OS map instructions

[prospero]

Just had a map in for framing and it came with instructions on framing.



There have been a few enquiries on the Forum in the past about how to tackle these things and dry-mounting in particular so I thought I would post the instructions for the benefit of peeps who haven't had a glance at them.

[markw]

The paper is so thin that they really do need to be dry mounted - or they cockle. Hinge mounting really isn't a great solution especially as in my experience most people don't want them mounted. So defying the "use no adhesives"- in the best tradition of conservation framing , I drymount on to foamcore. Not having a large enough Jetmounter this means a two man job of smoothing it out on to the self adhesive - and then sticking it into a cold hot press to get good adhesion. It was so much easier when you could use the hot press. ( I did put one in the hot press when they first started using the new printing process - It's a fairly dramatic way to destroy the map.)

[Not your average framer]

I really don't enjoy doing these, they are a PITA. I stick them down onto self adhesive board using the manually operated forerunner of the Hot Press Jetmounter. It's much the same as a jet mounter, but with a crank handle instead of being motor driven.

Unfortunately, the rollers on my machine are only just wide enough to do these maps and I've had to develop my own way of doing this to make sure that the map goes down straight and flat. I find it a lot easier to peel off the release paper from the board as I feed the map and the board into the machine.

Unfortunately, this means that I have to feed the map into the machine together with a new piece of release paper, otherwise the top roller will stick to the sticky surface of the board beyond the outside edges of the map.

At least half of my customers are relactant to pay what it costs to mount the map and to get it framed. Part of the explaination for this appears to be that they were given it as a present and only want it framed, because the person who gave it to them will expect to see it framed and on show when they come to visit.

Naturally, the person who gave it is coming to see them at the end of the very same week that they decided to bring it in for framing. I think that these custom produced maps must be quite cheap, because those that have bought one for themselves seem to expect the framing to be cheap as well.

Once I have educanted them about the difficulties of keeping the map flat and the overall cost of doing the job, I usually end up having to do the job as cheap as possible and for me this means that I will tell them which moulding it will be framed in.

I use Simons OAK-2, because I always have it in stock and it won't flex at the mitred corners and brake the glass while they are taking it home. Sadly I find that some people cannot be relied upon to take sensible care of large frames while taking them home, even after you have explained your cocerns to them.

A lot of folks around the area keep horses and buy bails of hay for the horses, but don't seem to realise that half a dozen bails of hay on top of a large frame being driven down a farm track full of pot holes will break the glass. As a consequence I guess that some of you may understand why I find these maps a PITA!

[Jamesnkr]

I think that these custom produced maps must be quite cheap, because those that have bought one for themselves seem to expect the framing to be cheap as well.

https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/shop/c ... -maps.html

From £16.99. A nice present. A nasty framing bill...

[prospero]

Too right. I quoted the lady who brought in the map 180 and that's nowt fancy.

She went with it btw.

[mho]

I Do quite a lot of these, I will only do them if they are stuck down using pressure sensitive adhesive in the jet mounter.

[prospero]

I have a cunning plan.

[Steve Goodall]

I believe this is what is commonly called "progress"...

You go from a system that works well & you "improve it".

You "improve it" by making it virtually impossible to display the product in a satisfactory manner!!!

Well Done OS

I remember when you could fly to New York at nearly twice the speed of sound - then they scraped Concorde - at least they used "safety" as an excuse - but it kind of shows the way some minds work...

Let's go backwards - surely everyone will agree we are making "progress"

I'll get me coat...

[Roboframer]

Suits me fine, I don't own a heat press, I use 3M PMA on the rare occasions I need to dry mount.

[pichousepreston]

Does anyone have a solution to framing one of these maps if they don't possess a jet mounter please? BTW I have used 3M PMA on one previously and it went all wrinkly!

