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Most of my guitar plans are PDF files, but they print huge! A0 paper, that we don't use; so about 3X4 feet.
I started laminating my Strad violin posters, because they get ruined easy, and the older ones are small enough to fit in a 24 x 36 Poster frame, but the new ones are 27 inches on the small side.

I'd like to be able to have them all in a poster frame like thing, and the one I'm working on could be on the top. 36 x 48 poster frames can be sourced, for $90 and up. If that's the only choice, I guess it is.

I used to be able to slide the smaller posters under the glass top on one of my benches. That worked nice. A 3 x 4 bench would be a monster, wouldn't it? I have some rolled up now, but I don't have a big tube.

Any suggestions?

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Why be normal?

I suspect most blueprint shops can make reduced copies of large drawings. Leastways the ones I've dealt with did it for me.

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Peter Havriluk

Why not make a poster frame using 1X stock and corrugated cardboard? Also "tubes" don't have to be round, some are square and some mailing tubes are triangular. Corrugated cardboard and a hot melt glue gun might be a cheap way to make one large enough to store your posters in.
Sometimes you can upcycle coroplast signage from past political campaigns to use in place of cardboard for a more durable, if somewhat less environmentally friendly material.

My rolled plans on blueprint paper are a brittle mess.

I can believe that! The Strad posters are on fairly thick stock, but even they crinkle easily, and the ones that I got "free" folded in the magazine, are an absolute mess; they easily split on the folds and fall in pieces. So if you like the poster, you'd better have one shipped.

It is interesting how 300 year old, violin family instruments are copied to the most minute detail, and I don't see that at all in guitars. Like, no one makes copies of something like Harrison's Hofner Club 40 guitar; or do they? Well, I just saw this; so people have 18 to choose from if they want to emulate Jimi Page!
https://www.guitarlobby.com/jimmy-page- ... -and-gear/

I guess violin makers have some perfect sound in their minds. Electric guitars prove that the perfect sound is whatever you want it to be! Different acoustics have different sounds, and guitarists understand that, and take advantage of it.

Violinists, or maybe more correctly; the violin world; has a tight hold on a traditional sound.

I might just order a big frame. I don't like them rolled up for long. For shipping it is fine, but that is just short term. I might toy with the option of making a frame. I'd want it to look good, and work well; so I'd have to be sure I could pull it off with just the tools on hand; no routers, dado cuts, that sort of thing.

Maybe regular picture frame pieces, and the back of them built up so a stack of plans can fit? Clips to hold a cardboard, or thin backing of some sort?

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Why be normal?

Flat file cabinets are great but still pretty pricey unless you can find a deal. Like this. https://www.ebay.com/itm/154877488318?h ... SwdW5h6ecL

Finding a deal on flat files is not as hard as it used to be. The flat file cabinet I have was free for the taking. People are going to digital files and storing the data in the cloud. If they need a set of prints they can send it to the printer, but often just access the data on their laptops. Flat files do take up a lot of space.

I got my folded up plans copied full size at a print shop. the paper is quite decent - indeed it may be possible to specify the weight. Thing is I got them to make several copies so if there is deterioration in the future I have another version.

I keep them rolled in cardboard tubes which protects them pretty well. keeping the light off them is obviously important.

Have to admit that after that my organisation breaks down. They are simply leaned in a corner! No fancy racks as yet.

Cheers Dave

Yeah, the tubes holding copies would work for my guitar plans. The violin/viola/cello posters from The Strad Magazine are a different story. They are printed on BOTH sides; photos on the front; and drawings and dimensions on the back; so laminating works best for them. You can use a light box to get forms and such; but I can't imagine that a copy would work, you can see both sides with the light!

Those posters aren't quite as big as the A0 paper, but still bigger than the largest common poster size; 24 X 36. So an oddball frame.

Maybe I will see if other shops have different paper available. The price he quoted for thicker stock was quite high. It is just like regular loose leaf paper; now it is more like air mail paper was. Quality is hard to find.

Some plans have the option of acrylic or mylar. Does anyone have experience with them? Maybe I could get copies with the thin stock and then laminate. But then you ARE stuck with the frame; they won't roll.

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Why be normal?

Hi Ken. Two free and low tech possibilities you may want to consider. The first is that USPS will ship you 10 triangular corrugated mailing "tubes" for free. The long size will hold Arch E size prints. I think they are 38" long. The second thing is the decidedly low tech way I've kept my own paper plans for the last twenty some odd years - pinned to the back of a door of my shop. Yeah, some of the older ones have a lot of pin holes in them from the regular unpinning and re-pinning of the stack, but non are damaged in any functional way.

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R.M. Mottola
LiutaioMottola.com

Author of the books Building the Steel String Acoustic Guitar and Mottola's Cyclopedic Dictionary of Lutherie Terms.

I don't check in here very often. If you need to contact me the best bet is via email through the contact page on my site.

A large diameter section of PVC pipe works well too.

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Jim Watts
http://jameswattsguitars.com