 in a box for about £20 a box. A box lasts for ages and works out as just about the cheapest way to buy semi rigid tabs.

[DCS]

I've just ordered the Omer 53 from Lion after reading the reviews from you chaps.
It will be replacing a red pneumatic one I have that I have named "Bob Marley" which was a pita!