Retrofitting the Stacked Acrylic Mat Caddies

Emibub

PFG, Picture Framing God
Joined
Nov 2, 2001
Posts
9,246
Location
Centennial, CO, USA
I know you can order new acrylic mat caddies to accomodate the 4 inch mat corners. I am just wondering if it makes sense to rework the old ones. As I look at mine the actual "V" shape is screwed to the sides. Would it be alright to redrill the screw holes approx an inch higher and raise the top caddy? If so, any ideas on what type of drill bit for acrylic.

Another possibility is I suppose to have a new side made so you don't have the screw holes showing. Although, I would just put screws in the old holes to make it appear that the screws were not nonfunctioning.

I'm thinking outloud here.......can ya hear that? That is the sound of my brain "whirring" away just thinking of the possibilities. My racks are only a year and a half old and I just hate to have to start over if I don't need to.

Just fishing for ideas.......
 
Kathy, are the two "decks" so close together that you can't put 4" samples on the lower level? Or is the lower level so low that the 4" corners rest on the counter?

If the latter, you could raise the whole works up on some "feet" - maybe some attractive hardwood blocks (or a big stack of Coroplast.)

There are special bits made for acrylic (where has Lois been, BTW?) but I've had good success drilling acrylic with sharp wood bits. You can use a countersink on it, too.

It'll be easier with a drill press than a hand drill, though.
 
No, they are okay on the bottom. I just have a hard time getting the bottom ones out because they are so much higher. Can't rifle through them to find a color either. Part of me wants to pare down what I have available and only keep one 36" rack to show. I suppose I could have the main selection over the counter and lesser used ones below?

I just have to get the matracks off the tables. My brother is ready and waiting for measurements so he can build me the rolling stand to set them on. I just can't decide whether to keep the racks stacked or not. I really don't want a stand wide enough to hold two racks side by side. But, if I go back to the stacking racks I will go nuts trying to get to the bottom ones as it currently stands.

Whirr.....Whirrrr...yup, that is my brain clicking away.....
 
Dull/blunt woodbits are best for drilling acrylics, they won't cause chips or cracks as easily as sharp bits might do.
 
Kathy:

Depending on the design of your acrylic racks, maybe you can fit 4" corners into them by turning them upside-down, so the mat samples rest in the "V" of the acrylic. But you'll have to make new dividers. It worked for me.

You can also buy new racks made for the 4" samples.

I have both kinds for sale, slightly used. Ya want 'em? I bought an oak 3-tier rolling rack, which now holds all of our mat samples. No more mat samples stored on the tables.

The new rack also makes a handy barricade for undisciplined little ones who want to play with razor blades in the back room, while mommy is playing in the mat samples, oblivious.
 
Jim.
I tried the "V" configuration and it sat up way too high and seemed wobbly. I might consider purchasing yours if my "retrofit" doesn't work.

But more importantly, where did you get your three tier rolling one? I am trying to get my racks off of my tables. I was going to build a rolling rack big enough for my acrylics racks to sit on side by side but man, it would be 30x40 table top. So, now we are considering building a rolling rack skinnier and still stack them, but that seems wobbly to me. I imagine yours were more than I need to spend but where did you get them?

My new tables are working out great but they are only 5 feet long each and the racks are just cramping my style.
 
Kathy, if you cut down those 4" samples to about 3", your old rack will work just fine.

Sometimes it's easy to miss the most obvious solution.

I'll be away from computers for most of the day, so try to muddle along without me.
 
Custom built racks are too simple to build to waste time here explaining how to do it!! Basically, 2 long boards, 2 short boards, pick your dimensions, and a few screws to assemble them.

I have not bought mat sample racks in 15 years of framing. Take a close look at your racks individually and think "I have 4 pieces of wood. How do I put those together to hold mat samples? If you want stacked racks (are those the same as rack implants??), plan on having the end boards tall enough to mount 2 boards on the bottom (horizontally to hold the samples), 2 boards on the top (same purpose) with enough room for access in the bottom.

I have built mine out of black walnut, oak, and cherry but you can use any nice grade of clear pine shelving which can be bought at any lumber BB.

Framerguy

Edit: If you want to roll them around, put the whole kit-and-kaboodle on a plywood base, trim the edges with some scrap moulding to finish it off, and throw 4 casters under it. (Also bought at the BB lumber store.)

[ 10-26-2003, 11:40 AM: Message edited by: Framerguy ]
 
Cool beans! I used a drill as instructed and relocated the holes an inch higher on the top rack and lo and behold, I can now access the bottom corners. So, for the time being at least they are stacked again, which saves some space. But this will do for the time being until I have a better idea of what kind of stand I want.

Thanks for the help all!
 
I have custom drawers below my counter. My only salvation was to cut the point off of the back of the samples (About 1").

....... __
......./..\
....../....\
...../../\..\
..../../..\..\

the dots are onlt to hold the image in proper position. It is not holding the spaces.

I used a paper commercial sheer to cut about a 4" at a time.

[ 10-27-2003, 04:32 PM: Message edited by: JFeig ]
 
Back
Top