Ping!

Not your average framer · Wed 07 Mar, 2007 6:45 pm

I'm in the habit of leaning back against my old Ademco dry-mounting press while drinking my mid-morning cuppa. Until today, this was never a problem! Today the glass thermometer went "Ping".

One of our regulars was in the shop and she sent round afterwards her husband with a little junk box of bits, bob's and a few old thermometers. Amazingly one of them fitted and the temperature range is adequate. Ordinarily I don't suppose you can get these anymore.

kev@frames · Post by **kev@frames** » Wed 07 Mar, 2007 7:36 pm

is your midddle name "Lucky" by any chance!
The only things I seem to break always happen to be unique, irreplacable, vital to the days jobs, or priceless

Not your average framer · Wed 07 Mar, 2007 9:24 pm

The original one was a lot better than this one, you can hardly see the markings, the mercury line is only visible from a very narrow angle and it doesn't fit properly. On balance, I much prefer the old one.

As a rule, I only rarely break things which are easy to replace. Lucky, I think not!

Dermot · Post by **Dermot** » Wed 07 Mar, 2007 9:38 pm

If anyone need thermometers Zeal http://www.zeal.co.uk/or Brannan http://www.brannan.co.uk/ may have them in there standard ranges or they can custom produce

Not your average framer · Wed 07 Mar, 2007 9:49 pm

Kev,

You should ask my staff that one, you don't know the half of it. I have an old plastic kitchen chopping board which I use for cutting things on. Well, a little while ago I discovered that it fits quite nicely on top on the workshop waste bin and is then a good height to sit on while I eat my lunch.

Well, the board was out the back and there was a convenient short piece of moulding handy so I used that. At this point I should explain the the bin is an old kitchen swing bin without the original top, "THE SIDES ARE FLEXIBLE"

Suddenly, I found my self sinking into the bin rather rapidly and in my efforts to escape this situation I pulled over about 50 to 100 lengths of moulding right on top of me too! Fortunately no one saw this!

kev@frames · Post by **kev@frames** » Thu 08 Mar, 2007 5:15 pm

thats made my day, just picking myself up off the floor laughing at the picture you conjoured up.

we have one of those bins, and Al is "vertically challenged" and frequently uses it as steps to get down high mouldings from the ceiling racks. its usually a few seconds before he starts sinking.

The trick must always be to have a full bin

ps- chopping board is a good idea.

Not your average framer · Thu 08 Mar, 2007 10:05 pm

kev@frames wrote:
The trick must always be to have a full bin

No, the trick is to sit on something wide enough to spread the load - chopping board works every time. These things only happen when I'm not working and I allow myself to drop my guard a little.

kev@frames · Post by **kev@frames** » Fri 09 Mar, 2007 5:42 pm

Thats getting into the realms of engineering, or possibly physics...
full bin works adequately too

(or as we call it "the Springfield bin" from the Simpsons). When the pile teetering over the brim of the bin gets so high that the last person to touch it cant jam anything in, then with a lot of cussing (always accompanied by the phrase "why is it always me has to do these jobs") someone has to drag it out and empty it.
Then, in the big bin outside, the ritual "compacting dance" begins. Someone has to climb on the upturned and now empty workshop bin, open the lid of the dumpster bin, and leap up and down on it to compact the contents so that the lid can close and lock.

unfortunatly we have to have a locking bin else it fills up with bags of dof poo, nappies, discarded special brew cans, needles..... you name it. We like our trade waste bin to be fresh, odour free, and clean... So in the event of someone actually falling in, it is a battle of britain-like scramble to rush out with the bin key and... erm... lock them in.

Nobody said you had to be mature to be a framer

foxyframer · Post by **foxyframer** » Fri 09 Mar, 2007 9:35 pm

Just goes to prove us framers are a great bunch of lateral thinkers. Always find a use for something it was never intended for. I confess I'm the same. Ademco hot press, thirty five years old, thermometer still intact, works as well as it ever did.

Treat yourself to a high back kitchen stool NYA; you'll find you use it for standing on !!

Not your average framer · Fri 09 Mar, 2007 9:48 pm

Dtto, I've already got a high stool without the back. I don't usually use it to sit on at all!

Roboframer · Post by **Roboframer** » Fri 09 Mar, 2007 9:58 pm

One end of our counter is hinged and can be dropped so we can 'escape' at that end if need be.

Found we never needed access from/to that end and just never used it, for years. But one day Mrs R had dropped it for some reason or other, and I probably looked at it without seeing, if you know what I mean.

Customer comes in with something for framing, it's Saturday, I'm in my whistle. I'm facing customer, dropped counter is to my left, she says "Oooh - I'm so indecisive that all these frames (she meant corner samples, but we'll forgive her) will really confuse me"

So I swept my right arm around and turned, to the right, leaning and rolling along the counter, saying "Well, I'm sure we can narrow it down, there's natural woods, stained woods, coloured, gold and silv ....."

That's when I spun onto the bit of the counter that was not there and fell in a heap on the floor, grabbing for anything, found a mountboard display caddy that landed on top of me! Quick as a flash I said "Plenty of mounts to choose from too"

Poor woman couldn't compose herself for about 10 minutes!

Not your average framer · Fri 09 Mar, 2007 10:14 pm

foxyframer wrote:Just goes to prove us framers are a great bunch of lateral thinkers. Always find a use for something it was never intended for.

Speaking of Lateral thinking. Did you know that you can use your Ademco press for die cutting. It's really easy, I use an old bookbinding press which is smaller.

What you need is to make up a suitable box out of suitable plain wood. In the bottom of this you need to place a suitable thick piece of MDF, (12mm thick is about right).

A suitable shape cut from glass (oval is good) is stuck in position on the MDF. Then several sheets of paper (the right size to fit inside the box) are placed inside, followed by a 12mm piece of uphostery foam and another thick piece of MDF. The whole lot is then compressed in the press and as the foam compressed the edge of the glass will cut through the sheets of paper or card.

It's great for making blanks to sell to those who like making up their own cards. Bend lines can be included too, but you'll need to cut a slot to take a piece of guitar fret wire, (which you may get from a guitar/music shop).

After cutting, you can remove the bottom piece of MDF and carefull pull the cut-out paper / card back off of the glass. And it works! How's that for lateral thinking?

foxyframer · Post by **foxyframer** » Sat 10 Mar, 2007 7:04 pm

Robo

Sounds like your doing a Del boy in your place !!

Classic comedy.

We do have fun with our customers; not that much fun....

kev@frames · Post by **kev@frames** » Sun 11 Mar, 2007 9:38 pm

"Play it cool Rodders..... play it cool"

foxyframer · Post by **foxyframer** » Mon 12 Mar, 2007 9:12 am

Great idea NYA, must try it.

Nowadays my Ademco hot press rarely gets used for its original purpose, with the exception of glossy-sealing all these world maps which are popular at the moment.

Reducing the thickness of 5mm Foam-cor under a cold press, as long as the area is no more than 2/3rds the platen size, to whatever you want.