Overcuts (illustrated)
- Merlin
- Posts: 1538
- Joined: Thu 05 Jun, 2003 5:50 pm
- Location: Cornwall
- Organisation: Merlin Mounts
- Interests: Aviation
Overcuts (illustrated)
Yet another example of a framer who has set himself a LOW standard and by the look of it is even failing to achieve that.
He has a fully equipped workshop, with top quality manual machinery.
This framed picture was sold for £180. Unfortunately the customer was 'tunnel visioned' onto the art work and really did not see the rest of the package, until he got it home and really looked at it... All four corners are just as bad with overcuts reaching 4mm and the surface paper ripped and dragged on the bevel.
All this needed was a little more care taken. A new blade and a decent slip mat.
Plus (possibly) a calibrated mountcutter. I calibrate mine every morning before opening. It takes two minutes. I will not accept any mounts that have an overcut of more than .5mm. Yes I know I should be aiming for zero overcuts.
He has a fully equipped workshop, with top quality manual machinery.
This framed picture was sold for £180. Unfortunately the customer was 'tunnel visioned' onto the art work and really did not see the rest of the package, until he got it home and really looked at it... All four corners are just as bad with overcuts reaching 4mm and the surface paper ripped and dragged on the bevel.
All this needed was a little more care taken. A new blade and a decent slip mat.
Plus (possibly) a calibrated mountcutter. I calibrate mine every morning before opening. It takes two minutes. I will not accept any mounts that have an overcut of more than .5mm. Yes I know I should be aiming for zero overcuts.
John GCF
- SquareFrames
- Posts: 380
- Joined: Mon 23 Feb, 2004 9:37 am
- Location: Dromore, Co. Down, Northern Ireland
- Organisation: Dromore Picture Framing / Down School of
- Interests: Reading, relaxing, and funnily enough, its hard to stop thinking of framing
- Location: Dromore, Northern Ireland
- Contact:
Overcuts
Hi John,
It just beggars belief, sometimes, like you I really do despair!
Steven
It just beggars belief, sometimes, like you I really do despair!
Steven
Someone Once Said 'Knowledge Is Power'
Down School of Picture Framing http://www.downschoolofpictureframing.co.uk
Ireland's Only Accredited Training School
GCF Examination Centre
Accredited Valiani Demonstration / Training Centre
Down School of Picture Framing http://www.downschoolofpictureframing.co.uk
Ireland's Only Accredited Training School
GCF Examination Centre
Accredited Valiani Demonstration / Training Centre
Its not just the public who are tunnel visioned - If you wander around the spring fair next week i will put money on it that you will find every concievable bad practice - if you look hard enough.
The standard of mounts coming from most leading publishers has improved dramatically over the last couple of years, but look in many high street framers windows and you will see similar horrors to the one illustrated.
The standard of mounts coming from most leading publishers has improved dramatically over the last couple of years, but look in many high street framers windows and you will see similar horrors to the one illustrated.
- John
- Site Admin
- Posts: 1885
- Joined: Sun 27 Apr, 2003 8:00 pm
- Location: Ireland
- Organisation: Scenes Picture Framing
- Interests: Forums and stuff
- Location: Belfast
- Contact:
It seems to me that often it is the better galleries who are the worst culprits when it comes to shoddy workmanship. Though they might argue in reply that it is the craft that goes into the art that is important, rather than into the frame.
On the bright side, this kind of framer makes me look good.
Whereas framers who undercharge for their excellent work make me look bad.
On the bright side, this kind of framer makes me look good.
Whereas framers who undercharge for their excellent work make me look bad.
HOW Much!?
EstLite Picture Framing Software
EstLite Picture Framing Software
John - you do have a bit of a thing about pricing - i suppose that out of two framers i would rather have an expensive shoddy one move in to town than a skilled cheap one. I get people comparing my prices with Ikea -and they are twenty miles away, guaranteed to provoke an unpleasant remark out of an otherwise placid character - especially if they ask me to cut a mount because the picture doesnt fit. - i can only assume that a big section of the buying public want cheap - and dont care about quality, but how you can sell at high cost yet still serve cheap is beyond me.
As I commented in an earlier posting, you can find almost every sign of bad workmanship at the Spring Fair - the main culprit was overcut and undercut mounts - one on the stand of a publisher from whom I buy a lot of mounted work - and it always first class - you would think that they would be looking carefully at exhibition work - or is it last minute panic, who knows.
Very few moulding companies at the show - but lots of machinery.
Very few moulding companies at the show - but lots of machinery.
Gents, I agree with your comments when it comes to shoddy workmanship but the illustration, to me, just shows damage rather than poor framing practices. The 'overcut' is quite clearly a rip in the card.
That said it should never have left a gallery without being repaired or at the very least an offer of repair.
That said it should never have left a gallery without being repaired or at the very least an offer of repair.
- Merlin
- Posts: 1538
- Joined: Thu 05 Jun, 2003 5:50 pm
- Location: Cornwall
- Organisation: Merlin Mounts
- Interests: Aviation
Sarah
Sorry, the overcut is not 'clearly a rip in the card', neither is it 'just damage'. It is poor framing practices. FULL STOP.
The overcut is approx 5mm, and although I have not shown the other three corners, they have the same overcut on the same axis as well..
How can that be damage ?
If you also look very closely, the surface paper of the undermount has 'dragged'.
The only way that this can be repaired is to replace both mounts, which we have done.
As to the customer being blind. I asked the same question. The reply, Well I was so tunel visioned, looking at the print, which is beautiful that I did not see the faults, until it was at home and hanging on the wall..
That said. It should NEVER have been displayed for sale, unless of course Ltd Ed prints sell in charity shops for peanuts.
Sorry, the overcut is not 'clearly a rip in the card', neither is it 'just damage'. It is poor framing practices. FULL STOP.
The overcut is approx 5mm, and although I have not shown the other three corners, they have the same overcut on the same axis as well..
How can that be damage ?
If you also look very closely, the surface paper of the undermount has 'dragged'.
The only way that this can be repaired is to replace both mounts, which we have done.
As to the customer being blind. I asked the same question. The reply, Well I was so tunel visioned, looking at the print, which is beautiful that I did not see the faults, until it was at home and hanging on the wall..
That said. It should NEVER have been displayed for sale, unless of course Ltd Ed prints sell in charity shops for peanuts.
John GCF
- SquareFrames
- Posts: 380
- Joined: Mon 23 Feb, 2004 9:37 am
- Location: Dromore, Co. Down, Northern Ireland
- Organisation: Dromore Picture Framing / Down School of
- Interests: Reading, relaxing, and funnily enough, its hard to stop thinking of framing
- Location: Dromore, Northern Ireland
- Contact:
Hi John,
You beat me to it. You can clearly see the overcut, that has then by all accounts been so bad that the board has started to tear under its own weight.
Poor framing is an understatement, there are worse analagies for this shoddy workmanship. I have threw out better.
Steven
You beat me to it. You can clearly see the overcut, that has then by all accounts been so bad that the board has started to tear under its own weight.
Poor framing is an understatement, there are worse analagies for this shoddy workmanship. I have threw out better.
Steven
Someone Once Said 'Knowledge Is Power'
Down School of Picture Framing http://www.downschoolofpictureframing.co.uk
Ireland's Only Accredited Training School
GCF Examination Centre
Accredited Valiani Demonstration / Training Centre
Down School of Picture Framing http://www.downschoolofpictureframing.co.uk
Ireland's Only Accredited Training School
GCF Examination Centre
Accredited Valiani Demonstration / Training Centre