Attach E-Z follow-up

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Dancinbaer

Dancinbaer

SGF, Supreme Grumble Framer
Joined
Apr 26, 2002
Posts
1,267
Loc
De Pere, WI
Ordered and recieved my Attach E-Z kit. It is the cat's meow. Fastened six rosaries in just a couple hours while sitting and enjoying television. Did a couple practice runs on some scrap mat & foam board. Then went to town on the real pieces. After the first couple, I got a routine down and each piece went a little quicker. I used the Micro-Tak on the tatted rosaries. As was suggested I colored the fastners with an artist's pen close to the blue of the rosary, can't even see the little buggers.

Before I got the Attach E-Z, I had Diane sew the first rosary to show my customer. Took her a couple hours for one. When she finished she told me I'd be doing the rest myself.

Can't wait to do my next jersey.
 
This sounds like a great product. I looked at it but thought it was a bit expensive... are there any "deals" out there on them!??

Thanks,

Roz

PS and what about the different size ones?
 
I have wanted one of each size since they came out. Now I've got two crocheted name pieces staring at me and I wish - I wish - I wish. . .
 
The best deal is to actually buy the "kit". It contains both the Fine Fabric and the MacroTach tools. Complete with plenty of fastners and extra needle for each tool. Don't know that I should quote prices or names but I found a $20 difference between two distributors. So check around. The time you'll save will pay for the tools in a couple projects.

As for sizes, The MicroTach uses an 1/8"(?) and the Fine Fabric uses both 1/4" & 1/2"

One of the coolest features is being able to color the fastners with an artist's pen to match the material. On the rosaries I did you have to look darn close to see them.

[ 12-09-2003, 02:25 PM: Message edited by: Dancinbaer ]
 
Ah ha! Finally I feel qualified to make a comment! Today I used my Fine-Fabric tool for the first time, attaching 50 state trooper badges onto black velvet stretched over Artcare Foamcore. I used two tags per badge, some of them I had to colorize, but all in all, it took me less than an hour to attach them, a job if sewn which would have taken at least three hours and sore leg and back muscles!

This was a SNAP!!! I used the 1/4" tags (tabs?) and the tension was just right. The hardest part of this job was figuring out how to arrange the badges (all different sizes and shapes).

I cheaped out by purchasing (from United) the Fine Fabric kit because I figured I pretty much always use foam behind projects like this, and I rarely attach anything directly onto fabric by itself (fabric is always pinned onto FC).

But my overall impression of my new toy, er, I mean TOOL - WAY COOL! It has paid for itself already and I have a 40" crocheted doily to do next! Plus, I ordered extra needles to be on the safe side and I didn't break one!!!
 
Use suede board and the micro and you shouldn't have to color anything. It's the board or the table under the foam that breaks the needle!
 
Ebay! I got ordered the Attach EZ from my supplier, but purchased the Microtach (which is the gun I'll use most often) for only $10 on eBay. Can't beat the price!
 
The Attach-Ez was one of two tools in my shop that made it possible to survive the first real Christmas rush I've seen since 1999. This was the year of The Shadowbox. Everything promised got done (just barely) and everything got picked up by Christmas Eve.

The other tool, ironically, was the Mat Maestro, which performed flawlessly when it really counted - December 22-24.

On January 2, it may decide not to cut anything at all.
 
Today I mounted the first crochet piece I've done since I started using the Attach-Ez.

The item was only 9"x16", but I ended up putting over 100 of the smallest fasteners in it to get it squared the way I wanted. (It started out oval.) (Just kidding.)

If I had used a needle and thread on that puppy, I'd still be stitching.
 
I wish I knew what I was doing wrong with this method. I returned mine. I wanted them mainly for crochet. The length of the tabs were too long. I can't figure out how to hold the crochet tight enough to the mat. Also the same problem with cross stitch. I may be just too stupid to figure out this process.
 
Sharon,

Did you try pinning the crochet down to the board first to center it as you would when stitching it down? I always put a few push pins into the crochet to hold it in place when I am stitching it down and I'll be that would also help you hold it from going loose with the gun too. It is going to need a hole anyway to put the "T" in so the push pin hole should suffice, .............. I think.


I need to buy an Avery gun one of these days and play with it so I can be "one of the bunch". I feel so left out by using the old methods and I really want to fit in. ...........Really, I do. :(

(I hope that I can find an outlet for them down here in Florida.)

Framerguy
 
Framerguy: I always pin my crochet down but the touble I am having is the length of the tabs. unless you pull them through and tape on the back side, they are so long the crochet is not held tight against the backboard. Am I making sense? I must be the only person in the world who doesn't find this method any faster than stitching. So I must be doing something wrong.
 
No, Sharon, you are making alot of sense to me. I have wondered how an attaching "T" of a given length could be used with varying thicknesses of fabric with speed and efficiency. If you have to go back and tighten each attachment I question how much actual labor time you have saved over simply stitching the piece in place.

