The Framers Forum

I'm making Deep box frames and using rigid tabs to prevent the frame being opened but having a hard time with dust & debris left on the glass. The frame includes a small resin figurine held in place close to the glass front and when I think i've got the glass as clean as possible and about to seal the back of frame with tabs I notice more dust has accumulated. Obviously when using regid tabs there is no going back so just wondered if there was something anti-static that could be used instead of just a cloth? I was thinking about buying an anti-static vinyl record brush cleaner but wasn't sure if this would do the job.

I have a couple of wide, but relatively thin artist brushes, the widest is something like 4" wide. I think that brushes like this might be for applying watercolour washes in wide strokes, wide lacquer brush are something similar and I just use these to brush the dust out. There is a bit of technique to this, but it's fairly intuitive.

daveym wrote:Obviously when using regid tabs there is no going back

Yes there is, with one of these!

Think I'm right in assuming you glue your foamboard spacers to the frame rebate to hold in the glass, so I would try assembling your frame the correct way up. Clean your glass and glue in your spacers and put to one side. Place your back board on something like a thick book so you can get your fingers under the back board. Next place on top your mounted object or whatever and then carefully place the frame/glass on top. Leave for awhile and then come back to inspect for dust etc. If you see any flumbs you can lift the frame/glass and deal with them. Once flumb free gently turn over the whole frame package and fire in your points.

Assembling your frame upside down, i.e. back board in last, will always give flumbs a chance to jump in unnoticed

As far as cleaning your glass, I use paper towels and regular glass cleaner in a spray bottle. Good luck

Edit,
Just thinking, you've mentioned before that you use Ikea ribba frames, am I right in thinking they come with plastic glazing and not glass? Flumb nightmare if that's the case!

David McCormack wrote:with one of these

Interesting, I've just been using my glass pliers to remove the tabs but that looks a much better option.

pramsay13 wrote
"Interesting, I've just been using my glass pliers to remove the tabs but that looks a much better option."

Honestly, I can't believe that , I just bend them up with a flat bladed screwdriver and use normal pair of pliers to pull them out

Back to the subject, David's solution is the way I would go, but if you have plastic glazing, well that is the worst thing to use, and I don't have a solution for you, somebody might come on and suggest using compressed air, but that only blows it all over the place, I just use a 2" paintbrush and brush the frame out once I have stuck the spacers in

thanks for the replies. I actually have the glass made to size by a supplier to fit these frames, I don't use the perspex that comes with the Ikea frames as its too flimsy and agree it attracts the dust pretty badly.

I used to have a vinyl record brush and it just made me wonder if it was worth purchasing one to see if it could pick the dust off the glass as it did a great job of removing static from vinyl but maybe it was because it was removing directly from plastic. With regards to the current cleaning methods I use, they aren't far from what has been suggested on here but I can never get a frame completely clear of dust.