The Framers Forum

Hi
I am fairly new to framing and have just started to use Polcore, I was wondering if anyone can suggest a glue which has a longer working time than most of the glues that are usually used.

Thanks

Hi Casey

I have used Plastibond from Lion. Its a PVA glue for plastic mouldings and takes 3 to 6 days to dry fully so you must pin the corners at the same time.

Steve

I've used both Plastibond and Bison plastic glue both are good. Plasibond is good if you are prone to making a mess as the clean up situation is so easy.

Bison plastic glue is fast and easy, but not good if you get it onto the finish on the moulding. I've been using Bison for sometime now, as I can get it from my local hardware shop.

PU-Max from BISON - superb with Polcore. Use sparingly!

Casey,
I guess 'Polcore' is a synthetic moulding. If that is the case, then this is how I join synthetic (plastic) moulding.
Place two parts of joint together on a hard surface with a piece of release paper under them.
If they don't line up, on the top, use leaves from a mechanics feeler gauge under the low side so that the top surfaces are flush.
Small dots of super glue on one joint surface.
Push the two parts together (just with hands) until super glue hardens. I use a fairly fast one so I hold it together for about 30 seconds.
Repeat for the other three joints.
Wait ten minutes or so to allow more curing time, then vee nail the joints. (making sure the vee nailer clamping system is adjusted so that it doesn't break the joint)

This system works for me.

I only ever use polcore for volume jobs were speed is of the essence so no glue just pins

Really???
I'm not sure I would like to sell a frame, in which the joints are not glued.
No, I'm really definite about that. Nothing would convince me to do it.

Why doesn't someone invent an underpinner that fires really hot V nails that melt the moulding on to them

when would you choose to use these kinds of mouldings.

they seem like sooo much more work

and from the prices i have seen they are not that much cheaper than using a wood moulding?

I use synthetic mouldings whenever the colour and design are appropriate to the art.
I only sell selected designs that don't look like plastic.
A lot of synthetics are less than half the price of a similar size and shape wood mouldings down here.

Personally I don't think there is a huge amount of extra time in joining them the way I do them. A few extra minutes is all.

ah ok

the prices for any i have looked at, that look decent were around 20% less than similar wood

the joining seems like more work, but i guess unless i try wont really know

Ormond

When you are framing 150 small prints to go in hotel bedrroms and you are only making £5 -6 profit and they are needed the day before yesterday then time is of the essence,that is why we don't glue frames. It takes me on my own 2 days to frame 150 prints, that includes dry mounting all the prints, cutting all the mounts, cutting and assembling all the frames, cutting glass and back, assembling and wrapping.

Framing is a broad church and things have to be done differently in a very competitive environment. However if it was a bespoke job or a large frame then of course I would glue the frames, and no I would never use MDF its a PITA the cut and gets in the way of production.

Slightly off topic but how do the plastics affect the blades on your Morso?

sorry to hijack the thread.

plastic is more consistent so less waste (dependent on exact quality).

will cut with blunter blades than wood normally, and light plastic is not heavy on the blades (no knots to hit either).

black, silvers, golds look very similar on palstic to wood.

See the UK made photo frames for £4 in The Range the corners are not glued. Customer gets what they pay for (sometimes a fair bit more on very big jobs).

I always use Starloc superglue on polymer frames. It's available in thin, medium and thick grades. The thicker the grade, the longer the cure time. I'm assuming you glue first, let set and then pin.

If plastics need gluing are you putting them in some sort of a clamp?

No Chris it will be clamped up tight in the under pinner before the pins are fired so it won't need clamping. Also when you cut plastic don't take too larger chunks with the morso as you can shatter the plastic.

AG

AG... confused now. so you pin before the glue sets?

Yes Chris whilst the glue is wet under pin it. It is the under pinning that gives you tight joints the glue merely adds an extra bond.

Must take issue with you there AG. There isn't anything mere about glue. It's not an extra bond, it's the main strength. The pins are there (merely ) to hold the joint tight so that the glue forms a good bond and also to hold the frame together in the event of a catastrophic failure.

OK, on a smallish frame with a relatively big moulding, no glue might be fine. Big frame + smallish moulding - glue = yawning mitres.