| Various kinds of cloth can be used to easily high-light | | | | company with an excellent web site for advice and |
| your collectibles and -if you use the right stuff- | | | | products for protecting books and papers, -an |
| provide a safe and acid-free environment for your | | | | altogether worthy thing to do.Good news:Beautiful |
| most valuable collectibles. I know this is a strange | | | | fabric and the only way to go for valuable silver.Bad |
| subject for wood-worker to write about,but it turns | | | | news:EXPENSIVE -depending on how much you get |
| out that fabric stores have a lot to offer, and are | | | | -plan to spend as much as $20 / yard. But remember, |
| not altogether scary places. Setting your proud | | | | it has actual silver in it. Additionally, it only works |
| collectable item down on an elegant cloth background | | | | when it covers the object completely. If you use |
| -or nestling it into a nice fabric pocket- is an easy | | | | tarnish cloth to line a display of some sort, it will to a |
| way to both protect the item from shock -think | | | | wonderful job of keeping the backside of your silver |
| padding- and an even easier way to make the | | | | nice and shiny, but the part that actually shows will |
| transition from an ordinary drawer or shelf, into a | | | | still tarnish.MEMBRABE SEAL:You won't find this stuff |
| custom display. To paraphrase -fabric is good | | | | in a fabric store, but I need to talk about it anyway. |
| padding, and it turns out that it is as important to | | | | Wood -and many other materials "out-gas." This |
| finishing fine woodwork as paint and varnish -and- | | | | means they constantly emit small amounts of various |
| -I'm beginning to learn- sometimes easier to use then | | | | gasses. Some of these gases are harmful to various |
| the stuff that comes out of a cans and goes on with | | | | materials. This turns out to be complicated issue as |
| a brush.So I've been buying the fabric I use on | | | | to what material out-gases what gas and what gas |
| certain of my work at Wall-Mart but one day | | | | harms what fine collectibles. You put young wine in |
| recently I wondered into a real fabric store. Met a | | | | oak, for example, and good things happen. Put silver |
| very knowledgeable women there and got myself an | | | | in on oak -without tarnish cloth- and bad things |
| education. Much of what follows came from this kind | | | | happen. Oak chips and pork in a smoker -good thing. |
| lady. (And I do hope that stores like Home Depot | | | | Oak splinter in your finger -bad thing.Know what a |
| and Wall-Mart do not run all the little independent | | | | new plastic shower curtain smells like? What you are |
| stores out of business. There is little enough wisdom | | | | smelling is plasticizer. A liquid form of plastic that |
| in this world with out having to trying to find it from | | | | keeps other plastic -for want of any other word- |
| some overworked underpaid 19 year old trying to | | | | plastic. It evaporates -which is not big deal, but then |
| answer questions in the plumbing aisle.)You will need a | | | | it condenses on other things. Leaves a gummy |
| good sized fabric store to find these fabrics, but it | | | | residue. It's a complicated issue and I don't have a lot |
| will be worth the effort of finding such a place,-both | | | | of advice as to what collectable needs to be |
| in terms of selection and the expertise of the people | | | | protected from what material. But what I can tell you |
| who work there. Just a couple of suggestions--in any | | | | is that if your collection is sufficiently valuable and |
| fabric that you're going to get at any fabric store, | | | | you are not confident about your storage, you owe |
| 100% cotton is the way to go. You can get different | | | | it to your self to look into installing a membrane seal. |
| colors, and wash them with a bio-degradable fabric | | | | Marvelseal is a lamination of three different plastics |
| soap, (most on the market will qualify) and NO fabric | | | | and is absolutely gas-proof. You buy it in rolls and you |
| softener. The key is the highest % cotton and least | | | | can then either staple it down and seal the staples |
| amount other things.HEADLINER FABRIC:The very | | | | with special tape, or use a hot iron and stick it to |
| stuff used to cover the "ceilings" of cars. It has | | | | whatever. It's not an aggressive tack, you can simply |
| various finished surfaces -some with a flock-like | | | | peal it off later. University Products / Archival |