When I stitch down crochet I take a length of crochet thread off the ball long enough to go completely around the piece with a foot or so extra for insurance. I stitch each point or scallop down with sort of a lock stitch and I don't tie off each stitch. I go completely around the piece with a continuous length of thread with no problems of loose crochet when I am finished. I have done literally hundreds of crocheted names and doilies in the past 16 years and have had none come back for any reason. That is a better record than many framers can claim on mounted prints and print mounting can be much easier to do than stitchery.

I am going to buy an Avery Microtach gun soon which is the exact same gun as the Fletcher Attach EZ fine gun but costs under $30 from an Avery distributor. The "T's" are also available from Avery for about half what FT charges for them.

I think that the Attach EZ is a fine kit although it is very overpriced considering that the components can be purchased individually for much less.

If you are determined to use the attaching "T's" for crochet I would use the longer ones and just pull tight and tape the tails from the back. At least with the longer "T's" you will have enough extra tail to do a proper job of taping down.

Framerguy
 
Sharon,
Did you use the Fine-Fabric fastner or the Micro-Tak fastner? I used the Micro to mount some tatting pieces to suede mat and they were pretty snug. In fact I had to make sure I pushed down hard enough so the fastner would make it through far enough to open. The micro uses a 1/8" fastner the fine fabric uses both a 1/4" or 1/2".

Framerguy,
Does the Avery come with different size fastners?
 
Originally posted by Framerguy:
...If you have to go back and tighten each attachment I question how much actual labor time you have saved over simply stitching the piece in place....to use the attaching "T's" for crochet I would use the longer ones and just pull tight and tape the tails from the back...
Framerguy
Click to expand...
Yes, the tails may be taped, or glued. After the attachments are in place, a spot of tape or a little dab of white frame glue on the back of the mount board is all it takes to hold each one, with a 1/2" x 1/2" torn overlay of paper towel, squished onto the glue dab to hold until it's dry.

That's what I did the first few times. Then I wondered what would happen if I just used the MicroTach with short T's, and let them hang. Well, it works just great!

Why would the textile need to be pulled tight against the mount board, anyway? If it's loose enough to shift 1/16" (or probably less) inside the frame when it's turned upside down, who cares? It will return to its proper position when it's up-righted again. And the textile remains free to expand & contract freely.

If it's necessary to use the attachments to re-shape a textile, such as a deformed doily, then place the attachments to tension at a specific angle, the same way guy-ropes are tensioned to hold a tent in place. (For non-campers, the guy-ropes of a tent may have a fixed length, and are slipped over stakes placed in the ground wherever needed to provide the tension.)
 
If I was buying only one gun it would be the micro with the small t. I've done several names and only had one the small t didn't work on and it was made of a very fine thread. I did use the micro gun to hold it in place and mark the holes for my needle and thread.
 
Sharon,

If you want the T's tighter go to the back side and wrap some thread around the post to the tightness you want.

(now, I'm going to add a post on the correct procedure for mounting a Hockey Jersey)

best
 
Originally posted by Dancinbaer:
Framerguy,
Does the Avery come with different size fastners?
Click to expand...
Denny,

The Avery guns come as a gun but you can buy the "T's" in bulk for much less than the smaller quantity packs that may be had in other places. They are something like 10,000 "T's" for almost half of what the smaller quantities sell for if you break the bulk down into smaller quantities. Go to the Avery website and do some searching to find the length and tykpe you are looking for. They are all listed somewhere there, you just have to ferret out which gun carries which size "T's". The Microtach gun isn't listed on the public part of the website anymore for some unexplained reason but you can order them from an Avery distributor in your area along with the attachments.

Framerguy

P.S. Well, I just went to the Avery website and there is no sign of tagging guns whatsoever on their site! I guess the controversy raised here on the Grumble was more than they felt obliged to contend with. Try contacting your area Avery distributor for more information.
 
Framerguy: I like your idea of going around the entire piece with one length of thread. I don't know why I didn't think of that. I have a piece to do this week and will certainly give it a try. Thanks for the advice. I may try an avery gun if I can find one, but still think the stitching method is as fast for me.
 
You can use the micro fasteners on a suede mat and 3/16 foam board together and as long as you pull the trigger slowly you should have no problem setting the fasteners. This gives you a nice tight fit and you will have no problem with the holes showing because the fasteners are not tight enough. There is now a new longer length of Microtach fastener also that works even better when using a foam backing board. They are almost a 1/4" inch in length. You can get them from your distributor.
 
Hi Pat!

Sharon - just to let you know - we are all just jealous that you find stitching to be faster! Maybe it's not that you are using the gun wrong - maybe you are just much faster at stitching than the rest of us!


Maybe we should have a Framers Skills Contest at the trade shows. Kind of like a logging contest only use framing skills. Stitch a doilie, cut "x" number of mats, hinge mounting, etc. and compete for fastest time. Then we could all learn some technique tips from each other. Hmmmmm. Just a thought.

Cyndi
 
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