[Colin Macintyre]

Like many of the contributors to this forum I have been asked to do a few of these. I have always done them close framed (without a window mount). I fix them minimally with a few tabs of double sided tape, to 5mm foamcore, and sandwich it between the glass and 3mm MDF backing board. They have always looked perfectly flat, and in fact I recently asked a customer for whom I did one some years ago, and he was as happy as the day he got it.
I'd like to add that I think this is a very good product, at a fair price. I've bought a couple myself. British OS maps must be near the top of the worldwide Premier League for accuracy and detail. Invariably when buying one of the standard sheets the place of interest to you is on the edge so you end up needing two or three. And yes people do sometimes want them framed. I'll do it! In the sat-nav age, and in the spirit of the "keep music live" campaign, I say "keep Maps" and frame them.

[David McCormack]

And yes people do sometimes want them framed. I'll do it! In the sat-nav age, and in the spirit of the "keep music live" campaign, I say "keep Maps" and frame them.

Well said Colin

In homage to W.H. Davies:

What is this life if, full of apps,
We have no time to stare at maps.

No time to follow contours and study scale,
No time to count the grids, up hill and down dale.

No time to plot and plan, to join up the paths,
No time to ponder over walks, anticipate the laughs.

No time to reminisce, picture the smiles,
No time to calculate how far in miles.

North South East or West,
I wonder which campsite will be best.

A poor life this if, full of apps,
We have no time to stare at maps.

[prospero]

[LIKE]


I have a map on my wall which is in reality 4 sheets of A4 photocopy paper taped together. Close framed, no mount or spacers.

It's been there for at least 15 years an is as flat as a pancake (just looked at it). It is hanging in a shady spot though. Never had the sun on it.

My preferred method for this type of thing would be to close-frame using a flat, wide moulding. It's a functional type of item so needs a no-nonsense type of frame. Adding a mount adds a lot of size to an already big frame. As far as glass contact goes I'm tending to go with Colin and slap the glass right on the sucker. It's not a work of art, it's a modern map. If it goes wrinkly, sticks to the glass then WTH? These things could happen if it's hung in a bad place, but you could replace it for 15 quids. The OS are not going out of business any time soon.

[pichousepreston]

I have close framed it in a fairly wide oak veneer, it just looks saggy in the middle. I've used conservation art back, but maybe should try foam as well, just don't tend to stock foam that wide.

[Colin Macintyre]

I reckon foamcore helps press it flat. A stiff flat backing board is essential. Artback may not be as good as. 3mm+ MDF.

[Steve N]

I've done them on S/a boards and on S/a foamcore, I roll the map onto the outside of a long plastic tube ( it came with a map in it), then cut your S/A board bigger than the map, working from the left (if you are Right handed) fold back about 5cm of the cover paper on the S/A board, now holding the rolled up map in your right hand, offer up the leading edge of the map to the S/a board, gently press down and smooth out, now slowly pull the cover paper off the board at about 5-7 cm at a time, then gently roll the rolled map along, take your time, then when you get to the end, put the cover paper back on and use a hand roller to go over the whole of the map to make sure it's down. I have used this method loads of times and never had a problem, I bonded down 5 large posters last week using this method

The reason for rolling the map onto the tube is, it's more manageable, even pressure across the width of the poster/map as you lay it on the s/a board and roll it out

[pichousepreston]

Great, thanks everyone

[Rabbie Side Burns]

Hi folks. Just thought I would add to this thread with my experience of these maps. Normally we mount them onto Arqadia's Jumbo Self adhesive board (999009351), but we recently had a customer who had a custom map that was folded, and had a cover attached to it rather than the rolled ones we usually get. Because of the creases, self adhesive board would have been too risky. The customer insisted that we have a go at dry mounting the map, at their risk. Once I had carefully removed the cover, I got going on the heat press. So it turns out that the exact temperature that the map sticks to the board (using Lion's DMT) is the same temperature that the inks start to bleed. Luckily the bleeding wasn't so severe that the map became unusable or illegible, as I kept the heat as low as I could, whilst still activating the adhesive. The only other thing I had to watch out for was that the ink also sticks to the release paper, so I had to clean it after every bite. I wouldn't really recommend dry mounting these unless you have no other choice, but if you are careful about the temperature, it is possible without it turning into a complete disaster.....