DIAGONAL SOLUTIONS

Most of us have experienced trying to fit an oversized painting or crate through doorways of a building, truck or airplane. As much as we try to pre-plan for such a move we realize there is geometry involved that brings back memories of grade school math class and the Pythagorean Theorem. There is a way to determine what size painting or crate will fit into any doorway by utilizing this math principle as well as methods of building various slant frames in order to hold the object at a diagonal while it gets transported.

The first step in the process is to determine the size of the smallest doorway that the painting or crate must pass through on its journey from points A to B. Knowing the exact dimensions of the height and width of that doorway is crucial in determining the maximum height and width of the crate or painting that can fit through that doorway.

For example, say our doorway is 118” x 96”. To get the diagonal dimension of that door we need to do the following math: A^2 + B^2 = C^2 (A^2 means squared). A and B represents the doorway height and width and C represents the length of the hypotenuse, which we need to get the square root of C in order to get the diagonal of the doorway.

So using our doorway size of 118” x 96” we do the following math:

118^2 + 96^2 or 13,924 + 9,216 = 23,140 and square root of 23,140 is 152.11837

So our diagonal is just over 152”, but now we need to consider the width of the crate we want to move through the doorway. Say our crate is 20” wide, we subtract that number from 152” and we get the maximum crate height of 132”. The wider the crate gets the shorter the height it can be. If the same crate was 25” wide, the maximum height can only be 127”.

A slant frame needs to support the weight of the crate, be able to maneuver through hallways and turns and function with pallet jacks and/or dollies. The slant frame does not need to be as long as the crate since that would create a wider foot print and cause issues with turns in a building.

Photo above: Slant frame for oversized Travel Box. Note the added 2x6 at the top of the frame to support the Travel Box as well as the angle iron at the bottom. The double 2x6’s at either end allow pallet jacks or dollies for mobility.

E-track is installed for strapping the crate to the slant frame.

The angle iron supports the crate off the floor and allows maximum height of the crate at the diagonal.

This contribution comes from Mark Wamaling at Artex Fine Arts Services.
Thanks for the images of excellent designs dealing with this common problem. Even more useful it seems to me is how he provides the mathematic equation that we may vaguely remember but can’t quite bring to consciousness when we actually need it. This seems like one of those things that it would be wise to print or copy and put aside for future reference.

Good stuff Mr. Wamaling!

For all the rest of you out there how about some variations on the theme?
Please send pictures and comments to: ashley@pacin.org

Note: I am especially interested in designs for slant frames that can be re-used and/or adjusted to fit different sized crates, temp walls, oversized signage etc...

PACIN Goes to AIC!

In another first for our group, PACIN took the booth down the road to Los Angeles where AIC – (The American Institute for Conservation of Historic Works and Artistic Works) held its 37th Annual Meeting on May19 – 22.

Our presence there was made possible to a large degree due to the generosity of AIC and specifically of Amanda Knowles Meetings Coordinator – AIC, and Ruth Seyler - Membership and Meetings Director - AIC.

To do well the work we all care about, we need to not only reaffirm the relationships we have with organizations like the RCAAM, we need to reach out to other professional organizations that are our natural partners like AIC.

This year at AAM's annual meeting in Philadelphia Brent met with officers of the RCAAM as well as those of AAM overall to further our mutual interests.

PACIN is actively partnering with RCAAM (especially in the Western region), and with other regional Museum Associations trying to meet the demand for handling and packing workshops all over the country.

Of the visit to AIC - I left there excited to see what can develop in working with this newest generation of conservators. Many of us have had excellent relationships with individual conservators through the years, but it appears to me there is an increase of interest on a broader scale in areas practice where we can provide solid practical expertise. I have also sensed a related increase in respect for our profession as a whole. This new relationship opens a new set of possibilities that demonstrate yet another aspect of why this is such an exciting time to be participating with PACIN, and helping to chart its course.

Please contact Brent Powell if you would like to take a more active role in what PACIN is doing. If you have ideas or material to contribute to the website, or to future publications, or products please contact Ashley McGrew.

PACIN is all about the walk not just the talk. When PACIN comes to the party things get done. For starters see “PACIN supports AIC Angels”

The 2009 AIC “Angels” and Museum curator, Lorene (Lori) Sisquoc at the Sherman Indian School, Riverside, California

Every year a group of conservators volunteer to assist a local institution in the host city of the annual meeting. (If this sounds familiar it is probably because the Registrars committee traditionally puts together a group of registrars called the “white glove gang” to complete a project to coincide with AAM’s annual meeting).

The purpose of this years project is to inventory, survey and re-house objects and archival materials from the Sherman Indian Schools Museum’s collection. The project was organized by Molly Gleeson and Özge Gençay Üstün, recent graduates the UCLA/Getty Master’s Program in Archaeological and Ethnographic Conservation, and is supported by generous contributions from Metal Edge, Inc., 6340 Bandini Ave, Commerce, CA 90040, 800-862-2228, http://www.metaledgeinc.com; the Southwest/Autry Museum; PACIN (Packing, Art Handling and Crating Information Network), http://www.pacin.org; and the UCLA Cotsen Institute of Archaeology and the UCLA/Getty Conservation Program, http://www.ioa.ucla.edu/

Sherman Indian Museum curator, Lorene (Lori) Sisquoc, discussing the history of the museum with Angels volunteers
(Left) Ellen Pearlstein and Linda Lin with storage mounts. (Right) Mylar (Melinex - courtesy of PACIN) being put to good use.

A big “thank you” to the conservators that are our partners in protecting objects and artifacts.