The Framers Forum

I sell prints and offer a choice of frame with them. I have both a manual and pneumatic tab gun that I use for Flexi point tabs in the frames. The problem I've had in the past is that when the 15mm tabs are driven in they are left with about 7mm showing. When a print with mount and backing are put into frame there is not really enough of the tab to bend around the MDF backing to hold the whole thing securely together. I have got around this by super glueing a broken in half mountcutter blade to the undersurface of the gun as shown in photo. I'm sure it could be neater but it works well.This means that the tab fires in about 1mm from the MDF board and in turn that gives more space for the mount and backing board. Only a little bending is needed but all is held firmly.
Hope that might be useful. By the way I bought this hand tab gun from Amazon. It's very solid and does a very good job for £24 !

I'm struggling to understand the reasoning to all this.
Would you not be driving in the flexi tabs when you have loaded up the frame?

I'm also confused. Sticking half a blade to the bottom of the gun sounds like a serious H&S issue or even what framers' nightmares are made of! I still don't understand what your issue is here. I think I get that your artwork is interchangeable, but flexi points are made for this purpose. Are you saying that your tabs are going in further than you'd like? In which case release the spring at the rear of the gun to prevent this. If you put a sample of boards into the frame and add the tabs then remove the boards, the tabs will be set in the correct position when inserting the artwork.

I think that this ………….

“there is not really enough of the tab to bend around the MDF backing to hold the whole thing securely together”

… means the rebate is not deep enough, otherwise there is no need to bend tabs and you’d be using rigid ones.

Anyway, if the idea is to raise the height the points are fired, just use a piece of board or card and follow it around the rebate with the gun!

1. I supply a choice of frame on my stand at shows with every mounted print bought that the customer then puts the print into themselves at home. If the Flexi point is driven in any less there will not be enough to keep it embedded securely. As said the visible part is not long enough to bend around thickness of mount board , print and card backing ( about 2.5 mm.) Obviously I could put mount board etc into every frame I make fire the tabs in to get the correct spacing and then take everything out again but that would be utterly pointless and take forever. By gluing the "spacer" to the base of the gun as shown in photo it replicates the depth of mount oard etc ( it actually gives about a 1.5 mm space) and means that when the customer closes the tabs back it pinches everything securely but with plenty of tab there.
2. Why on earth would I go through the effort and time of using a piece of card or something else to put under the gun ( hundreds and hundreds of times) when the spacer is already there fixed to the gun.?

3. The old blade is not dangerous in the least ! It is blunted on sandpaper and it basically a double layer of thin metal. It is nowhere near the direction of the tab when it is fired. It is simply stuck to the base and an extension of it thickness wise.Anything, of the right thickness preferably metal for hardness, could be used.

I make and sell thousands of frames a year and this has solved a problem in a very simple way. If it didn't work successfully I wouldn't have suggested it. Several other framers I know at shows have used it successfully too.
Thanks

I think i know what you mean, and if your doing lots of frames this is a good idea and will save a lot of time

theframer wrote: Wed 29 Oct, 2025 8:12 am I think i know what you mean, and if your doing lots of frames this is a good idea and will save a lot of time

It's saved a huge amount of time and hassle. Very simple really but effective. Thanks

Totally understand the concept and agree, if you are doing one or two then putting in pieces of card each time makes sense, but if you are doing large batches then it doesn't make good use of your time.

My only query would be, why use a blade at all? The blade is not giving you the thickness you need, it is adding a very minimal amount. Why not adhere a piece of mount board, nearer to the height that you need to the base of your tab gun? That way the flexitabs would be at the best level for the customer putting the artwork in themselves. You could put one long strip along the tab gun, or one at the front and one at the back so it sits nice and level. It essentially combines the two methods used - the one we would do for a one off piece, with the speed advantage for the multiple frames you are doing. It just makes more sense to me than using a blade which bears no relation to the depth required. And that bonded card is going to be pretty robust even over a lot of uses.

Tudor Rose wrote: Wed 29 Oct, 2025 9:52 am Totally understand the concept and agree, if you are doing one or two then putting in pieces of card each time makes sense, but if you are doing large batches then it doesn't make good use of your time.

My only query would be, why use a blade at all? The blade is not giving you the thickness you need, it is adding a very minimal amount. Why not adhere a piece of mount board, nearer to the height that you need to the base of your tab gun? That way the flexitabs would be at the best level for the customer putting the artwork in themselves. You could put one long strip along the tab gun, or one at the front and one at the back so it sits nice and level. It essentially combines the two methods used - the one we would do for a one off piece, with the speed advantage for the multiple frames you are doing. It just makes more sense to me than using a blade which bears no relation to the depth required. And that bonded card is going to be pretty robust even over a lot of uses.

Hi Jo
The reason I use something metal and not for instance mount card is that the gun would be used 6 times on each frame and card would fray and wear down after a lot of frames. No problem on that score with metal. It is bullet proof, smooth and clean.
Regarding thickness. The two layers of old blade create a perfect " space" for the tabs . As mentioned total mount, print and backing card equals about 2.5 mm and the blade spacer is about 1.5 mm. It means that there is still a good pinch/ pressure on the MDF backing board but also tabs stay at a good length.without having to bend them around too much. Obviously this spacer thickness could be varied for individual use but all mine are always exactly the same.
Hope that makes sense.
J

It does make sense and I'm glad it is working for you. Just goes to show we all like to work slightly differently.

Yes that makes sense now. With glass, the minimum my sandwich would come to is 8mm, hence the confusion.

Justintime wrote: Wed 29 Oct, 2025 11:06 am Yes that makes sense now. With glass, the minimum my sandwich would come to is 8mm, hence the confusion.

Absolutely. Great we can share advice, tips etc

After the elaboration, I understand!

I’d personally, as Jo suggested, fix something to the gun that would leave the points flat.

Only six points per frame? Do they hang from the backing board?

..

JKX wrote: Wed 29 Oct, 2025 2:30 pm After the elaboration, I understand!

I’d personally, as Jo suggested, fix something to the gun that would leave the points flat.

Only six points per frame? Do they hang from the backing board?

..

The tabs are absolutely fine with the existing setup. Depth wise, level wise etc etc Yes the hanger is fixed to the MDF backboard but the frame is made from poly core and good quality styrene glass is used and so the weight is minimal. Six tabs are and have worked well for many years. With the greatest respect I do have an ounce of sense !

I don’t think anyone is suggesting you don’t - personally I’m just curious.

BTW I think you’ve spelled your name wrong in your profile.

Okey dokey