Question How to create static to move dust particles behind glass?

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Jodie Osborne

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Feb 6, 2008
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Hi All,

I am working on an old black velvet 3D needlework, and it's framed in a box frame, behind Museum Glass. Every time I put a nail in the back, it created the tiniest particles of dust on the glass. I have miraculously managed to get rid of them all from the velvet.

The frame is now complete and sealed.

I'm wondering if anyone has successfully used static to move dust particles which are behind glass? And if so...how? The needlework has a green matboard, so I'd like to move the tiny bits which remain away from the black velvet, and closer to the green edges. They won't be noticeable there.

Many Thanks,

Jodie
 
If the goober is light and non-static-y sometimes you can move it around by holding the frame so that the target area is down and tapping the back. But you already tried that.

If you charge the goober (and I can't think of any way to easily do that) it will not go where you want it to. And it may bring friends.

I suggest closing your good eye when you look at it...
 
This is a perennial problem. Anything that is likely to have loose particles will shed them and some will go on the glass. The normal gunning in of the back with the frame face down will jolt them and once they cling to the glass they take some shifting. Sometimes flicking the glass over the flumb will knock it off so it goes in some invisible area, but mostly it's a futile task. Even if you tore down the whole frame to remove it, the likelihood is that some others will appear. You can spend all day messing about.

I think sometimes you have to take a philosophical stance and accept it. Stand three feet away and if you can't see the flumb then call it job done. ;)
 
Sometimes a little moisture and tapping on the front of the glazing can break the static that's holding a particle to the glazing, making it fall.

Sometimes
 
When fixing in pastels, I have been known to hang the frame face-up over the edge of the bench and fire the points in from underneath.

Makes your neck ache. :help:
 
Pat Murphey said:
Flex points solve that problem easily!
Click to expand...

Yes. You can fire them in normally with the piece face down (which will actually help dislodge unseen particles), then bend the points open and remove the package, clean out the frame and package, then gently re-bend the points down to hold everything in. If your contents are very fragile and friable (like dried flowers) you can do the same procedure but using a "dummy" package the same thickness as your real one for step 1.

If there are any remaining offending particles after step 2 (which there probably will be, esp. when using dark suede matting with Museum Glass), I like to reopen just a strategic few tabs to get proper access, then fish out the particles using as a tool a length of plastic spacer strip with just enough facing removed to expose a shy 1/4" of adhesive at one end.

:cool: Rick
 
Flexi points ought to be great - in theory! I have never managed to get my gun to shoot them in far enough to be able to bend them at all without pulling them out of the wood. :(
 
Framar said:
Flexi points ought to be great - in theory! I have never managed to get my gun to shoot them in far enough to be able to bend them at all without pulling them out of the wood. :(
Click to expand...

Try loosening the tension knob until there is no resistance and then tighten 1/2 turn.


I use a "Static Wisk" anti static brush which sometimes works when brushing across the outside of the glass or acrylic.
 
I use a Cassese flexi point gun to fire the points into the frame, bend them up, place the frame onto the art/backing etc, turn the whole thing upside down and bend the tabs down, tape it up and install the hanging system! It works most of the time.
 
Yep. Just rub it on the glass right above the speck and a little around it. If it is being held there by static it will fall away.

The only real downside is that once in a while you will get a really linty one. Most of them are wonderful, lint free and never seem to scratch anything. I have had 2 out of 100 or so that have been very linty and the woven metal fibers where exposed enough to lightly scratch the uv coated side of museum glass.

If you have not tried them before I would pick one up and see if you like them. In my shop they have proven very useful. Last time we did a tassel box we used them instead of dryer sheets with great results. I really like them when I am working with large sheets of acrylic. Rub the acrylic lightly after removing the protective sheeting and the static is much less of a problem. Also good for working with mylar for similar reasons. I have found that you can "load" the rag with too much static sometimes, but if you ground it out on a piece of metal it seems to work just fine again.
 
This guy would have made an excellent picture framer:

[video=youtube;qOAj-DfJpRg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOAj-DfJpRg[/video]
 
It's not always static that makes them stick. Glass looks ultra-smooth, but magnify the surface and it's very rough. Plenty of key for particles to adhere to. And particles are fluffy as well. It's a bit like micro-velcro.

commonglass20000x.jpg



Think about when you get a tiny sliver of glass on the surface of a sheet. Cleaning the glass in the time-honored fashion normally won't shift them. Usually you have to pick them off with your fingernail. Any any slight moisture will add to the grip.
 
Yeah, that's why I really hate cleaning glass on humid days. Seems like everything in the world sticks to the uv coated side.

Its enough to make me worry there are little gnomes sticking bits to my glass with E6000. :icon9:
 
Having a painting easel handy can be very helpful, when tricky items are being fitted, since it allows the fitting to go on in the near vertical orientation and one can see what is happening, within the frame.



Hugh
 
I'm just thinking back to school days when we did an experiment by rubbing a glass rod with a piece of wool. The glass rod got "charged up" and we were able to pick up all sorts of things (like bits of paper) and could even hold them and move them about through a sheet of glass.

Now I've never tried it for dust on the inside of the glass in a frame but I'd like to bet it would work a treat :thumbsup:

The only thing is the charge doesn't last long but that probably wouldn't matter for moving a few bits of dust.
 
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