PLINTHS: TWO VIEWS
Mitring the edges of a plinth will make a nice clean edge, but some find it difficult to get it looking good and will end up using a large amount of filler, which may crack out when the plinth is moved. I prefer to spend a bit more time on a butt jointed box and square off the edge with a block plane and sander. You can then go over the end-edge area with a PVA solution to ‘prime’ the MDF. If it’s finished and painted well, no one will know (and it will make a stronger box).
Don’t try to drill directly into MDF edge without pilot drilling first. You will get a cleaner edge if you hold both pieces together and drill the pilot the whole way through rather than doing the two holes separately.
An MDF butt joint has some adjustability once it has been screwed (with pilot hole). Screw it tight. If the joint does not sit together flush, take the screw out 10-15mm and wiggle the joint so that the two edges are flush; then whilst holding, screw back together. You can do this two or three times and still have quite a solid joint. There’s probably about 1.5-2mm adjustability, depending on thicknesses etc.
Don’t try to screw with anything less than 50mm to the end corner of a butt joint. It will split (whether you have done a pilot or not). If it splits, the joint is weak and looks rubbish.
Include a shadow gap around the base of your plinth to help give a clean look on any floor surface. The gap around the bottom is also very useful when it comes to moving the plinth around. It is helpful to make the gap no less than 15mm so that you can get your fingers under it for moving.
Alternatively, some do prefer to mitre rather than butt the edges, finding it very tricky to get butt joints to become invisible. The secret to success here is to make your plinth six-sided. This takes care of the inherent weakness you’d get in a five-sided mitred plinth.
The sequence is: measure and mark carefully; use a tracksaw to make the 45° cuts, four per board; drill half a dozen small but snug holes through the faces at 90° along every edge; insert a panel pin into every hole; glue and offer up the first two edges (for this you’ll need to arrange a stack of books or whatever so that two edges can meet horizontally at right-angles and you can have access to them without needing five hands); steadily and lightly tap in the pins on one of the slabs; flip it over (carefully – at this stage it can easily collapse) and tap in those pins too; repeat the process till the four long sides are together; carefully get it upright on the floor and attach the lid; flip over and attach the base.
At this stage, the thing is quite sturdy and you can go around every side using a punch to drive the pin-heads below the level of the MDF surface. Now drag filler into any faults or gaps along all the edges, and also over all the pin-heads, and, once dry, it’s ready to sand and paint.
A shadow-gap is easily achieved by gluing/screwing a board of a suitably smaller size onto the base.
LIGHTING
Spots: normally bulbs with built-in reflectors that focus their beams on small concentrated areas. Floods: fitted with powerful tungsten halogen strips, give an even spread of light over a wider area. The colour of the light can vary according to the fixture and the bulb, which can be closer to either the orange or to the blue spectra of white. Corrections can be made with filters or different types of bulbs. Both types of light are normally fitted into tracks. This allows them to be moved along the tracks. The fittings themselves also allow for the lights to be swivelled and moved up and down. Lots of galleries use fluorescent strip lighting – hung or fitted in an unbroken line, this can look good and be a cheaper alternative to track lighting.
FILM
[also see Making section] In a gallery setting it is always better to get your film printed onto polyester. This costs slightly more, but is much more durable than acetate and is better for looping. It is always a good idea to have a spare print of your film on hand. Get your projector from a projection expert and see if they have an advisory service that goes along with this. It is a beautiful medium, but it is work-intensive and you want people to help you who know what they are doing. The lens you use and the distance of the projector from the screen, will determine your screen size.
Thought is divided on timers – these turn the projectors on and off to give them a break. Some experts say it is good, some say they cause more problems than they solve. Have a can of air on hand – the biggest enemy of your film is dust, so spray the air around the projector before loading your film and give it a good spray out every now and then. Hold canned air upright when spraying, otherwise the liquid at the bottom of the can might also spray out. Cover the projector with a very light dust sheet each evening. Ask the gallerist/invigilator to listen out for the film when it is on – most times you can hear when something is starting to go wrong.