Mounting ?--How would you do this?

[tamip]

The neighbor boy stopped by last night asking for help. He has two 16 x 20 photos that he wants mounted to masonite that is already cut to size.

His dad used to give his mother one for Christmas and he wanted to extend the tradition. His dad was killed in an accident a couple of years ago.

I know this is a dumb idea and he is willing to start over--so it is okay to give it a try and wreck the photos.

I had two thoughts---use a piece of dry mount tissue and tack it to the photo and masonite with a Z-tack method, put it in my Seal mounting press and hope for movement.

I also wondered whether I could use the Frank's Fabric adhesive on a photo....glue both surfaces, let it set up a bit and then put in the vacuum press.

I guess I could use VacuSeal and let that set up a bit, too, before trying to center it on the already cut board.

Just trying to help out a kid--after all, he's my go-to guy for plowing us out when we have a big snowstorm!

 

[Jeff Rodier]

I use films equivalent to Fusion and mount to the photo and then mount the photo to the board. Just did 10 yesterday that had to be mounted on the center of a cut piece of mat board.

I use single sided release paper folded in half and mounted to foam core for mounting the film to the art because I use a mechanical press to give proper pressure but not needed in a vacuum. Be sure to fully cool it before opening so the excess film does not stretch across the photo. Peel it up and trim the edges of excess film and then just position and mount.

 

[tamip]

Mounting?--How would you do this?

Well that was almost too easy! Used some reg. old drymount tissue (didn't have any fusion) mounted to the back of the photos first, trimmed neatly then adhered to the masonite!

Looks like I'll still get my driveway plowed during big snowstorms! Very happy. Thanks for the tips!

 

[tedh]

Well that was almost too easy! Used some reg. old drymount tissue (didn't have any fusion) mounted to the back of the photos first, trimmed neatly then adhered to the masonite!

Looks like I'll still get my driveway plowed during big snowstorms! Very happy. Thanks for the tips!

We do this almost every day, with two differences: we laminate the photos, and we do it in one step. We use a HotPress and HDF.

You shouldn't have to do it in two steps. Try it with a "throw-away" piece, and in only one step. The Tri-mount tissue is fine.

 

[Jim Miller]

We do this almost every day...

To Masonite? Maybe you have your reasons for using that, but since Masonite (hardboard) is among the most chemically-invasive substrates in framing, other framers might be well advised to use substrates of acrylic, polyflute lined with 4-ply, or PVC instead. ACM might be the best alternative; it costs about $1.10 per square foot, and can be neatly cut by the same kind of opposing-disc cutters used to cut hardboard.

 

[Prospero]

In the 80's I used to mount/laminate large prints on hardboard. Still got some and they are still stuck fast and in good condition. Using dm film rather than tissue might have helped form a barrier against any possible incursion of nasties from the board.

But all 'hardboard' is not the same. Some is very bumpy and some is very crumbly. I was lucky at the time to have access to some reasonable quality, quite dense stuff. There are grades (or used to be) that are impregnated with chemicals to make them more stable for flooring. 'Oil Tempered' I think is the term. This stuff was very dark. Not good for mounting as the oil will repel the adhesive.
I would also give the surface a good sanding to pick off any 'nibs'.

 

[tedh]

To Masonite?

Quite common up here. It may not be Masonite - it may just be HDF. You have to understand that price is the driver, and no one buying these cheap prints cares two cents about the substrate. We don't mount anything of value to Masonite, and, as a matter of fact, we don't mount anything of value.

The stuff that uses whatever it is, is just cheap wall decor. This is what our market has degenerated into. Gotta keep up with Walmart, don'cha know?

 

[Jeff Rodier]

Gotta keep up with Walmart, don'cha know?

You've got the high end Canadians up there, all of the bargain hunting Canadians spend the winter down here at the beach.

 

[tedh]

You've got the high end Canadians up there, all of the bargain hunting Canadians spend the winter down here at the beach.

You're not a Canadian unless you skip across the border to hit the sales. Ask any retailer here about this. The federal government this past summer increased the duty-free allowance by a factor of 4. The result? Our November sales ran at 40% of 2011.

