How much does the best cost?

Conservation Issues
Not your average framer
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Re: How much does the best cost?

Post by Not your average framer »

Does anyone know how long the zeolites in Artcare mountboard will continue to provide active protection?

Or can they become exhausted like the alkaline buffer in mountboard?

I can't find the answers to these questions anywhere.
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MITREMAN
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Re: How much does the best cost?

Post by MITREMAN »

Hi Not Your Average Framer,
The link below shows some age comparison tests against framing artworks in standard conservation board, but I am still looking to find out how long they will offer protection.


http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/waac/wn/ ... 8-106.html

MITREMAN
MITREMAN
Jan Stanlick GCF Picture Framing Consultant & Teacher
Working in association with Framers Equipment Ltd, Northampton http://www.framersequipment.co.uk
Roboframer

Re: How much does the best cost?

Post by Roboframer »

I read somewhere, sometime, that the microchambers in these boards have the ability to 'empty' themselves and will continue to do so for 400 years. Can't find any reference to those facts on line yet - but I did find this

Here's a quote from the link.


How long will it last?

The differences between MicroChamber buffered conservation papers and boards and ordinary buffered archival papers and boards are based on the differences in capacity and effectiveness.



Acids

The results from tests using gas chromatography show that if we have equivalent papers - for example a 65 g/m2 interleaving paper, or a 130 g/m2, .006” thick envelope paper, or a standard 250 g/m2 archival file folder paper in both MicroChamber paper and buffered paper, the MicroChamber papers have 170 times the acid-removal capacity of the buffered papers. In other words, the buffered paper would have to be replaced 170 times before you would need to..........
Roboframer

Re: How much does the best cost?

Post by Roboframer »

What about photo corners?

Well, they're self adhesive and if that adhesive gives, which is not impossible, in fact far from, the photo (etc) will slip on to the adhesive left on the board.

But they are convenient, aren't they?

You can make, with a few origami folds and a few cuts, your own melinex photo corners, with 'legs' that pass through the mount and fasten at the back. OK - they take time, but have a mad hour and you'll make a shedload - just like making japanese paper hinges. A roll of melinex is peanuts per square foot and multi-multi purpose.

What about attaching 3 dimensional objects? Well there are many purpose made 'claws' and clamps available - but again, you can make your own, out of stuff that will last longer and is less conspicuous.

You can wrap a golf ball in tulle (bridal veil netting, basically) you can make your own 'clamps' from rods, maybe covered in shrink tubing, for things like violins - whatever.

Melinex 'Spiders' can be made to fasten medals and coins. Melinex is great for encapsulating things like cigarette cards to show both sides.

I like not doing anything at all to 3-D objects - no glue, no holes made, etc etc - and I can do it for less money, and in a lot of cases, time as well, than I could with - say - silicone.

OK - so I've saved on materials - pennies on hinging materials; pounds on mountboard (if we're talking 'the best' as in you don't need cotton - and hey, doesn't that TRASH the FATG's 'museum' level'?) and pounds on gizmos and glue for 3-D objects.

I'm stuck with the price of 'the best' on glass though - bit of bartering with my suppliers perhaps - but, with what I've saved on the rest ........??
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Re: How much does the best cost?

Post by Moglet »

Before I became a framer, I got work done by a business that was definitely better than the bad lot.

The people who actually carried out the framing (cf. the people who owned/ran the business, and who also took most of the orders) trained their staff to hinge paper-borne art using double-sided tape (the release paper was left in place). Also, mounts were stuck together using the same double-sided "fingerlift" style tape. Thing is, they had also trained the staff that actually made the frames to tape the full length of the artwork.

If they had switched to using ATG guns for application of tape for securing of mountboards and had used T-hinging instead of incorrect hinging, they probably would have saved money, even if they also switched to using (shock, horror) archival-quality hinges! In addition to the savings on labour costs (ATG guns), they also robbed themselves of a chance to (with a little customer education) differentiate themselves in the market by letting customers know that their projects will be executed with care - and that is certainly something that more discerning customers appreciate (and something they're more willing to pay for).

A classic case of "pennywise, pound foolish", IMO.
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Re: How much does the best cost?

Post by Keith Hewitt »

There has been some comments here about Zeolites used in Bainbridge Artcare range. There are some points I think should be mentioned in response.

1) The U.S.A. Library of Congress does not accept additives in their matboards. Is this a polite way of saying no to Zeolites :?:
2) Bainbridge makes a range of " non Artcare " ( meaning no Zeolites) mat boards. WHY :?: These are listed in their colour chart under Non Artcare Matboards.
3) An independent report showed that the glue used in laminating layers for conservation quality storage boxes provided a better barrier to harmful gases than did the Zeolites - but Bainbridge does not shown that report.
4) The only tests that show the "miracle" of Zeolites have been paid for by Bainbridge.

