Bits stuck under glass!

[DaveJ]

Hi guys, for me the worst part of the job...fibres, hairs, flecks etc getting stuck under the glass. I recently had a job that every time I thought it was clean I closed, re-pinned, re taped and found something else, opened it up so many times it drove me mad! Is this just me or a common problem!?!
Any advice on this, tools, procedures, tricks really welcome! So much time wasted! Cheers guys.

[Graysalchemy]

If you have a day like that go home and start afresh the next day.

Seriously look at your working environment how clean is your bench? Another thing to think about is is the glass mount or back too tight in the frame resulting in debris being deposited in the frame.

[Graysalchemy]

If you have a day like that go home and start afresh the next day.

Seriously look at your working environment how clean is your bench? Another thing to think about is is the glass mount or back too tight in the frame resulting in debris being deposited in the frame. Even firing pins into some wood can cause debris.

[DaveJ]

I couldn't go home it was for an exhibition the next day, was here till 3am! Arggghhh! OK thanks, will take those into consideration. I've seen the conservac it has no explanation of what it's for (handy!) but I presume its for this kinda thing!! But 300 quid! Ouch!! Cheers Grays.

[prospero]

Dave.

What is your assembly procedure?

Do you put the frame together face-down?

I do it like this......

Gather together the internal elements: Back/mounted art/whatever and place face-up on the edge of the bench. A corner is better.
Clean the glass and place on top. At this point you can clearly spot any flumbs. If there are none, tape around the back/art/glass sandwich
with P-90 or whatever. If necessary run a knife blade round the edge of the glass to trim the tape back so it doesn't stick out past the rebate
of the frame. You now have a sealed unit that no flumbs can get in. Just drop it into the frame and gun it in as per usual.

The thing is, if you assemble 'loose' it's very hard to manoeuvre the back/mount/glass without it separating. Bigger the package the harder.
As it separates there is an inrush of air that sucks in any nearby detritus.
Keeping the area as clean as possible helps, but it only needs one speck.

* Taping the internal package also keeps the pesky little harvest flies out.

[Roboframer]

Flumb

Foreign object found under glass after sealing frame back.
Researchers have concluded that in their native state, flumbs are transparent. Through a process not well understood, these invisible pieces of debris become visible only after the frame has been completely assembled i.e. the art package (most frequently with mount board and glazing material) has been secured into the frame, the frame sealed with backing tape or a dust cover, and the hanging hardware applied. Without such processes, flumbs resist metamorphosis and remain unseen.
Under these ideal conditions flumbs transform into one of two visible states: white debris become visible when in contact with dark surfaces; while dark debris become visible when in contact with light surfaces. Some scientists postulate that this process may be a reverse phototropic phenomenon while other suggest that flumbs appear because of some transient, dimensional shifting, “worm hole” event.
Investigators continue to study these occurrences.

Also see ... http://theframersforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=4731

[DaveJ]

Hmmm, very interesting and handy prospero, these were very large frames, trick to manouvre. I've got some smaller poster jobs in, I will apply this assembly technique. Yes I was assembling the opposite, cack handed git! Love the sealing method. I've said it before I'll say it again....Love it in here!! Thanks mate.

[DaveJ]

Cheers Robbo Will read through the thread!!

[pramsay13]

I normally assemble upside down, so I put frame face down, glass into it and clean it. Then I put the mount and artwork and back in.
I then turn it right way up and lift off the frame and check for anything under the glass. If there is I lift the glass and clean it / remove offending object.
Then I put frame back on and turn upside down again to fire in a few pins. After I've fired in the pins I turn it the right way up to have another look. If okay turn again and fire the rest of the pins into it and have another check.
If okay I apply tape.

[prospero]

[prospero]

Hmmm, very interesting and handy prospero, these were very large frames, trick to manouvre. I've got some smaller poster jobs in, I will apply this assembly technique. Yes I was assembling the opposite, cack handed git! Love the sealing method. I've said it before I'll say it again....Love it in here!! Thanks mate.

I did exactly the same when I first started. I had seen other framers do it and on the face of it it seems the logical way.
I was talking to a rep one day and unlike most reps he had done a bit of framing himself. We got talking about assembling
ally frames where you have to do it a bit differently. He told me of the face-up and tape method and I started using it on all frames.

Never looked back.

[DaveJ]

Pramsay, I think OK for small frames but using that tecnique with bigguns I seem to struggle, even firing the pins in can change things I find! Prospero, yep will have a go!

[Graysalchemy]

No good when you have a contract job with a hundred or so to do.I have got 100+ to do for tuesday and no doubt I will have flumbs and even contract wall candy has to be clean.

Cleaning the glass and placing the mount artwork and backing together and stacking them up can be a great time saver for contract jobs as longs as they are all the same frame etc. However there is no way you can seal them up you simply don't have the time.

[IFGL]

That's kind of what I do Alistair, clean the glass out side of the frame, that way any flumbs can be wiped off the edge, place mounted print and back on glass, then the lot goes in the frame, i get very few problems, just be careful not to cut your fingers whilst cleaning the glass.

[DaveJ]

I hear ya regarding the contract work, wish I had some of that volume of work! Cut fingers bleeding on someones artwork, been there..Oof! managed to sort it, won't do that again!!

[prospero]

Even if you don't seal the package with tape, it's still easier to assemble face-up.

Stand the back/mount/glass on some little blocks and drop the frame over. Flip it over and gun in the points.

The things is, when flipping it the layers are likely to separate and suck in bits. More so on bigger pieces.

I'll stick to taping. You can tape 10 sandwiches in the same time it takes to fish out 1 flumb.

[DaveJ]

Yep sounds like a plan....And I've learn't a new word..."Flumb"!...Result!

[Roboframer]

You need to be able to identify the different types - check this out http://theframersforum.com/viewtopic.ph ... 61&p=71848

[DaveJ]

[Graysalchemy]

Dave contract work is good but margins aren't as good and you need to be set up for it.