Installing 300 pieces

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karlokerz

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Its actually turned out to be quite the dilemma, so I thought I'd send out the Bat Signal and see what you guys have to say.

300(ish) 11x14s and 11x17s, same moulding, measures 1/2inch on the back. To be hung in one grid on a large wall, maybe 12 feet high. How to get it lined up right? We tried a few with sawtooth hangers(a few different types) and it was touchy to get placement consistent, even with a jig. We want to be able to remove them and change art periodically. We also talked about velcro, or fabricating our own mini-cleat, then hanging rails(or those "z" shaped offsets). Maybe an inch in between each one, but client is open to butting them up against each other. We want the lines to be perfect.

Lay it on me guys, am I over-thinking this?
 
What about those new kind of hangers that look like honey combs? Or Wall Buddies?

Personally, I like the Velcro idea. I had a friend who exhibited a whole mess of little 12" square paintings on plywood at the Albright Knox Art Gallery and he used Velcro - ended up with one wall at least 10 pieces high and 12-14 pieces wide. And his paintings were neither square nor all exactly the same size.
 
At WCAF there was a company that made a hanger - forgetting right now the name - that was an open square with sawtooth ridges. You attached one to each side of the frame. They were adjustable. And the cost was less than wallbuddies.

I would think that you could install these hangers at a uniform distance on the frames, snap a chalk line to install your wall hooks, and fine tune alignment by adjusting the hangers as necessary.

I might be able to get the name when I get back to the shop next week. Or someone here might know what I'm talking about.
 
http://www.beehivehangers.com/

If you use either a laser or a bubble stick to get your hooks all pretty close in orientation - the hangers will allow for adjustments so it will be almost perfect.

Since your moulding is so thin, this is a great solution.

Otherwise, I would look at www.hangmanproducts.com They have some very small z-bar type hangers (z bar is too wide for a 1/2" moulding)

http://www.hangmanproducts.com/hangman-hangnail.html might be a good solution. I like a track system as the pieces could be easily adjusted left and right, and if the track is installed accurately, works well.

The advantage of the beehive is that it gives you incremental adjustment in all directions - so even if the hanger is off on the back of the art, there is a way to make it look perfect.
 
The Beehive hangers Ron linked will work with the narrow frame and the overall installation. Very inexpensive too.
 
It should not be about cost...

Richard Darling said:
At WCAF there was a company that made a hanger - forgetting right now the name - that was an open square with sawtooth ridges. You attached one to each side of the frame. They were adjustable. And the cost was less than wallbuddies...
Click to expand...

Richard - These are newer hangers by Lion (UK)

karlokerz said:
...300(ish) 11x14s and 11x17s, same moulding, measures 1/2inch on the back.... We want the lines to be perfect...
Click to expand...

Karl - because you hanging these in so many staight lines, I would honestly recommend one of two ideas...

Use a laser level in combination with either Wallbuddies or the Fletcher's Picture Perfect Wireless hangers. Both systems will have the advantage of maintaining level frames and even spacing.

Obviously some math will be involved regardless due to the size of the project. ;)

John

(I've hung 60+ identical frames with Wallbuddies - Fletcher's Picture Perfect are relatively new.)
 
While I think that Fletcher's new system is an excellent product, I would not use it for this application as the spacing between the pictures needs to be a constant and if the wall anchors are not exact, there is no room for improvement left/right. This could happen in the event of hitting a drywall screw (with this many frames it is an excellent possibility) - or just from human error in the installation of either the mating piece on a frame or on the wall. The math for the install is a lot fussier.

The Lion hangers do provide for adjustment, but I still think in this application, if I were doing it, I would use the beehive hangers. Much simpler installation and adjustment for inaccuracy is much easier than taking the piece off the wall and adjusting a hanger. Plus the Lion hangers are fussy in respect to the depth behind the frame and getting that many pieces that are so small to lie parallel and even. And, they have LIMITED adjustability.

To anyone who has suggested anything else, have you USED beehive hangers in a multiple piece installation?

Wall buddies do not provide for lateral adjustment unless you also vary the height- they are not a good solution for multiple groupings of 300 pieces. Do the geometry - you have two opposing triangles - if you move left or right, you also go up or down. Getting that many pieces to line up (and STAY lined up) would be a challenge.

Once everything is lined up with beehives, I would add picture straightener tabs from Hangman and walk away knowing it will stay that way.

http://www.hangmanproducts.com/hangman-picture-straightener.html

Not to hold the pieces level - the two hooks would do that, but to keep them from being moved and to confirm the left/right spacing because there is some possibility for left/right movement within the holes. NOTE: They make a "security" version and a "removable" version. In this application, since you want to remove the pictures at at future date, be sure to get the correct kind :) - also, you can trim them in half to get less surface contact with the wall. I use them all the time.

Have you ever used a laser level at 12' in the air? In a bright room or area? Very hard to accurately place a nail on a laser line. I have a tripod mounted one that would project that high but if I were doing this job, I would use bubble stick and masking tape to make my lines.

To the OP - I would get a sample of beehive hangers (you will need more than enough for one frame) and also wall buddies and try them side by side in a test application. You will see what I mean.
 
I agree that Wall Buddies would require a lot of math and EXACT placement of both the wall anchors and the frame brackets. Beehive would be simple and very inexpensive.
 
Framar said:
What about those new kind of hangers that look like honey combs? Or Wall Buddies?

Personally, I like the Velcro idea. I had a friend who exhibited a whole mess of little 12" square paintings on plywood at the Albright Knox Art Gallery and he used Velcro - ended up with one wall at least 10 pieces high and 12-14 pieces wide. And his paintings were neither square nor all exactly the same size.
Click to expand...

Did your friend use the 3M removable Velcro doo-dads or did he/she use the industrial strength Velcro? Cuz' the sticky stuff rips paint off walls (tell me how I know this!). I have had some success with the 3M removables, but I cannot say I would trust it more than a nail. Especially on things with glass. Perhaps that is just my (*snork) own hang-up though!
:shrug:
 
I don't know what kind of Velcro was used on the art gallery's walls but if it ripped the paint off it probably wouldn't matter because the gallery repaints after every installation.

Knowing Mark, he used whatever was cheapest and most readily available at the local hardware store. LOL.

I would trust Velcro to hang 11x14 sized ½" profile frames. They would not be heavy at all.
 
A little patience and a cup of coffee...

Jeff Rodier said:
I agree that Wall Buddies would require a lot of math and EXACT placement of both the wall anchors and the frame brackets...
Click to expand...

Agreed, in that the placement on the frames would have to be identical. (On metal frames they are identical.) ;)

However the math really is straight forward, for example...
  • Step 1 - Distance between two hooks on wall = A
  • Step 2 - Measurement of Frame Width minus A plus Space between pictures = B
  • Step 3 - With laser light positioned on wall, simply find starting point and mark wall with tick marks along the light, A + B + A + B + A + B + A
  • Hint - Start with center of wall and work in both directions if desired.

BTW - I've used this technique and they do stay level and they do line up with no variation in height.

John
 
John- no doubt wallbuddies would work, but with 300 frames, the odds of hitting an obstruction (drywall screw, nailing plate, etc,) in the wall are excellent-

Then what would you do?

PS - why use anything (wallbuddies or cleat or.....on metal frames)? Two truss head screws will fit into the top channel of the frame, allow for lateral movement, and are easy to line up.
 
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