tips for gum taping back of frames?

[CalicoFraming]

My rear-of-frame-finishing is letting me down badly. It's the brown gummed tape. Uggh... I wondered if anyone had any tips on making a tidy job of this?

For the record, this is what I currently do:

1. Measure dry tape across frame and roughly cut to size
2. In turn I run each length through a tub of water, squeezing excess of with fingers and apply to the frame (I was previously using a dispenser but it seemed more trouble than it was worth) - I try to get it to about 1mm from the outside edge of the frame, smoothing it with my hand all along the edge to get rid of bubbles
3. Use razor blade to trip the left and right edges ( this I find problematic, sometimes the tape is too wet and I find it hard to get a clean cut, or in any event getting a straight cut 1mm, and the blade gets gummed up quickly and becomes useless )
4. Then I cut along the inside edge of the rebate to the left and right on the short edges, pressing any overhang against those edges ( this never goes well - if there's already a strip of tape underneath the strip I'm working on, cutting inside the rebate edge is a nightmare - I never get a clean cut and it looks awful ), then I run my fingers along the long edge to tuck the tape into the rebate, smoothing out bubbles as best I can - this bit's not so bad.
5. A general problem is having gummy fingers during all of this - I try to keep them clean, but still seems to be a problem


There needs to be less of this and more of this

Any suggestions?

[David McCormack]

I trim the tape to the exact size (ie a couple mm less than length of frame) when it is DRY and then apply water with a SPONGE with the tape laid out on my worktop (kitchen type wroktop). No mess at all like this and no trimming when the tape is wet. The tape is very wet when it goes on the frame. Corners are overlapped. I find the quality of tape can vary alot and I currently enjoy using Aqadia's tape.

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[David McCormack]

Just thinking, if you run the tape through a tub of water then boths sides of the tape will be wet, which will be messy. With a sponge just the gummed side gets wet. There is always the gummed tape wetter but I've never used one.

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[David McCormack]

Also, if you do try a sponge, you need plenty of water on the sponge and a light hand, too much pressure may remove the gum from the tape. For a long length of tape you need to keep rewetting the sponge.

[prospero]

It's a bit like wallpapering. Needs a bit of practice. Some of the tape available is a bit iffy though. I had some from a well-known supplier that was complete carp.

Got some from these folks and it's nice quality. The carp stuff tends to disintegrate when it's wet. And you get loads of wrinkles.

Decent stuff will cut more easily when wet. You still need a good sharp blade though. I usually apply it Catherine-wheel style. Cut a bit short of the side and line up the left end. Go right round and all the corners are neat. As long as you cut it square that is..... I use a dedicated duster to smooth it out.

You can get dispensers that wet, measure and cut. Bit like a one-armed bandit. Pull the handle and a ready wetted bit comes out. They aren't cheap though. The thick end of £400. I've had one for about 25 years and it's earned it's keep many times over.

[Jonny2morsos]

I use one of those dispensers shown above and find it very good especially as it only wets one side of the tape so you don't get sticky hands.

Something happened for the very firsty time today though. I had put my usual Fletcher Framers Points in and smoothed the tape down with my fingers when I got a sudden pain and withdrew my hand quickly in a spray of blood!

One of the points had been badly stamped out and had a sharp burr on and I now have plasters on two fingers having waited half an hour for the bleeding to stop. Will be using a cloth from now on!

Where possible I dont cut the tape at the corners but mould it in. When this is not possible I use a snap off blade knife.

Thicker paper tape is always makes a better job.

[Trinity]

It's one of those dispensers for me too, from the Slingsbys catologue. I find it easier not to mount the roll as shown, just rip a bit to length, run it over the roller one hand pulling and the other applying a little pressure onto the roller, brilliant.
Keith

[Mary]

To wet the tape, I use a 20mm thick rubber kitchen sponge (like the stuff that goes on those squeezy floor mop things) sat in a dish of water. cut the tape dry, pull the gummed side across the sponge with one hand, with the other I hold the back of my index finger on it to keep a light pressure down. Puts just the right amount of wet on it and I don't get too gummy

[Not your average framer]

I use one of those roller machines with heavy duty "105 gsm 75mm wide gummed paper tape which is wound onto rolls with the gummed side out and I buy the tape in boxes of 16 rolls.

The gum layer on these tapes is thicker than normal and sticks really well. The extra thickness makes the tape very easy to apply neatly and it cuts cleanly as well. I trim the tape to size as I stick it down and find that really easy. Gummed side out tape is the easiest to use you just drop it into the machine and feed the tape over the roller and under the cutter bar....Job done!

Unfortunately my local supplier ceased trading when the owner died and I still need to find out where else I can get this grade of tape from as I am down to my last few rolls. The thicker tape costs a little more, but it's well worth the extra!

Not all backing boards work really well with gummed paper tape, even when they don't have a waterproof rear coating. One of the best I've found for sticking gummed paper onto is foamboard, but I don't always use it due to price.

[CalicoFraming]

thanks everyone for the replies

can I ask again about cutting down the left and right hand side short edges along the rebate to tuck the tape in - what's the knack to cutting in when there's already gum paper underneath? or is there another way altogether?