The Masking Tape Topic

[Roboframer]

I put this in 'After Hours' because some of the first words I ever read from a 'household name' framer - who shall remain Binghamless, was "Masking tape has no place in a professional framer's workshop"

Masking tape (big clue) is designed to mask off areas to be painted (possibly in a framing environment) and then thrown away.

Thing is I bought quite a few rolls of 'high quality' masking tape from Focus-do-sod-all to mask off my bathroom walls so's I could paint the coving a nice sea green.

The soddin' paint seeped under the tape! So - if it don't work for (some of) the applications it wuz nintendo'd for - who the frell would want to use the carp for stuff it wasn't?

Just arksin'

[prospero]

Rare example of Masking Tape in a framing workshop actually being used for the purpose it was made for.






You can get creeping under the edges if you don't rub them down very firmly.

[framejunkie]

"Masking tape has no place in a professional framer's workshop"

It would be more accurate to say that masking tape has no place in a professional's frames. I use quite a lot of masking tape. I use it for -

- Holding mitres together while the glue dries(especially good for unfinished mouldings, but can wreck the finish esp. on gilded mouldings)

- reverse wound around a brush handle of pencil (with the gum side out) it makes a good Speck Grabber for removing flumbs when fitting up

- holding notes and reminders(usually on used envelopes) onto the wall above my desk

- wrapping things up once they are finished

- other miscellanious tasks i have forgotten

- oh! nearly forgot - i use it to mask off sometimes too!


So all in all masking tape is very useful to me - but it doesn't belong in my frames

And it doesn't belong in yours, dear reader

You can get creeping under the edges if you don't rub them down very firmly.

yes - burnish it down for a crisp line(and use a decent quality of tape)


PS - nice frame Prospero. I wish i could sell these neoclassical styles in Hackney more often. Minimalism is still king here, sadly

[Not your average framer]

That's funny I've already said how bad masking tape is in another thread. Of course masking tape should not be used inside your faming package. Incidentally a lot of framers use it to seal the back of the frame and some of those brown self adhesive backing tapes are just brown masking tape, but that's another story.

I have quite a few rolls of Tesa masking tape which I use for masking off areas where I don't want any of the finish I'm applying at the time. As for paint creaping under the edge, you get what you pay for and Tesa stays stuck down, once you have burnished the edge down.

For those who don't already know this, don't use heat on masking tape and expect it to come off easily afterwards, because it doesn't!

[Not your average framer]

Hi Peter,

May I ask which moulding you are using on the outside of that frame, it's not one that I recognise.
Thanks,
Mark.

[prospero]

Hi Mark. It is Arqadia 222 007 000. page 107 in the cat. It only comes finished in brown. Very handy for the outside of a stacked frame. The rest of the the frame is built up from three more plain profiles. And there's a liner to go inside all that.

Do you like my 'water gilding'?

[Not your average framer]

Do you like my 'water gilding'?

Hi Peter,

I'm not falling for that one! I've already seen the first picture with the masking tape!

Having said that, from the pictures it looks like the real thing!

Congratulations on a very nice job.

BTW, thanks for the moulding information, I have a look at that!

[prospero]

Almost everything I do has ""s round it.

[kev@frames]

scotch 3m pressure sensitive cream tape is a very high tack tape, and fantastic for masking paint edges. From your usual framing supplier. A bit harder to remove than regular masking tape though. (some of which are designed for only 3-7 days before falling off) Worth getting a roll if you are doing any DIY, painting window bars etc.
No comment on using it in frames