Dust and stuff

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Whatknot

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Hi everybody
Just a couple of questions. 1) If you use isopropyl alchohol and water as a glass cleaner (in a spray bottle), does the alchohol evaporate? In was thinking about this and wondering if I'm just using plain water now that some time has gone by. 2) Is there a magnetic cloth or anything to keep the dust in the air under control before you get your project sealed up? What's the solution here (don't make me find out for myself!)
3)(and this is just an opinion) BLACK IS BAD!
 
Hey What,

Welcome to the Grumble.

I don't believe that there is a high rate of evaporation in most of your spray bottles. Sure, you may lose a little achohol over a period of a week but I would add a smidge every so ofter and there shouldn't be a problem.

Have you considered using spray cleaner, LJ's or Sprayway or such??

(If knot, why knot, Whatknot??)

<font size=1>I just HAD to sneak that into the post!</font>

A can of LJ cleaner lasts forever and costs under 4 bucks by the case. It is good cleaner and doesn't streak at all. I have used it since my other favorite cleaner got bought out by another company and they messed with the formula and screwed the whole thing up.

Framerguy
 
Hey, I'm new. Haven't heard of Sprayway or LJ. So....what about the dust in the air settling on that beautiful black & sepia print?
Anna!
 
Oh Anna, you're breaking my heart.

Four of my top five selling mats are black.

All ten of my top ten selling frames are black.

My design counters are black.

My computers are black.

The sample wall behind the counters is black.

I AM NOT DEPRESSED - or at least I wasn't until Anna said that black is bad.

Kit
 
I'm with you, Kit. Black suits you anyway, and I mean that as a compliment.


Yep, it is a real pain to clean black mats. (just like white mats!!) That doesn't stop me from selling them..

Black frames for me are like black shoes; you can never have too many!
 
Anna, do you feel your chain getting pulled around a bit? Get used to it and get over it. and Welcome to this side of sanity that we call framing and the Grumple.

1) An Ozone/Ion generator is a good thing. Not sure about what is available in Canada.... Sharper Image, Brookstone, Sears, Radio Shack..... all have something. We like our sharper image because it is SILENT. This will drop the "floaties" out of the air.... but doesn't solve ALL problems.

2) Get over the "black" thing. You will find that when you sell a black mat or get a black picture in, there will be a run of them. Same for LARGE frames, and nudes. Nobody knows why this phenominon happens. Earth pull on solar flares maybe.

3) A "static" duster, they advertize them that dust "jumps" onto the duster.......

4) There used to be a ion generating blow off....

baer
 
Wow, thanks for the tips! What a great gang. I'm going to start hanging around this joint with some regularity. ;)
 
We also use a (non-oil lubricated) compressor and spray air to zap the critters (as we call 'em) that are drawn to black as a tornado is drawn to a mobile home... the spray also does a great job of fluffing up those suede mats...
 
Whatknot,

I use one of these anti-static brushes sold by a couple of distributors for final cleaning of dust/lint off of glass, prints, and matting. I have the shorter brush (about a 5" head and a 5" handle), you don't really need the long brush unless you are cutting 10 wide mats on a regular basis (and they are a bit pricey). They work well unless you have a really excessive amount of floaters in your shop air.

Now, I am not trying to be mean or some kind of a smartass (for a change) but if you pay diligent attention to keeping your shop/fitting area meticulously clean on a regular basis, you will find that this problem will lessen itself. Vacuuming weekly, cleaning your fitting table every few days, keeping your clothing as clean and lint free as possible, don't keep active pets in your work area (they stir up more dust than you would imagine!), and doing your "dirty" work away from your fitting table will all contribute to a lesser dust problem. With that all in operation, you will still have dust/lint to contend with.

On suedes, I use a "knuckle brush", (the kind that you scrub your knuckles and fingernails with), to remove dust/lint. They have stiff enough bristles to remove the little critters but they aren't so stiff that they will damage the suede cloth on the matboard. I use them in a circular motion at the end of the cleaning to try to match the mottling that is normal on suede boards. A good clean new toothbrush will also work although they are a bit small for overall cleaning. You can buy knuckle brushes at any Wally World or K-Mart for under 2 bucks and they will last forever.

(Unless you also use it to scrub out frying pans or remove that crusted on gunk from your BBQ grille!)

FGII
 
Just a point of clarification -

Isopropyl alcohol doesn't contain any oils. Framing Fools problems may been because they were using a drugstore blend of some sort, which wouldn't be pure, or some other unidentified source of contamination. But isopropyl alcohol (aka propan -2 - ol)and ethanol mixed with water are both good glass and plexi cleaners.

The alcohols will evaporate sooner than the water, but a quick sniff should tell you if you need to add more alcohol.

The alcohols are cleaning agents themselves, but also make water a more effective cleaner by breaking water's surface tension. The alcohols act as surfactants.

Also a tip - Swiffer dusting cloths are great for workspace cleanup. The dry Swiffers, not the wet ones meant for mopping.

Rebecca
 
I have just discovered the Swiffer dusters. I usually avoid "disposable" kinds of cleaning aids - but the Swiffer can be used over and over in increasing dirty jobs until it is all used up. Start with using it for regular dust removal jobs around the shop and end up with those nasty dust bunnies which congregate under furniture.

I use a small electrostatic brush also on glass and mats - but getting rid of the area dust is essential (my shop is on a busy street - and in an OLD building - dust comes in every day - plus it falls from the hanging ceiling!).

My biggest problem is the cat hair which follows me everywhere and migrates onto mats with alarming frequency. I don't want to make it sound like I am a slovenly framer, and I do have my growing cataracts to blame, but I have taken many frame packages apart because of CAT HAIRS!!! And yes, I check and recheck for these appearances before fitting - but somehow, after the paper is glued onto the back - that is when the little devils appear and say "Ta Da!"
 
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