| surface and some with a fuzzy weave. The back is | | | | Suppliers sells it. If you have Mylar close at hand -or |
| sort of a thin foam rubber. Depending on the store, it | | | | find it easy to get -it is about the same stuff, but |
| comes in a number of subtle -unobtrusive- | | | | not quite as good.BATTING:This is the stuff that is |
| colors.Good news:The stuff is easy to use -the | | | | used in quilts. It is a big old sheet of something like a |
| edges finish with nothing more then careful work | | | | soft cotton ball. It is useful for a number of reasons. |
| with scissors. (This means there is no need to hem | | | | First, it adds a nice touch of luxury when it is under |
| the edges -("hem" means to fold the raggedy edges | | | | the fabric and pads / cushions the item(s) you mount. |
| over, iron them, and sew it all together -a right pain in | | | | Second, and perhaps more important, it is very |
| the butt.)Bad news:It isn't cheap, but if a single layer | | | | forgiving. If your measurements or the cuts you |
| does the same job as layers of foam, padding, and | | | | made in your backing are a little ragged, a layer of |
| fabric, it might save you both bother and money in | | | | padding will nicely hide them. And here again, cotton is |
| the long term. Be careful though with things prone to | | | | better then polyester. Turns out that they make it |
| tarnish or discolor -the foam is synthetic and liable to | | | | out of cotton or polyester but the cotton stuff lasts |
| out-gas all manner of nasty chemicals and | | | | longer.EVERYTHING ELSE:If you are not worried |
| gases.UNBLEACHED MUSLIM:This is your safest | | | | about the archival issues -and lets be honest here |
| choice and is what museum experts use as a default. | | | | -just how valuable and delicate is your collectable- |
| It has no chemicals or bleach added.Good | | | | consider your item when selecting fabric and use a |
| news:Cheap and safe. So cheap, in fact, that you | | | | little imagination. Is it porcelain doll that Great-Gramma |
| could easily buy about a mile of the stuff and just | | | | had as a girl? Calico or satin might be appropriate. But |
| drape the heck out'ta your collection.Bad news:Looks | | | | if it's a set of old wood-working tools, canvas or |
| like what it is -not that it looks cheap, but it is | | | | burlap might be appropriate. Children's stuffed animals |
| anything but luxurious. For certain collections -say | | | | -perhaps simple cotton printed in bright colors that |
| rustic or authentic historic items, it might be just the | | | | kids would like. An authentic Chinese tea set? -raw |
| ticket.TEA-DYED MUSLIM:I don't pretend to | | | | silk, or something with the look of tapestry -I think it |
| understand why, but apparently the stuff is bleached | | | | might be called "brocade." Take a picture of your |
| and then dyed back to it's original off-white color | | | | collection and ask the people at the fabric store. This |
| with tea. Tea has about a million ingredients, but one | | | | brings us back to the ideal of a good fabric store |
| of the most common is tannin, and tannin is one of | | | | with employees that know their stuff and enjoy |
| the things that tarnish silver.CRUSHED PANNE | | | | helping customers.TECHNIQUES:There are two basic |
| VELVET (and how is this word pronounced???):This is | | | | and opposite directions to go with fabric. You can |
| my favorite material for both lining drawers and | | | | either sort of drape it all over and let it flow and |
| French-lining specific collectible items. You can find it | | | | such, or you can iron and smooth and cut and stitch |
| both as a weave and knit fabric. If you aren't sure | | | | and glue. Think of the former as a flowing Roman |
| what I mean by this, ask someone to show you a | | | | toga and the later as an impeccably tailored Seville |
| bit of each. The knit stuff is easier to use -it seems | | | | Row suit. Both have their place, but I have to say |
| to me to be more liquid or willing to drape- and is | | | | that if you want advice on fussy cutting and stitching |
| often cheaper then the woven fabric. If it strikes | | | | you have come to the wrong place. (Everything I do |
| you as a bit garish, it is likely you are looking at too | | | | have to say about sewing can be said in two words |
| bright a color. Look again at the fabric that is a nice | | | | -FUSE-TAPE -a great invention! -works with an iron! |
| dark color. Maroon rather then purple, burgundy | | | | -no needles or thread!) I can, however, offer one |