Let's get anecdotal: young girl, about 18-22 came in and asked about an In-Line Oval frame, the price of which I just checked. Here's the dialogue:

Me: My cost is $41, but I can let you have it for $35.

Her: Ha! I can get it for $35 less 40% at Michaels.

Me: Can't beat that!

Her: See ya!

I purposely low-balled the price to see what her reaction would be. If I had quoted full retail, she would have died laughing, then I'd have a funeral on my hands.

 

[Jeff Rodier]

Yes my Canadian customers tell me how much lower my prices are than in their homeland. Next they proceed to ask me to do it for half that again.

I bet they try to negotiate better prices at M's on sale art supplies while they are here. We have a month devoted to them here called Can/Am Days. That is when the retailers dust off all the junk they want to get rid of and mark it a couple of dollars.

 

[neilframer]

If you have positioned yourself as "the alternative to the "high priced frame stores" then maybe you need to re-consider.
As long as you do this and continue to offer lower and lower pricing you will encourage people to ask for even lower prices.
Don't blame the customers for what you offer.

I work for 3 different companies.
Just in the last week for one of the companies I have sold over $5000 in framing.
We sell quality and design, not just pricing.

I'm not trying to criticize, I only offer opinion.
You need to get paid for your expertise. Your time and experience is valuable and worth money.

I just got through working 12 days in a row and it's only because I work for 3 companies and I like to work my a#s off.:icon9:
I also do installations when I have the time. I charge $60 an hour.

If work starts to cut into your family time and you're not charging enough, then you need to re-evaluate your position.

 

[Jeff Rodier]

Yes I could free up all kinds of time by raising my prices. All of the LJ shops in the area have closed along with most of the other intermediate shops as well. There is very little high end market here since $3.5 million dollar homes are selling for $700k. The $900k homes are being moved at about $250k.

The local economy here has been wiped out to the point where there are miles of empty retail space where you couldn't find a single space 5 years ago. They have even created a committee to try to determine how to fill some of the vacant spaces since the ones that are surviving are sitting among dozens of vacant spaces.

We have 2 newly renovated malls in the area that are offering retail space based on a percentage of sales as long as you pay the CAMS. The local art guild had a gallery in one of them but closed up since the mall didn't draw more than 100 people a day and those were all people looking for an indoor space for an exercise walk.

This area was number 2 in the nation for mortgage fraud and the average time before the banks even begin to foreclose is now at 42 months with zero payments being made. The housing boom peaked here a couple of years behind Arizona so if you think about the worst times you saw in your area that is what we are going through now.

If you were to find 3 part time framing jobs in this are you would need to be traveling a 100 mile radius. There is no Interstate that comes to this area even though one has been planned for 30 years now. No industry will come to the area without Interstate access.

All of the retirees from the North are living on very large pensions but don't want any growth in the area since they can live like kings on a hundred grand pension down here. Once they turn 65 they add Social Security to their income and pay no real estate taxes due to the Homestead provision. There are 100 golf courses and 3,500 restaurants here and that is where people spend their money. Most people here have downsized from very large homes up North and gave all the good art to the kids before moving.

 

[neilframer]

I understand and only offer my thoughts based on 43 years in the business and I offer it in friendship.
In Arizona we were at the top of the housing bubble, along with Las Vegas.
Arizona has a huge retirement constituency also.
When the bubble burst, we went straight to the bottom.

Many people went underwater with their homes and not much framing was being sold.
People were even stripping the copper pipes out of their houses, along with fixtures and countertops to try to salvage some money from their lost homes.
Three of the companies that I worked for closed up and I just kept moving on to the next one.
I told a previous employer where I had worked for 14 years before she retired that I didn't want to be 50 years old and looking for a job.
I found myself at 60 and looking.

It's still a very tough market in Phoenix.
I have been lucky that in 43 years in the business I haven't been out of work for more than 3 days.
I have never had to get unemployment and I have never gotten food stamps or welfare even though I have paid in plenty.

I just believe that what we do has value. We have expertise and we produce a quality product.
We work our butts off. There is a value to that work.
What do the talk show hosts produce to gain them 6 and 7 figure salaries? Millions of dollars to whine and complain.
Most of them have probably never even held a screwdriver in their soft, pudgy hands.