Gummed tape and Tru Vue glass.

[David McCormack]

Hello all,

I’ve been running a small picture framing business for just over a year now from my workshop in the Lake District. I had some excellent training from Mary Evans last year and have developed a keen interest in conservation and hand finished frames.

I seal all my picture packages with tape as I find it an easier way to assemble everything and it keeps the little thunder flies out too. Last week I had reason to dismantle one of my jobs for the first time and realised what a messy job it is to remove the tape from the glass and undermount.

I’ve been using pH7-70 self-adhesive tape but have now started using a gummed paper tape (Arqadia 999000026) which is much easier to remove if necessary. This gummed tape adheres well to float glass but not so well to Tru Vue Conservation Clear. I know this glass has a coated side which faces the artwork, but is there any kind of coating on the front of the glass? The tape seems to adhere well at first but comes away very easily. Do you think it would keep the thunder flies out?

Thanks,
David.

[prospero]

Hi and Welcome David.

I will probably get my hair parted for saying this, but I use Masking Tape for sandwiching frames. No conservation issues. It goes nowhere near the artwork. I find P-90 and such too sticky. Thing is, it doesn't need to stick like a limpet to the glass. You aren't trying to form a tight seal. As long as it holds together while you get the frame assembled.
For the purpose of thunderfly exclusion, it's best to use a tape that stays sticky (for a good few years anyway). Contrary to what a lot of people think, the flies don't get in from the back. They wriggle under the rebate at the front. They are then faced with two choices: Go over the tape and round the back (where they get bored and expire) or under the tape and get stuck. Masking tape is easier to use. It's also much easier to remove if necessary.

That's my fourpenneth.

btw. What sort of hand-finishing do you do? Any photos?

[Roboframer]

I worry more about functionality than reversibility and use Lineco foil tape or an equivalent, metal provides a true (air) barrier, any paper only provides a filter.


There's no coating on the outside of Tru Vue Conservation Clear.

[David McCormack]

Thanks Prospero and Roboframer.

I like the idea of my working methods being functional but was just a bit concerned about conservation work needing to be reversible. Removing sticky tape from the picture package won’t damage the artwork I know, but it did make a mess of the undermount. From what you describe Prospero I think the thunder flies will get under the gummed tape if it lifts from the Tru Vue glass so I may go back to sticky tape.

Thanks for asking Prospero about the type of hand finishing I do. I’m still learning so my finishes are very simple at the moment, nothing like some of the examples I’ve seen on this forum.

I like to use oak and ash with waxes, stains and F&B paint. I particularly like black patina wax on oak which seems to go down well up here. I’ve posted an example of two F&B colours distressed back to the ash. Also, the ‘knitted picture’ was an interesting job; tapered box design and then both the ash moulding and mountboard were painted to match the colour of the room it was going to hang in.

David.

Derwent.jpg (148.17 KiB) Viewed 4856 times

Window-1.jpg (396.35 KiB) Viewed 4856 times

Window-2.jpg (298.64 KiB) Viewed 4856 times

[Roboframer]

............was just a bit concerned about conservation work needing to be reversible. Removing sticky tape from the picture package won’t damage the artwork I know, but it did make a mess of the undermount.

Reversibility refers to the artwork; of course it's nice if you can also get at it easily with little or no damage to any frame components to be re-used, but that would apply to framing at most any level.

If when you come to remove this sealing tape it's still stuck as well as the day it was applied, why not just run a blade around the edge and when it comes to re-sealing, just tape over the old tape?

[framemaker]

Hi David,

I mainly use P90 tape for sealing the glazing to undermount and occasionally the foil tape Roboframer uses. I am not a big fan of PH7 70, it seems to me to vary a lot... although I am sure many would disagree.

Good work examples, I like especially like distressed frame on the photograph and the blue window textile.

[Not your average framer]

If you are just trying to prevent the little flies from getting in behind the glass, then P90 will probably do a reasonable job. A particular advantage with P90 is that the paper part of the tape is quite thin and therefore is less likely to have the tendancy to cause the tape to lift as the adhesive ages and weakens.

I'm sorry to say this, but I don't find pH7.70 all that good and as such have stopped using it all together.

As for the Linco aluminium barrier tape I use this for watyerproof sealing of frames as it is the business, but perhaps more expensive than you might want for just keeping the flies out.

[David McCormack]

Think I'll order some P90 tape as per all your advice, thanks

Wish I'd thought of running a blade round the tape instead of trying to pull it off sometimes the obvious just stares straight at you and for some reason you ignore it (well I do anyway)

David.

[prospero]

Very nice work on the frame finishes David.

[David McCormack]

I've started using the P90 tape and find it a better quality tape that the pH7-70

I was wondering what folks do to create a sealed glass package when working with spacers in the rebate for framing float mounted art? Does the spacer glued to the rebate create a sufficient enough seal against thunder flies etc., or do you employ some cleaver taping in the rebate?

Also, is it possible to include the spacers in the taped glass package or is that just too fiddly?!

[prospero]

On the whole it's a bit too fiddly with 'lose' spacers/slips. Sometimes I use a thin moulding as a spacer. In this case taping makes assembly easier.

The little fllies like cramped spaces, so they don't tend to go in spaced frames. And if they did they would drop into the gap at the bottom of the frame.