gallery collection acrylic question

[fourcorners]

We have a vendor who is trying to sell us on a new brand of acrylic he says is called the "Gallery Collection." He says it is slightly thinner than acrylic made by cyro..is made specifically for picture framing.. and is a lot less expensive. Anyone heard of this or used it? It apparently comes in standard sizes with the largest being 36 x 48. We have a large order we’re working on and we’re always happy to save a few dollars.. but not if it's going to compromise quality.

 

[JFeig]

ask for a techincal specification sheet on the product. If there is none..........pass on the product. It might be something other than actual acrylic sheet. Will this product discolor over time, is it stable, is it optically clear...........

 

[JohnR]

How much less? My guess is that it is acrylic. Perhaps some repackaged material from a major supplier.

The Plexiglas brand offers a UV filtering grades, UF-3,4 and 5. I don't think Lucite International (Lucite brand) or Plaskolite (Optix brand) has UV filtering grades. Polycast does, but I think it is all cell cast, which could get pricey for framing use. My data is dated, so the above may be different now.

As for thickness, I find 1/8" (.118" in the acrylic biz) is ideal for frames up to ~48". The thinner stuff bows too much and is too flimsy.
John

 

[wpfay]

We can get both .118 and .098 acrylic. The .098 is about 12% less $ than the .118. Both are name brand.

 

[Jeff Rodier]

What type of cover sheet is on the acrylic. Clear blue is used by Plaskolite. Plaskolite makes a good product when safety glazing is the primary concern but usually has several manufacturing defects such as black specs.