Picture framing help

[Ray Newman]

Colleagues: while back I found a 30 plus year old poster from a now defunct tool supplier I patronized. Poster has drill sizes, numbers and letters, decimal to fractional tables, tap and die drill sizes, metric to imperial tables, etc. Want to frame it and put it in the shop s a remembrance of days and guys I knew now gone by.

Problem: poster is approximately 30 x 48”. Tried to find some plastic for a shop fabricated frame; however,  on-line plastic suppliers would be about US$85-100.00 for about 1/8” thick rigid  plastic. Checked with a few shops about laminating it, but they all said it was too big. Local picture frames are closed due to the Chinese virus and the hobby shops --Michael’s, Joan’s, Hobby Lobby, etc. – only stock small pieces of plastic.

Anyone here have any ideas? Thanks in advance.

[handi]

Colleagues: while back I found a 30 plus year old poster from a now defunct tool supplier I patronized. Poster has drill sizes, numbers and letters, decimal to fractional tables, tap and die drill sizes, metric to imperial tables, etc. Want to frame it and put it in the shop s a remembrance of days and guys I knew now gone by.

Problem: poster is approximately 30 x 48”. Tried to find some plastic for a shop fabricated frame; however,  on-line plastic suppliers would be about US$85-100.00 for about 1/8” thick rigid  plastic. Checked with a few shops about laminating it, but they all said it was too big. Local picture frames are closed due to the Chinese virus and the hobby shops --Michael’s, Joan’s, Hobby Lobby, etc. – only stock small pieces of plastic.

Anyone here have any ideas? Thanks in advance.

You do not need 1/8” rigid. 0.080 or even 0.060 acrylic will work just fine.
Looking at Lowe’s website, a 36 x 48 sheet of 0.093” Lexan is $73. 
If they have acrylic, it should be cheaper.

[Ray Newman]

Handi: thanks. I'll start looking for Lexan and acrylic. Again, thanks

[bandsaw]

Plexi catches dust as it holds a static charge - not good in shop. I have a Starrett drill chart about that size - use it all the time and it's hinged on the wall to cover the electrical panel. Mine is mat laminated. The people that print the big digital photos have big laminators - often in sign shops.

[wood2woodknot]

Kinko printing

Try a recycled window pane at a Habitat for Humanity Resale shop. I just dropped off three storm door window inserts this week about that size. Also Goodwill - they always have lots of framed pictures with glass/plastic lites.

[Robin Dobbie]

Home Depot might has: OPTIX 36 in. x 48 in. x .093 in. Acrylic Sheet
Model# MC-09
(124)
$47.98


Ace Hardware has a sheet of actual glass, a bit larger than you need. If you google for "ace 52 36 glass" they theoretically have a sheet for $35. Have to call for availability.

edit: Ace also has a 40 x 48 single float 2.5 mm(vs the double float 3mm of the 52 x 36 sheet) but it's 27 bucks, if they stock it near you.

[Cooler]

I used to be a picture framer. 

If the poster is not being hung in a child's room or in a room where things are thrown around, then single strength glass is the way to go. 

You can spend hours chasing dust before closing a frame with resin glazing.  The static electricity attracts dust.  It also scratches easily and will not likely stay flat in that size and you will see that waviness by the reflections off the plastic.

I would use glass.

Clean the glass once with Windex on both sides.  Then clean it twice more using distilled water and clean paper towels.  I found Bounty to be fairly lint-free.

Hold the glass up to the light and confirm that it is streak-free.

Then create a sandwich of the glass, the mat board, the art and the backer board.  Turn it over and look to see if there is any dust.  If there is, then start over with just the distilled water.

When it is finally dust-free and streak free, then place the frame over the glass and turn over to drive in the points that will hold it in place.

Since it is an antique, you will want to use acid-free board for the backer board. 

You don't want the glass to directly touch the glass.  Either use a cut mat or a spacer to keep the art from touching the glass.

If the art is not valuable you can get it dry-mounted on foamcore or double weight mounting board.  If it is valuable, then you would want to use a more archival way to mount it.  In either case a picture frame shop should be able to accommodate you.

Art savers are very easy to use but require a cut mat board:  https://www.talasonline.com/Art-Saver-Pa...quantity=1

There are online vendors for cut mat board, but the shipping cost for a single mat would probably make it cheaper to buy locally.

You would want a 3" - 4" wide mat perimeter for a print that size. 

Use mirror hanging hardware and wire suitable for the weight.

These come in 2, 3, and 4 hole designs.  Don't use the one hole design.  The picture will be too heavy for that.



The wire comes rated for 20 pounds and up.  You probably want 30 pound or stronger.  It is a big piece of glass. 

Also the hanger hook should be robust.

This type of hook is best.  It comes in one, two or thee nail designs.  The nails are very sharp and the shafts are hardened steel.  It i makes a very small hole in plasterboard.  You probably want the two or three hole variety.

[Ray Newman]

Gents: thanks for the tips. Called a KINKO printing and was told they could laminate it. Will bring it in next week to make sure.
 
Cooler: not sure a Rutland Tool poster is an "antique". I thought about glass, but where it will hang is too near a wood and tool storage area.

Again, thanks for the tips.

[bandsaw]

For framing you don't want the double sided shiney laminate. It should be mounted on a backing board like foamcore and laminated with a mat or non glare laminate only on the front. Then all you need is a frame.