Solvent Cement on Acrylic Box

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Ron Eggers

Ron Eggers

SPFG, Supreme Picture Framing God
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Pretty descriptive title, huh?

I have a custom acrylic box that has some solvent cement on the inside of the face sheet. It's near a corner. This is sloppy work and I probably won't use this fabricator again, but is there any chance I can buff this out? I can get the box replaced, and probably will, but the delay will be a very bad thing.

The box is Cyro Acrylite OP-3 and the solvent is Weld-On #3, if that matters.
 
Ron, maybe it's reflective of my new last name, but I no longer accept shoddy work from my suppliers. In the past we would've tried to fix a problem like this. No more. I know it's embarassing to have to tell the client that the frame, or in your case, plexi box is messed up and has to be redone. But we should demand perfection from our suppliers just as our clients demand it from us. It's our new company policy.
It's just like the movie "Network". "I'm mad as h e l l and not going to take it anymore!"
 
In addition to what Curly said it simply isn't professional to send out a box with solvent damage on it. The solvents, as you well know, soften the plexi and actually melt the joint together. A solvent smear will do the same thing on the surface of the plexi and is almost impossible to remove completely.

I would send it back and ask for a different one, or get your money back and go to someone else for the box.

Framerguy
 
Curly and Framerguy:

is there any chance I can buff this out? I can get the box replaced, and probably will, but the delay will be a very bad thing.
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I don't think I can get upset with you two - you're too much like me* - but you're missing the point. A delay, in this particular situation, will not be a very bad thing for the vendor, but rather for my customer, and therefore, for me.

This happens all the time. A chop comes through cut too big, or with a minor blemish. Do you have it replaced no charge, thereby demonstrating to your vendor that you won't tolerate mistakes or do you expedite the order by cutting the chop down to size or repairing the blemish? I guess you take it case-by-case, but, unlike a chop, a new acrylic box is not going to be shipped out tomorrow by overnight express.

I don't actually think this can be repaired, but I might take a piece of scrap Acrylite, slop a little solvent cement on it, and see if I can buff it out with some commercial polishing compund and a Dremel tool. Then I'll know.

*Okay. Maybe I'm a little upset. That's why I've insulted you both.
 
Sorry to tell you, but it ain't gonna happen.
I've never been able to remove a blemmish other than the minorish of scratches from acyrilic.
Belive me I've tried and tried and tried some more. It just don't work or it leaves a clear blemish.
 
Ron, have you ever had a go at making your own acrylic boxes. I did one just awhile ago and it worked out very well. It's fairly fussy work but good fun if you have a lot of patience. It all depends on what you can get them made for.
 
Originally posted by RonEggers:
Curly and Framerguy:
*Okay. Maybe I'm a little upset. That's why I've insulted you both.
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Heck man, if that's the best you can come up with for an insult, I got a good chuckle out of it. I just pictured myself in the same situation!

Your problem is exactly what turned me on to these really beautiful display cases I am building now. I ordered a plexi display case for a customer and it came and I was so disappointed in the overall quality, I sent it back. I told the customer that it wasn't up to the quality that I sell in my gallery and she understood.

You don't have to settle for marred goods or second quality product. And your customer will understand if you explain that the quality is not what you would be comfortable selling to them. If they are in a total rush for the box for a showing or reunion or something, I would let them "borrow" the flawed box for the night of the display and then bring it back for exchange for the other one which you will be ordering poste haste as we discuss this little problem. (You DID order that little box already, didn't you Ronnie??)

Framerguy
 
Ron,
I've tried this before on acrylic with a buffing wheel and United's polishing compound and it only made it worse. The solvent damage that has taken place is deep in the acrylic. As soon as you try to use the Dremel the high speed melts the plexi and makes it worse. If it is a trickle spot if you use Scratch remover and alot of elbow grease you may lessen it but I doubt you'll make it go away, sorry.

Pitch enough of a B**** and you never know they may expedite and ship overnight.
 
tip-toe,tip-toe, do I have enough nerve to step into this one? Getting a bit of solvent on the acrylic happens once in a while, even to us. WE try to catch it before it goes out the door. Sometimes it can be buffed off. We use a white polishing compound and some very very soft fibers on a one horsepower buffing wheel. We have been able to remove some of these successfully, others we have had to redo the frame.If you want additional information on the particular buffing compound, give me a call.

