Hanging a Fabric...

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Donna at MetroAF

Donna at MetroAF

CGF II, Certified Grumble Framer Level 2
Joined
May 6, 2005
Posts
355
Loc
Roseville, MN
We're almost in our new shop and have come to a small problem. Our new partners, MO'R Designs (an antiquities and gem/rock shop), has some African fabrics (kuba cloth) that they usually display on the walls. Our store is full of flourescent lights, and I am concerned that they will damage the fabric.

Is there something, short of framing, that they can do to protect the cloth from the lights?

Thanks!
-heart-
Donna
 
The easiest thing would be to use some UV-filtering sleeves on the flourescent tubes. They just slip right on, and have the added advantage of containing the mess and glass should they break.

Here you go: http://www.archivalsuppliers.com/prodinfo.asp?number=413-T-10

413-T-10.JPG


It's $65.00 for a package of ten 48" sleeves.

I don't have a catalog handy but at one time Larson carried them. I think.

By the way, do they carry fossils?
 
Ditto what Dave said. Other than getting rid of your ugly flourecense I doubt you will get better advice. I used those in my old shop in the framing area as an added measure of protection (we framed VERY expensive art there). It's one of those things you slip into casual conversation with your clients just to let them know how far your willing to go to protect their art.
 
They say that these will last indefently. I thought this kind of stuff lost its effectiveness over time. I wonder what kind of testing has been done?
 
Donna at MetroAF said:
What fossils do you want?
Click to expand...

I want to do a demo piece showing bent rod mounts on a fossil slab. The kind where it's a rectangular slab of stone with some thickness and a fossil of a fish, bug or something or another.

[customer mode] It's simply a demo piece so I was hoping to find something cool looking without spending big money. [/customer mode]
 
FrameMakers said:
They say that these will last indefently. I thought this kind of stuff lost its effectiveness over time. I wonder what kind of testing has been done?
Click to expand...

Can't speak specifically to the light tubes, but this sort of thing has come up before in reference to conservation glass. A few of the things I've heard:

1. The boxes or lites have a date printed on them, so there must be some expiration or sell-by date. Nope, that's just the date they were made, lot numbers and the like.

2. The filtering gets used up and stops working. Nope. Perhaps this is where the term "UV-filtering has done us all a disservice. A mechanical filter, like for air or water, does get filled with particulates and does lose it effectiveness. What conservation glass does is to convert the short wavelength, high-energy portion of the light to shorter wavelength, lower-energy and less damaging infrared. As long as the coating is intact, not scratched or scraped away it should be effective.

3. The UV coating eventually peels off. Nope. It's not a film that's applied, it's baked on and it's an inherent part of the glass. It's not going to just peel off.
 
brian..k said:
Ditto what Dave said. Other than getting rid of your ugly flourecense I doubt you will get better advice. I used those in my old shop in the framing area as an added measure of protection (we framed VERY expensive art there). It's one of those things you slip into casual conversation with your clients just to let them know how far your willing to go to protect their art.
Click to expand...


MY 2c worth. I am a great believer in full spectrum lighting (daylight tubes) and you will find it beneficial in displaying the proper color of the fabrics. You may still need to be concerned about the UV problem but everything will look gorgeous. They cost more than fluorescents but are worth it. Some brands even boast Vitamin D capabilities for those windowless areas.

BC
 
You can filter out 100% of the UV and art will still fade from the rest of the visible spectrum.

If you don't believe this, make up test specimen with strips of regular glass, UV glass, reg acrylic, UV acrylic, and one strip of aluminum (the control). Hinge these over a photo ('cause they fade pretty quickly) and set them in a South facing window. This will be a very poignant display to show your customers the damage that will happen if they hang their art in bright light.
 
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