| rather then red for example. Remember that your | | | | technique that comes down on the carefully tailored |
| collection will be covering up some of the fabric, and | | | | side of things.This technique is to make....Fabric |
| buy more then you think you will need. Buy about | | | | covered cardboard panels / inserts -the neat tailored |
| twice as much as you think you need and you will | | | | look |
| not have to go back to the store to finish your | | | | This technique looks harder then it really is. Takes a |
| project. This is because the draping, or going up and | | | | little time and care though. You simply cut cardboard |
| down into the various recesses and pockets uses a | | | | inserts, wrap fabric over them, and stick them in the |
| LOT of fabric.Good news:Beautiful -elegant | | | | drawer or display case. Here are some tips: |
| -shimmering fabric.Bad news:Usually synthetic and | | | | Corrugated cardboard is easy, but makes |
| therefore there is no assurance that it will not effect | | | | for bad edges and bent corners. Press-board |
| the surface of your collectibles. Let me quote directly | | | | (mat-board)is better. |
| from one of my technical consultants: "And velvet, | | | | If you have more money then skill, go to |
| well, my opinion is still bad, bad, bad. Velvet and silver | | | | a framing store and have them cut mat-board for |
| is a 500% Don't Do It.--you will have hundreds of | | | | your needs. They will be able to cut it to close |
| etchings over the surface that look as if tiny worms | | | | tolerances and precise 90 degree angles. |
| had burrowed just beneath the surface--and they're | | | | Use stretchy fabrics -knits for example- |
| not fixable. Saw it firsthand once, and it was | | | | and polyester batting. The combination of stretch and |
| amazing."ULTRA SUEDE:Beautiful stuff -and | | | | padding allow you to hide a number of sins & |
| EXPENSIVE. (If you want leather and $'s are a real | | | | mistakes and it still comes out beautifully. |
| problem, -buy a chamois cloth at the auto-parts | | | | Good-old masking tape does an admirable |
| store. It'll be cheaper -but you get the color you get.) | | | | job of sticking the edges of the fabric to the back |
| Ultra-suede tends to be a little stiff -like leather after | | | | ot your cardboard or pressboard liners. White glue |
| all. An alternative is cheap suede which is more limp. | | | | takes too long to dry but contact cement also works |
| It doesn't feel quite as nice to the fingers as ultra | | | | more or less instantly, as does spray adhesive. |
| suede, but it looks just about the same.Good | | | | Near as I can tell, much of sewing |
| news:These fabrics are so perfect as to be all but | | | | involves sewing things together and then turning |
| essential for certain collectibles. I built a case for a | | | | them inside-out. This hides the hem. Try to think |
| chap that wanted to display his | | | | inside-out / backwards to hide the bits you want |
| great-great-great-etc-grandpa's shooting-iron and I | | | | hid.Loose flowing method -the Roman toga look: |
| put it on some suede. Came out beautifully and | | | | This technique is also easier then it looks. You simply |
| perfectly appropriate. While on the subject of | | | | start with a lot of fabric and sort of drape/ swirl / |
| "appropriate," certain old and rustic items might | | | | flow it around your collectibles. Here are some |
| benefit from a fabric background as rustic as burlap, | | | | guidelines: |
| or even -grass cloth !Bad news:Once again, we have | | | | The hardest part is attaching the fabric to |
| the problem of synthetic materials.TARNISH | | | | the case. Get yourself some spray adhesive and |
| CLOTH:The last word for silver things. This is the | | | | Velcro dots / strips. |
| way to go -unless you enjoy polishing silver. This soft | | | | If you decide you need some actual |
| elegant fabric actually has tiny bits of silver imbedded | | | | shape and substance to support your items under |
| in the fabric. The idea being is that this will protect | | | | the flowing swirling fabric, don't get hung-up making |
| the silver -the little bits act as a sacrificial lamb. The | | | | little woden blocks and shapes. Buy a small piece of |
| fabric store I went to had this in stock, but if you | | | | builders foam at the home-improvement store -or |
| can't find it in your neighborhood, you can find it at | | | | have them give you a broken piece- and cut it with a |
| Gaylord International (1800-448-6160). This is a good | | | | bread knife. A little white glue and you are in b'ness. |