(800) 231-6229

Lois@spfpinc.com
 
Originally posted by RonEggers:
Curly and Framerguy:

</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />is there any chance I can buff this out? I can get the box replaced, and probably will, but the delay will be a very bad thing.
Click to expand...
I don't think I can get upset with you two - you're too much like me* </font>[/QUOTE]I don't know about framerguy, but I resemble that remark.
I digress, I did understand that you didn't want to keep the client waiting, but sometimes you have to. As framer guy said - "You don't have to settle for marred goods or second quality product. And your customer will understand if you explain that the quality is not what you would be comfortable selling to them. If they are in a total rush for the box for a showing or reunion or something, I would let them "borrow" the flawed box for the night of the display and then bring it back for exchange for the other one which you will be ordering poste haste as we discuss this little problem. (You DID order that little box already, didn't you Ronnie??)"
(Sometimes I think framerguy are twins separated at birth. Now that's a scary thought! Sorry Framerguy, but it is.)
 
So who's having the identity crisis NOW, Curly "Grumble" and Ron-no-space-Eggers? At least I KNOW who I am...........................I'm twins.

Framerguy, the meek, mild mannered, yet quietly courageous crusader for the truth in movie poster advertising. A man of immeasureable esteem and unlimited modesty. An individual who was **Born to miter!** (Hey, that would be a good signature, eh??)

And then there is Omar. The outgoing, suave, world traveler, the risk taker, the savior of the opressed, depressed, unpressed, and the easily impressed. Strong of character, chiseled of features without being overly handsome, daring, passionate, a quiet soul one minute and a lit stick of day-nooo-mayte the next.

Yeah, You can say what you want but we have our "putty in a pile", Omar and me, and we aren't afraid to face the unknown knowing that, more than likely, Omar will figure out a safe exit for the two of us.
___________________________________________________________________________________

OK, apologies ARE in order. I just noticed that this is NOT Warped :eek: and I have to blame Curly and Ron :mad: for sidetracking this thread to the extent where even a mature level thinking professional like myself
was fooled (albeit, temporarly) into thinking that this could be Frankenthreaded.

Deepest apologies from both of us. (Omar said "Stuff it" but he is always joking around like that) :D

Framerguy
 
A quick aside----

Lois,

Glad you showed up. I was going to tell everyone that if they want REALLY GOOD PLEXI WORK, you're the woman for the job. But they know that now.

Would you share that information with all of us, or would you rather we visit individually?

Okay, back to Ron, Curly, and the twins-----
 
Here's an update on my acrylic box crisis. I let the fabricator know I was disappointed in his sloppy work and that I expected the box to be replaced within 48 hours. I told him that, if he messed up again, he'd have Curly AND Framerguy to contend with! Then, to make sure he understood the seriousness of the situation, I slept with his wife.
 
Oh, wait - there's more!

The fabricator was me. Since I've fallen in love with Cyro Acrylite OP-3, I've acumulated lots of odd pieces that I'm not likely to use for glazing. You know - 5" x 30".

I decided to see if I could make Acrylic boxes. I did a little reading on line and got some solvent and a needlenose applicator from a plastics place in town here. (They've made some pretty mediocre boxes for me in the past.)

The first box took a half-day to build. Then I discovered the solvent boo-boo. In fairness, a lot of the time was spent gathering materials and tools and figuring out what to do next.

The second, replacement, box looks like it'll take under 90 minutes, with about a third of that spent sanding and polishing the edges by hand with 4 grades of wet and dry sandpaper. If I decide to do this regularly, I'll start experimenting with some of the electric sanders and buffers that seem to be all over the basement. I'm into the cementing stage right now and I have a strategy to avoid slopping solvent on the face.

Someone asked me yesterday if I've tried "flaming" the edges with a torch. No I haven't.

I'll let you know how it turns out. It seems highly unlikely I'll put much of a dent in Lois' business regardless.
 
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