Many framers are under the impression that the Zeolites are in the core of the board. They are actually in the backing paper.

I will agree however that Zeolites are a great marketing tool - and should be thought of as such.
Keith Hewitt
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Roboframer

Re: How much does the best cost?

Post by Roboframer »

Keith Hewitt wrote:.

Many framers are under the impression that the Zeolites are in the core of the board. They are actually in the backing paper.

I will agree however that Zeolites are a great marketing tool - and should be thought of as such.
Not true - well not totally - I'd never take only a supplier/manufacturer claim.

Here's a quote from Hugh Phibbs and I can find many more impartial and favourable ones if you like, but anyway, the truth is that artcare is made from alpha cellulose - which can only be matched; not beaten, by competitors, and is a good board without the microchamber/zeolite bit anyway, and at a good price.


"Boards that contain zeolites (Artcare) have greater adsorbant capacity, (than normal conservation quality boards) but the four ply boards have their zeolites in the inner plys.

Two ply Artcare has zeolites exposed on one side (it feels more gritty)"
Roboframer

Re: How much does the best cost?

Post by Roboframer »

Keith Hewitt wrote: An independent report showed that the glue used in laminating layers for conservation quality storage boxes provided a better barrier to harmful gases than did the Zeolites.
From the same source .......


"When conservation quality boards were tested to see how much they stopped the passage of atmospheric pollution, the important factor was not the presence of calcium carbonate, but rather the glue with which the board was laminated.

Unless they are loaded with pollution absorbers (like zeolites) or scavenging metals,
papers and boards can not be expected to function as barriers"
Keith Hewitt wrote:

2) Bainbridge makes a range of " non Artcare " ( meaning no Zeolites) mat boards. WHY :?: These are listed in their colour chart under Non Artcare Matboards..
They do a whitecore range - what's the problem with that, all manufacturers have different qualities of board.

Or are you referring to boards on the artcare chart that are non-artcare? If so, that is because the surface paper does not meet the spec. Backing and core will though - just that they cannot claim the whole board to be of that quality. Just like some colours in the colourmount 300 series and some of Arqadia's whitecore have lower specifications because of the surface paper - metallics etc.
Roboframer

Re: How much does the best cost?

Post by Roboframer »

(Edit)
Roboframer wrote:the surface paper does not meet the spec. Backing and core will though
So, this does not mean
Keith Hewitt wrote: no Zeolites
They are still in the core of the board
Roboframer

Re: How much does the best cost?

Post by Roboframer »

Keith Hewitt wrote:
..I will agree however that Zeolites are a great marketing tool .....
Especially if you've been clever enough to patent the technology :wink:

Wonder if anyone else will implement it and suddenly have it become the best thing since sliced bread once that patent expires :giggle:
Roboframer

Re: How much does the best cost?

Post by Roboframer »

Keith Hewitt wrote: 1) The U.S.A. Library of Congress does not accept additives in their matboards. Is this a polite way of saying no to Zeolites?
Don't think so!
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Zeolites to add - or not to add???

Post by Keith Hewitt »

John aka Roboframer - read what you say but ...... and I quote from a Bainbridge specifier........

In the Bainbridge specifier under Alpharag Artcare it clearly states

*Select Alpharag references are available in traditional conservation standards [non-Artcare]”

A little further down it says and I quote “* Select references are also available in Bainbridge Photorag, a non-buffered,non-Artcare museum board ideal for photographic framing.”

One has to ask –If Zeolites are so wonderful how come they make boards without them and why should you not use it with photos??
Keith Hewitt
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Roboframer

Re: How much does the best cost?

Post by Roboframer »

Bainbridge Photorag is an unbuffered rag board specifically designed to be used with certain photo processes that are sensitive to alkalinity, in particular the dye-transfer technique. These kinds of photos exist best in a slightly acidic or neutral environment.

Not many maufacturers cater for this - Bainbridge, Crescent ...... struggling now.

Again - this is old knowldedge.
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Re: How much does the best cost?

Post by framejunkie »

John Purcell paper also do unbuffered musuem(rag) board, and in view of the fact that CXD/Arqadia get their 'Timecare Heritage' from the same mill, i assume that they do too, but haven't checked.

Purcell's is one of my favourite companies to do business with(still family-run and small enough that you get treated properly), so i like to big them up whenever i get the chance. (As yet i don't get any discount for this, but i really should talk to John Purcell about it. He's a proper gent so should be amenable......)


http://www.johnpurcell.net/

The website is not exactly at the cutting edge, but judge them by other criteria
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