Re: RE wash tub screening

[ronnee barnett <ronneebarnett@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Hello Jennifer,
thank you for the detailed description of your screen.  I have one 
question: how do you attach the screen to the aluminum?  (you wrote 
"textiles have been pinned to household screening that has been wrapped 
around the flat tubes.")    Ok, one more question: can you tell us where 
you obtain these things, especially the flat tubes.  You offer to provide 
photographs.  I for one would be most interested in seeing some.  Thank you.
 Ronnee Barnett

At 04:56 PM 5/23/2006 -0400, you wrote:
> Hello Jennifer, The CCQ textile lab has a  6 ft. x 10 ft. stainless steel 
> wash sink. Several years ago I designed and contracted out the production 
> of anodized aluminum flat tubes that could be screwed together to make 
> different sized frames, which could fit in this large wash sink.  The 
> tubes come in various lenghts from 7 ft., 6 ft., 5 ft., 4 ft., 2 ft., and 
> 1 foot lenghts ( lenghts are ordered according to the need).  The corner 
> sections measure 6 inches x 6 inches.  The tubing measures 2 inches wide x 
> 1 inch thick and the aluminum itself is 1/8 inch thick. The lenghts and 
> corners are kept together by inserting solid bars of anodized aluminuum 3 
> inches long x  1& 11/16 inches wide x 3/4 inch thick.  They are screwed to 
> the alumium tubes using stainless steel screws. Storage is compact as the 
> frames can be dismantled. Support screening depends on the size and type 
> of textile requiring support.  Geodesic fabrics to common household 
> screening have been used.   When it has been important to avoid major 
> fabric distortion during the washing treatment, textiles have been pinned 
> to household screening that has been wraped around the flat tubes.  The 
> household screening affords some elasticity and the straight pins alow for 
> adjustment. The washing treatment of a tapestry requred the fabrication of 
> a tempory sink (wooden sides covered with a plastic swimming pool liner). 
> Most of the aluminum parts were put together to support the 
> washing/rinsing/draining of the tapsetry measuring 9 ft. x  13ft.   In 
> this case a very open weave geodesic fabric was used to support the 
> tapestry. This "mechano type" of aluminum structure has proved to be very 
> useful and the metal shows no visual change.  My gratitude goes to go my 
> two wonderful sons -  my inspiration came from one of their toys that 
> involved the use of various types of plastic tubing that could be 
> assembled, with differnt types of outside joints, to make various types of 
> three dimensional structures, such as a chair, table, rocking horse etc. 
> I  appreciate  the  neutral,  lightweight  and strong qualities of 
> aluminum tubing  - this article appeared in a past issue of the Canadian 
> Association for  Conservation of cultural Property (CAC), September 2003 
> vol 28, No. 3. : ««Sharon  Little  was responsible for the  treatment a 
> 16th century Flemish tapestry  and  a  20th century tapestry attributed to 
> Micheline Beauchemin. Both  required  deviation  from the standard textile 
> conservation equipment and procedures.   During treatment, the Flemish 
> tapestry was supported by a net  of geodesic textile that had been wrapped 
> about an aluminium stretcher type  frame  and  wet  cleaned in a large 
> temporary bath constructed from a swimming  pool  linerthat  was supported 
> by a wooden frame, the water being evacuated with the use of a sump 
> pump.  The tapestry will soon be installed on  a  tapestry  conservation 
> loom and undergo extensive consolidation over 
> the  next  few  years.   Following  light  cleaning  and  realignment, 
> the construction  techniques and materials, weight, and modern slick 
> appearance of  the  20th  century  tapestry required the construction of a 
> custom made 
> stretcher  frame.  The  frame  was  composed  of:  flat  hollow 2.5cm 
> thick aluminium  tubes;  the  spaces  of  the frame were filled in with 
> sheets of polycarbonate  to maintain a flat supporting surface; bands of 
> wood,treated with latex paint were added to the four outside edges of the 
> frame for both lining canvas and tapestry attachment  purposes; and the 
> completed unit was covered  with  a  linen canvas for both decorative and 
> attachment purposes. As  the  tapestry  was  to  be installed in the board 
> room of the Caisse de dépôt  du  Québec, in Montréal, and the desire of 
> the owner was to maintain the  modern  slick appearance it was not 
> possible to attach the tapestry to the  frame using velcro.  Instead the 
> upper horizontal edge of the tapestry was  treated  as a painting, by 
> stapling the unfinished portion of the edge 
> to  the  back  of  the  stretcher  frame using 
> non-corrosive  staples.  The remaining  three  finished  outside edges and 
> the main internal segments of the  tapestry  were  treated  like  a 
> textile and stitched in place using a curved  surgical  needle  and a 
> heavy linen thread.  The combination of the aluminium  and  poycarbonate 
> provided a discreetly thin (2.5cm),strong, and 
> lightweight  mounting  devise  for a large (4m x 1.3m) and heavy (23 
> kilos) contemporary tapestry.»» If anyone would like some photograhic 
> documention, let me know and I will send it out towards the end of June 
> 2006. Regards, Sharon Little Restauratrice Responsable - Atelier des 
> textiles Ministère de la Culture et des Communications Centre de 
> conservation du Québec 1825, rue Semple Québec (Québec) G1N 4B7 
> Téléphone:  (418)  643-7001  poste 230 Télécopieur:  (418)  646-5419 
> sharon.little@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
> http://www.mcc.gouv.qc.ca 
> Jennifer 
> Hadley 
> <HadleyJ@LD                                    A: 
> SCHURCH.ORG         TEXCONS@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
>  >                                             cc: 
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> par 
> :                                    Objet: 
> Texti         wash tub 
> screening                                           le 
>                                                     Conse 
> rvato 
> rs 
> <TEXC 
> ONS@S 
> I-LIS 
> TSERV 
> .SI.E 
> DU> 
> 2006-05-18 
> 12:05 
> Hello everyone,    I have been looking at our textile washing facilities 
> and would like to upgrade our screening system.  Currently we have a metal 
> tub with a metal rack that can be lowered into the water.   My predecessor 
> bought commercial window screens to lay the textiles on.  These screens 
> include the metal frame, which creates a problem.  The screens are not big 
> enough for many of the textiles to lay in one frame.  They must be laid 
> over the metal edge onto another screen to be washed.  The metal edges get 
> have gotten pretty mucky over the years and leave a gray residue on 
> anything they touch.  I don't like them in the water, let alone with the 
> textiles right on top of the metal.  I would like to create new, multi 
> sized, screens to facilitate safe cleaning.  Two of my associates 
> suggested either creating frames with PVC or vinyl window frames.  I was 
> hoping to get some feedback on the suggested framing materials, as well as 
> what others have done with their washing systems. Thank you, Jennifer 
> Hadley Associate Registrar Museum of Church History and Art (801) 240-0297 
> hadleyj@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
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