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Hi All,
Just wanted to know the best methods you use for cleaning and keeping dust off glass during the fitting stage.
Remember now I am a small one man op working out of a log cabin. I do a great deal of work for a local photographer. Most of his work seems to feature a great deal of black in the photo. So, as a result getting all specks off the glass is essential. Some jobs are a nightmare. However hard I try, when I put everything together there is always a speck showing on the picture. Its driving me nuts.
I use a good quality cleaner and finish off using mico fibre cloth.
Any help and ideas PLEASE.
It's not just the cloth and cleaner, it's what can be picked up off your work surface, what is yours made of?
I use a 4 x 3' sheet of 3mm MDF with domed plastic bump-ons stuck on in staggered lines, about 3" apart - it's brilliant - not only does it keep the glass off the surface, so it doesn't matter if you get glass cleaner on it, it grips the glass well, you can clean quite small pieces with one hand - no need to hold it still with the other.
But if you use MDF - paint it first - the bump-ons will stick better, or use black foam board
A three inch soft bristled paint brush is useful for getting rid of bits and pieces which are sitting on the mount and glass (after cleaning). It can be used also on the subject, providing it is suitable, and not a pastel or suchlike. Pay particular attention to the area just under the bevel of the mount where bits can get trapped, only to be released after the back has been taped up.
There is always a bit of spring in the artwork/mount/back combination. Avoid the bellows effect created when you press and release the back as this generates a strong air current round the edges which can introduce all sorts of airborne particles. The trick is to go along each edge, pressing down but not releasing until the point/staple is inserted.
Not sure I could survive without an airline to blow the glass clean before inserting media. Black backgrounds are always awkward and my advice would be to assemble the glass - media and backing together - edges taped when you are sure there's no dust. As john says just fixing the back can draw dust into the frame - taped before fixing avoids this problem.
I always seal my sandwich (glass-topmounts-undermounts) before putting into frame. Seems like more work, but when you do it all the time you get really fast. I started doing this a year ago, and the amount if frames i have had to re-assemble i can count on one hand.
I've fixed a roll of kraft paper to the side of my bench. It's useful for picture backs and wrapping but I also use it to cover the bench. Whenever I'm cleaning glass I pull some kraft paper over the bench and I then know that I've got a perfectly clean surface.
In fact I normally keep part of the bench covered with kraft paper so that I know I always have a clean surface available.
I buy rolls of kraft paper from eBay - a 200 or 300 metre roll 600 mm wide will cost around £15 and lasts a long time.
I also use a spray glass cleaner from Welsh Framing Supplies along with paper towels -- I avoid ordinary paper towels as they seem to shed dust and use some sold in Sainsburys for glass cleaning. It's more expensive than using water, meths, or whatever, and newspaper but at least I know there'll be no contaminating residues sealed in the package. (I do try to avoid using water as much as possible -- we have a spring and I reckon that if it's acid enough to dissolve copper pipes then it ain't doing much towards conservation framing.)
And for the last minute speck of dust that you just as you're sealing the package I use cotton buds.
Another tip somebody told me. When placing the glass onto the window mount don't do it gently (like I was taught); hold the glass vertical, lining up one edge of the glass with the mount, and let it fall onto the mount. The rush of air as it falls will blow the dust away - sometimes.
I wonder if it would be any good for removing dust before glazing. If it builds up static then it could be more effective than a normal dusting brush that really just shifts the dust around.
