The Framers Forum

When I took over the workshop I got a lot of coloured mat boards. Stored in these drawers. Sadly a lot of the mat boards have scuffs/scratches in them. (I’ve read a little about how to try to save them.)

How should I store my new ones so they don’t get scuffs/scratches? Some kind of paper between them? What kind? A new storage solution?

Personally, I would use those drawers to store customers' artwork safely and create a vertical storage box for mountboards. In my experience very few boards receive any damage when stored vertically, any damage I find is usually caused by returning an offcut into the vertical storage. I imagine that the damage in your case is being caused by a board dragging over the board below as it is removed. That is a lovely stack of plan chests!

Vertical storage seconded.

I have found a fix for scuffed dark coloured boards that is pretty much successful every time! Drench a clean rag in water and wring out well (not completely though). Wipe gently around the entire mount and dry instantly with compressed air. The scuff has miraculously vanished! You're welcome!

Another vote for vertical storage. Get yourself some cheap backing boards to use as dividers - but then have more rigid dividers fairly frequently too otherwise you can get too much of a bow happening. We have our stored in manufacturer and then numerical order which makes it very quick and easy to check stock levels.

Okay ….

Do you store white daily use mat board and back board vertically as well?

I have this from previous owner. I’ve tried to organise with dividers but it’s always chaos.

So I thought I’d use the plan chest more. Maybe I have to rethink again. Especially since Oppboga mat boards don’t fit in the drawers. Munken fit!

Forgot to say thank you for quick answers!!

All boards stored this way. I suggest in whatever order makes best sense to you, be it by colour, product number, whatever. Vertical storage is so much easier. We designed a table to take our CMC. 18mm MDF for top, base and sides with 9mm MDF dividers every 10cm. Solid as a rock.

Stina wrote: Tue 28 May, 2024 2:07 pm Do you store white daily use mat board and back board vertically as well?

Yes, all mountboard stored together.
I have a slightly angled glass storage unit which I also use to store backing boards. Offcuts of glass can be stored very easily between sheets of backing board.

Yes, all board materials stored vertically.

I have a convenient gap under a staircase where I store all my mountboard. The packs are stacked end-up and the colours
are separated by 4x3 sheets of 2.5 MDF. Over ½ sheets are returned to any opened packs and less than ½ sheet off cuts are
stored in a rack on castors.
Sheet materials are notoriously hard to store but storing them flat is probably the worst way to do it.
It depends a lot on the space you have available.

I use rigid foam board as vertical dividers.