Which backing board?

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whitbyframer
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Which backing board?

Post by whitbyframer »

I've been using MDF since I set the workshop up for most of my jobs, but have recently been looking at Art Bak from Wessex and Tawnyboard from Centrado as possible alternatives due to potential health risks of working with MDF.
My initial thoughts are that MDF is great when you have to untape the back to clear out the dust that appears after you've sealed it, and that the other two boards are more likely to tear and have to be replaced.
Just wondering what other people's views are?
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David McCormack
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Re: Which backing board?

Post by David McCormack »

I use NuBord from Wessex which is a dense grey board, 2.3mm and lined both sides with Kraft paper, it is not fluted like ArtBak.

You are quite right about these boards getting damaged when removing tape compared to mdf, but If you do have to remove the board once taped (gummed tape that is) to deal with 'flumbs' I would cut through the tape with a sharp knife and turn the board over. Having said that, I would just use a new board as they cost so little.

But, regarding flumbs appearing after you have sealed the back of your frame, I do have an answer for that, albeit one that not every framer agrees with...... tape up your glass/art package with P-90 tape. Assemble the package art side up and seal all round with P-90. There are no surprises when you get round to sealing the back of your frame.

One extra thing I do now is to put a barrier sheet behind the undermount. This way the P-90 tape is attached to the barrier sheet and not the undermount so that if/when it is removed there is no damage to the undermount.

Edit,
looking at that Tawnyboard it looks to be the same as NuBord.
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whitbyframer
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Re: Which backing board?

Post by whitbyframer »

Thanks David, I'll have a look at that NuBord as well then.

As for the flumbs problem, I've seen a very long discussion thread about the pro's and con's of creating a package. I'll have to try it one day to see if it makes a difference :)
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Which backing board?

Post by Ed209 »

Yes Nubord is good was using that prior to using 2.5 mdf which I like especially for bigger pictures and as you say tape comes off easily.


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Re: Which backing board?

Post by Rainbow »

whitbyframer wrote: I've seen a very long discussion thread about the pro's and con's of creating a package. I'll have to try it one day to see if it makes a difference :)
Ah, the feeling of satisfaction when you've finished packaging up the artwork and you don't have to treat it with kid gloves any more, it's almost as satisfying as finishing the job :D

I use MDF, partly because I want to use gummed tape which I gather doesn't stick to ArtBak, is that right? Also my customers seem to prefer MDF, some have commented about it being a "proper" back.

Isn't it the manufacture of MDF that's potentially hazardous rather than the cutting up of finished board? I found this article published by the Health & Safety Executive - I must admit I only skimmed through it but I can't say I'm any the wiser. http://www.hse.gov.uk/woodworking/faq-mdf.htm
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Re: Which backing board?

Post by David McCormack »

Gummed tape sticks very well indeed to Nubord which is covered in Kraft paper. I know it doesn't stick too well to ArtBak Aqua board but not sure about the standard ArtBak but I think it should stick?

Cutting mdf with a Stanley knife probably won't kill you but with a power saw it might... it's the inhalation of the dust that's the problem :shock: and probably the formaldehyde :evil:

The Nubord stuff really is very good and certainly looks proper :D For large jobs I sometimes laminate two sheets together.
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Re: Which backing board?

Post by prospero »

There was a health scare a few years back which seems to have reverberated down the years. Breathing in the dust
is not a good thing. The report was aimed mainly at people who saw up big chunks of it on a daily basis. Framers don't
typically saw MDF so the amount of dust they are exposed to in very low. Breathing any dust for extended periods is very
bad. Yet there seems to be a notion that MDF is, in itself, somehow toxic. If that were the case a lot of the furniture in people's
houses is a health hazard.

If you work with MDF for 20 years, you stand a much greater chance of being killed in a traffic accident over that same period.
Are we going to avoid roads? I think not. :roll:

I've tried all sorts of backing boards and some are better than others. None come close to MDF IMHO. :)
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Re: Which backing board?

Post by Steve N »

I use a board that is the same as Simons BACK/10, but I get it from a local supplier who delivers by van, so don't get damaged corners by Tuffnels :giggle:

When I used to use MDF a lot, especially when doing blockmounts, the next day when I blew my nose, I had brown snot :tmi: :sweating: so I only use it on large pictures now

The thing with flumbs problem is to check the picture before you tape up, but the pesky things still get in :head: we use selfadhesive tape and just use a sharp blade and cut around the tape before removing
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Re: Which backing board?

Post by Not your average framer »

I have not used MDF for about 12 to 15 years and I have tried most brands of backing board, my all time favourite was Conservatek which was great, but is just long longer available, although I don't know why. I don't much like the corrigated boards and have settled on stocking the two Simons solid boards, one is a conservation board the other is just a basic board. Both normally work fine for me, but there are times that I need something stronger and that's when I get 6mm MDF cut to size by the local hardware shop. It sounds to me like many of these solid backing boards are probably the same product under different names.

I would add that MDF is very easy to cut with a bench end guillotine and does not create any significant MDF dust issue. Bench end guillotines are about if you keep your eyes open, I've got two 30" ones, which have served me well. I got one from a local house clearance auction and the other from a framer who was selling up, I only paid about £20 to £30 each. If you see them in an auction, they never go for very much, as most people don't want them.
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Re: Which backing board?

Post by poliopete »

Throughout my first lifetime as a framer I used nothing but MDF in fact, years ago I could buy 1mm MDF as well as standard thickness, handy for very small items and shallow rebates. Also in those days I smoked eighty ciggies' a day (until I was 35 :Slap:) so a few MDF fumes were not going to make much difference to my pulmonary function.

Since coming out of retirement and enjoying my second go-a-round as a framer I have made some considerable changes in the materials I use largely, influenced by this forum and members. I have followed the recent debates about backing (some very heated) with interest and have been persuaded to use mainly ArtBack and occasionally MDF for larger frames or if they are going to be shunted around a lot.

I stock ArtBack in two thicknesses and buy in a large enough quantity to get a discount. I find it's very easy to cut accurately with a utility knife minimising the need for a bench end guillotine and I like the fact that the back of the package containing the art can be bevelled to create more space for the points if the rebate is a little on the shallow side.

Also, I have not encountered the slightest difficulty in adhering gummed tape when sealing the back.

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Re: Which backing board?

Post by Ultima Thule »

Used to use 2mm hardboard as a backing until it became next to impossible to obtain in sensible quantities and then went to MDF as it was widely available. Now, its Corricor III, with a coated surface and only use MDF when absolutely necessary. Don't like it at all - its terribly hygroscopic and will find dampness better than a dehumidifer which to my mind is as much a problem as the dust factor, which is another reason for shunning it. The number of times I have had a frame back for repair after it has been stored in an attic/ unheated spare room etc, and the MDF back is covered with mould which continued its passage to the frame contents, convinced me that this is not a product fit for framing purpose. There have been threads on the suitability of MDF before, and it does tend to produce polarised opinions, but it might be worth searching some out.
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