Opinions Wanted magnetic sample display

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imaluma

imaluma

SGF, Supreme Grumble Framer
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I left my heart in san francisco/ st louis
I need to build frame sample displays and was thinking fabric panels to save the trouble of glueing fabric to a wall and maximize space with a lot of corners and small spaces. Not to mention i think they look nicer and offer the freedom to rearrange easily as this project evolves.

As I was driving home I was thinking sheet metal, with magnets on the samples would be a good idea. Does anyone know if you can get rare earth magnetic strip? I don't know if the regular strips would be strong enough for larger samples, and I would think they would just wear out over time anyway.

I also thought of framing the panels, and either painting them or leaving them. The metal could look cool and is a pretty neutral color anyway, but I worry it would be too industrial a look.

I have a source for sheet metal where i can pay pennies on the dollar for scraps, so I think in the long run it would be a much more cost effective and simpler route than velcro fabric that I need to glue to a board.

Has anyone done anything like this? Suggestions?
 
Could do it for fillets as a start to see if it is workable. Never know how to display fillets anyways so a small magnetic wall might work at least as well as sticking them in a drawer!

I got long strips of magnet for free. Just go to teh dump and yank them out of refrigerator door gaskets. Beware though they seem to be more magnetic on one side..

American Science and surplus always has magnets on sale.
 
Sarah-

This is how I display my samples.

Biggest issues-

1) rip off the velcro already glued and probably stapled to the sample

2) purchase magnet strips in different widths or use multiple strips for heavier samples

3) the glue on the magnetic strips is not strong enough. It eventually wears off and the magnets slide off the samples. You will need to use wood glue or super glue the magnets to the back of the samples, and weigh them down (well, the closer to the end of the magnetic roll is curly and won't lay straight) while they dry

4) I have also nailed or stapled magnetic strips to the sample. make sure the nail is small enough for thet sample and dont' staple too close to the mitre or the sample splits. and counter sink the nail or staple or the magnet won't connect with the metal.

So, yeah, it looks nice; but it is more time consuming putting new samples up.

OH! have holes put into the metal sheeting to screw into the wall, using washers. My drywall gave out even with drywall screws on day on one of the displays and the sheet bowed out and all my samples came crashing down. It was quite a sight to see! Thank goodness I had no customers at the time.


I have so many samples up on the sheets that you cannot tell it is metal, so no need to paint it.
I go to a local hobby store and buy rolls of magnet tape from them, then cut length that I need. they sell it in 1/2" and 1" widths. I'm sure you could find it via internet too.
-Sarah
 
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I needed some extra moulding sample display space, so I took a sheet of gator, glued the black velcro fabric to it, and put a pretty frame on it with some moulding left over from another job. I can move it around anytime.
 
Jeff, not to quibble but she said she had a source for scrap pieces. I'd be worried about getting cut handling and framing the scraps but it makes an interesting concept. I'd embrace the industrial look not try to hide it.

But Ilike the look of the carpet on my walls, so no stainless steel walls in here!

A cafe a freind owned did have a counter with corrugated metal roofing as the front of it. Looked really cool, and was a wave shaped counter. Embrace the different, customers will talk about it when they aren't in your shop. "You know Imaluna's shop, the one with the cool sculpture on the wall with her frames on it..." Better than radio ads! ;)

The cafe has been closed for two years or more and peple still talk about the counter... just saying people talk about what they can remember....
 
Bob, I was referring to the magnet part of the equation. Carpet stores will sell odd carpet for next to nothing and her source was for sheet metal.
 
Yeah the magnets definitely would be the expensive part! I have I'll guess over a 1000 samples. magnets for each would definitely break the bank. And the time to attach them....

But I did get magnetic strips from my dump for free. The strips in the fridge doors, freezer doors. They're long, probably get about 10-14 feet per fridge. At 3" per frame, 40 ish per fridge, so about 25 fridges worth of magnets.... ;) doable over a 6 month period of dump runs

And then you can't really be sure they are strong enough to do to the job right. Still, as I said, try it for the fillets first. then the liners and enhancers. If it works, cool expand the idea, if not, oh well, the fillets look cool!
 
The larger samples will also tend to slide down.

Bob, I'm glad to see you recycling all of the non-biodegradable junk you can get your hands on.

Can I get a Cheney on that one brother.
 
Well, what about sticking a magnet on the sample board to hold the big samples up. The sample would slide down and then bump into the other mag strip? All theory on my part.
 
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