Steve N wrote:Hi all,
I have 2 t-shirts with artwork or designs on both sides, my customer wants to see both sides of the t-shirts when framed, any ideas. Would these be suitable for Spatial framing ? what does Cubic framer think? how would you guys and gals, go about it ?
This is a serious request for help and info.
Steve N
G'day Steve,
That's certainly a challenging project, and one I've thought about before.
My instant comment is this is not a general display case project (due to the fairly low profile it suits framing in some clever way), that maybe Vivian Kistlers adage 'We're framers, no magicians' might apply, OR you must spend time and the client should be prepared to pay for you to do so.
Robos technique would be somewhat suitable, I would just be concerned with monofilement stretching over time etc, and obviously there is the setting up time etc.
Also, foamboard etc can bow over time, maybe with the moisture inside the package this would happen eventually ?
Congrats though for using your design imagination.
What about . . .
You are going to make a sandwich to be spaced centre inside the back to back rebate space.
Going with Robos design process frame etc up to the insert board.
Instead of f/c, use 3mm coreflute, you know the stable polyester board that's archival for long term mounting ? Sign guys use it a lot.
Cut and laminate (glue) these so that the flutes are opposite for strength.
Now, keep the shape as simple as possible.
At the neck and base, tabs projecting at 4 points.
So, you have a t-shirt in an insert of 2 x 3mm opposing coreflute boards and protruding tabs from neck and base.
You can suitably paint / colour the tabs to better blend with mats ?
* Call this the t-shirt and inserts.
With a full frame rebate size 6mm board (coreflute or foamcore), lay the whole thing centred where you want it, and mark around the t-shirt shape and tabs.
Cut out the 6mm board shape, inc tabs . . . use as straight-ish lines as possible if you can, to keep this fast.
* Call this the holding board.
Cut 2 top mats for the outer sandwich, a good heavy grade matboard, slightly smaller opening to the holding board, so you can both bump lergies into the void, and to of course hide the holding board edge (paint this too if you like).
* Obviously we can call these the mats / mounts : )
So you then lay one mat down, face paper down, then the 6mm holding board, then the t-shirt and insert board in the tab spaces, then the other outer mat paper up.
So this is all laminated to make a sandwich to frame, glued together suitably and weighted overnight, maybe leave a few days to dry properly ?
Ok, so one frame is face down, UV glass placed in the rebate, foamcore / mat lined spacer to centre shirt in double rebate, sandwich (main t-shirt front down), then other foamcore spacer, and maybe then UV acrylic, to both reduce weight and condensation issues for the back (it won;t be as much of a dust issue there, or you might be able to get the scratchproof UV acrylic there ?).
Top mould in the placed over and the whole thing assessed for finishing.
Holding the frames together should be done to suit client and their needs for aesthetics.
You could use keyhole plates and screw heads and the rebate backs to oppose gravity and adjust until they are a very snug fit, then use a small top or bottom plate out of site to ensure it can't move ??
Now, there are two choices with display.
Framed to hang or framed to stand on a table etc in a plinth base.
Hanging.
You could use wire on the back (2 wall hanger setup), but feel d-rings on the back stiles would be more suitable.
Another option is keyhole plates on side stiles.
Obviously there is a front that a client would normally want to display, and the whole thing can lift off the wall to show the other side as they wished.
I suppose it could be suspended from a ceiling to hang at viewing height, would depend on environment and client.
A plinth.
If used it must be wide and stable . . . using raw timber, milled and finished to your needs, or same moulding, stack with same or other wideer same moulding etc to make a plinth for the top to sit in.
Obviously a table of shelf mounted thing, but all round vision is possible.
edit : to say Earth magnets are fairly useful to hold 2 frames together in a plinth, Google Earth magnets if you haven't seem these.
Hey, it's hard to describe this stuff . . . did I do ok ?
So, obviously a lot of extra work to do something like this or Robos technique, make sure you are suitably rewarded !
Gotta go now, work beckons . . . will check back later to see if everyone thinks I'm way out here (hey remember, I'm NOT a framer !). : )
(Note: tongue "hanging out" rather than "poking out"!)
