Most hated part of framing...

Puppyraiser

PFG, Picture Framing God
Joined
Jul 10, 1999
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Loc
Maryland
Business
Howards retired
As I was doing my drymounting today, it occurred to me that I really detest doing drymounting. It can go wrong so many ways, it is so darn permanent, and it gripes me no end to even have to do it. What do you hate worst?
 
I second the black suede......................

That and being asked to remat one customer's complete collection of Walmart / KMart / Craft store "art"! She actually collects this one artist who does a lot of the framed pictures for mass retail. The she has me remove the stapled backing, often requests UV filtering glass and always remats the things! Good gig, but I hate it! and it is a continuing thing! She wants the conservation glass because she wants to pass them on to her grandchildren because the collection in her opinion will be valuable!
 
I agree with jframe. I have considered charging more on fitting for black mats but haven't done it yet. I too dislike mounting for the reasons you stated above.
Last week I chopped and put a frame together only to find an unacceptable flaw on the moulding.(not marked by the co.) I'm very careful to check for flaws before cutting but this one went by me. The customer called a day early and wanted to pick it up in an hour. I thought she had a balance so I fixed the flaw to the best of my abilities. I showed it to her and we both agreed it would be better to replace the frame. Then I find out she had paid in full! Had I known that I would have just said it's gonna be a day late(really on time) instead of bringing up the flaw.


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DRY-MOUNTING BLACK SUEDE on . ..

Ok, not really. but yeah, dry mounting, black suede, black pictures, black paper mats that show ANYTHING.

Ok, Okok, I've got the one job that any framer in their right mind would only send to the BB or charge double:

24x34 image . . . pastel Elvis on blk velvet, with 4" black suede mat, and because it is going over the BED it gets OP!%$#!#@@##%. :D
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Baer....I didn't know that STILL made those "Velvet Elvis" pics....I am REALLY afraid to ask what kind of client wants an Elvis velvet over her bed??????
I HATE getting all the dust bunnies off...and put it all together..low and behold..there is one right in the corner of that *&^%BLACK suede mat...grrrrr.
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Layout for multi-openings. I have a product that everyone on the island seems to want that involves doing a photo shoot of the family and then framing a layout with 6-10 openings double matted. Can't seem to standardize the layout as there is always a different mix of horizontal vs. vertical, different sizes wanted, etc. I can cut the mat fine (and I've even gotten very good at the double mats for multiple openings). The part I hate is the hour it takes with pencil and paper to develop a good layout and calcutate all the border sizes (and then check and double check). The pencil and paper time takes over twice the time to actually cut the mat! Really makes me envy those of you with CMCs and the associated layout software.

Steve
 
Let me count the ways......oh try this one, unfixed pastel floated on black with lifted mats in a shadow box metal frame, I won't do it, and she says why not, I'am paying you to do it and my mind says (not any amount of money will work for this headache of a job) and I politely refuse and lose a customer. That's the way the cookie crumbles!
 
Telephones, especially the ones that ring constantly when fitting a suede mat on a large piece...
 
Steve... easy hint for doing multi layouts. Cut pieces of matboard the size of each opening. Move them around on a board the same size as your frame. When you get the look you like, you can take your measurements right off your template and transfer them to your actual matboard. I finally figured out this method about 6 months before I got the Wizard after only about 20 years!
 
#1) Shadow boxes with black suede. How many times will I turn this thing over, only to find another #@*&ing speck on the glass, on the back on the sides or on the bottom?

#2) Pastels, 'cause it all has to be done with the frame facing up.


-Mike.
 
Bill,
How could I have forgotten about that horrible glass.

I have one client that insists on using that stuff. I cringe whenever she comes through the door. I am seriously considering telling her, the next time she is in, that it has been discontinued.

-Mike.
 
Originally posted by KwajPrints:
The part I hate is the hour it takes with pencil and paper to develop a good layout and calcutate all the border sizes (and then check and double check). The pencil and paper time takes over twice the time to actually cut the mat!
A simple 2D CAD program could do that for you...
 
Jerry Ervin: You wrote:
"The part I hate the most is explaining to the customer why I am still cheaper than ACMoore and their 60% off sale.

I really hate telling people that they have had the wool pulled over their eyes."

The same here, except it is "Michaels". I always tell my customers "If you are hooked on the their big 50% discount, I can charge you 50% more and then subtract the discount...." (They laugh! lol)
 
Originally posted by ahohen:
"If you are hooked on the their big 50% discount, I can charge you 50% more and then subtract the discount...."
Just make sure you don't charge them 50% more and then give them a 50% discount....
 
None of the tasks of framing can hold a candle to the paperwork of own the business as the biggest annoyance.
I only do it when the piles reach critical slope!
 
I had never thought of cutting out mat the size of the photo and then placing it like a template.

That's why I love the Grumble!

You guys are great,

What about Corners that just won't join right?(on mouldings I mean)
I just had one and they drive me crazy, They should join perfect but they just don't!

At what opening size do you consider it unusable?
a 1/16 or smaller? I'm talking about the corner of the moulding of course.

I used a chopper to cut it so it should join the same with every moulding. Why doesn't it?

This is what I hate.

Jennifer
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Jennifer,

I suggest you invest in a miter sander. Your problems will go away. But you should also check to make sure your chopper is in top working order, etc. But given that, I would still get a sander.

There has been plenty written here on the grumble about miter sanders, just do a search.

-Mike.
 
OK, But what does A sander do? I don't usaully know the corneers are not matching up untill the last corner is being joined?
Is there anyway to tell before? and if there is I guess that's when you use the Sander ,Right?

What am I doing wrong?
Jennifer
 
I really hate it when those customers you tied up in the basement (the ones that came in Christmas Eve morning)chew through the ropes and get away with the saleman that tried to sell you advertising. Good thing I still have the phone rep in the closet under all those black suede mats.

Would this be going postal or Framal?
 
Jennifer,

You may not be doing anything wrong.

I always use the sander before attempting a join. Others might disagree with this approach and say that as long as your chopper or miter saw is in perfect tune, you should not have to use the sander and that it becomes a waste of time. This may be true, and I can't speak to that as I buy all my chops, and some suppliers have more accurate chops than others. So instead of finding out I have a bad chop at the point where I am trying to join the fourth corner, I believe it is worth the extra minute or so that it takes to sand all the miters.

Once the miters have been sanded, there is no guessing whether or not you will have a quality join.

-Mike.
 
Cutting and handling oversize glass gives me the heebies jeebies. 36 x 48 ain't that bad, but 40 x 60 is the stuff of nightmares. My terror increases exponentially when that oversize glass is Museum glass, not to mention the negative dollar signs flashing in my eyes at that.
My theory is that my arms aren't long enough to comfortably handle it and it makes me anxious when I have to do it anyway.

edie the thatswhyilikeacrylicbetter goddess
 
Jennifer

Double check the length of each pair of sides to make sure they are the same. If one side is 1/32 of an inch longer the fourth corner will not join properly

Mitch
 
LARGE shadowbox with BLACK SUEDE and MUSEUM glass ... the air turns blue just thinking about it!
 
J Phipps,

Wrong! Use the sander before joining (or even dry fitting) the frame. It takes off so little material that you can use it routinely. I mark the mitre with three pencil lines. When they are gone I have 45 degrees.
 
I love to sew by hand, so I don't understand why I hate to frame anything that needs to be sewn down.
 
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