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Are you using contact cement to apply edgebanding?

overspray2

Why?  Because it’s what you have always done?

How much time do you waste cleaning up the overspray?

Fastcap has the solution… Its call Speedtape, it will save you time, energy and some aggravation.

Speedtape is the heavy duty double sided tape that you find on the back of Fastcaps or rolls of Fastedge.

Fastcap knows that they don’t make every color available and sometimes using Fastedge is not appropriate…

That is why selling rolls of the adhesive separately is such a great idea!

Speedtape comes in 50’ rolls and is available in four different heights so you will be sure to find one that works for you.

Repairing a damaged vertical on-site or banding a corner shelf by hand was never so easy.

Your turn, have you used Speedtape?  Do you have any unique uses for Speedtape?

Are there any reasons that you would prefer contact cement?

Your local Fastcap distributor should be able to answer all of your questions.  If not, feel free to contact me at 347-723-7433 or you can email me at richdemarco@optonline.net.

Filed Under: Closet Hardware, Closets, Hardware Tagged With: , , , Leave a Comment

Using Facebook to Fill your Funnel…

 

I have to admit that in the beginning I was anti-Facebook… I couldn’t understand why I would want to know what someone that I knew 20 years ago was eating for dinner.

In the last 2 years I have completely changed my outlook on Facebook and social media – I hope after you read this you will too!

Facebook was the first social media platform that I used to build “The Mayor of Hardware” brand… With over 500 million users I was sure that I could find a few friends…

The first thing that I had to do was create my personal page… It took minutes and I have to admit that as I made connections there was a sense of satisfaction… Almost like the pulling the plastic off of that new iPhone for the first time, you can’t explain it but it’s a great feeling…

I use my personal page as “business casual” sure I am connecting with friends from my past, but I am also connecting with many customers and colleagues.  Getting a glimpse into their personal life solidifies our working relationship…

Next it was time to create my business page – this was equally as easy.  The main difference between the two is instead of adding friends I was adding “Likes.”

Once you reach 25 “Likes” be sure to create your vanity URL.  You must visit facebook.com/username to pick your name.  You only get make one shot so make it a good one!

If you don’t have a vanity URL you will look like a newbie…

The second thing that I did was create custom tabs…I know I just lost you – what’s a custom tab?

See screen shot below… Facebook allows you can create up to 12 custom tabs.  My tabs contain a sign up form, links to my blog, photos and links to my other social media platforms.  It allows people that find me on Facebook to see where else I am “hanging out” and hopefully they will join me.  This is another way for me to engage my clients.

The last thing that you have to do is show up regularly!  You should be sharing content at least a couple of times a week.  Funny works well on Facebook, be sure to mix it up – remember this isn’t about you, it’s about your audience.

Big Bold Tip Coming At You…

Please make sure to interact with anyone that comments on your photos or posts… This is social media – You Must Be Social!

For more tips and tricks please sign up for my blog and get this delivered right to your inbox.

I help individuals and organizations to be successful… If you have any questions about social media or hardware please contact me at 347-723-7433 or you can email me at richdemarco@optonline.net. 

 

Filed Under: Closets, Hardware, Personal Branding, Social Media Tagged With: , , , , , , , Leave a Comment

What’s New at IWF 2012

Were you too busy to attend IWF?  Did you attend but spend all of your time researching machinery?

This was the best show in years, many new exhibitors, new products and attendance was up over 40%.

Here are 3 items that I thought you would find interesting…

Floating cabinetry is a hot look that is spreading.

Coming soon to the market is a hardware kit that easily installs on your cabinets and has up to 5/8” of adjustment.

It overcomes the challenges that traditional hangers present like interfering with your drawer slides or not sitting flush against the wall.  This will be available in the coming months.

It’s not always about the product, sometimes it’s about packaging…

Most of you are familiar with the leg levelor pictured above… Most of you also know the problems –

You or an employee spend hours screwing the legs into the t-nuts.  You also have to inventory two separate items…

How many times have you had legs without any t-nuts?? I know sounds painful…

Finally you can buy a leg levelor set, which is a leg and t-nut pre-assembled.  Tap the assembly into the vertical and you are done…

Last but not least is a new soft close hinge that has a piston built into the hinge arm.  The concealed piston eliminates the problem of changing your current drilling and the need for stocking an additional soft close dampener.

The best part of this hinge is not the soft close, it’s the cam adjustable plate.   There are many import hinges on the market, but most of them don’t have a cam adjustable plate. This adjustment will save you time and aggravation on the job site.

Your turn, what new items did you find at the show?

I help individuals and organizations to be successful… If you have any questions please contact me at 347-723-7433 or you can email me at richdemarco@optonline.net.

 

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Tips & Tricks for Installing Push Open Hardware –

This post is all about – the down and dirty of push open hardware….

If you take anything away from this post it’s to make sure that you don’t install these slides on drawers over 24” wide, you could have a problem.

Another important tip coming at you in 3, 2, 1 – For the push mechanism to work properly there needs to be an 1/8” – ¼” gap between the faces and the cabinetry.  This could be a problem if not going wall to wall…  To avoid a customer pointing this out you might want to add an extra vertical to hide that gap…

Ok so you are ready to screw on the slides…

A standard ½” side clearance works just fine… The main difference is that the drawer and cabinet members need to be set back 5mm from the front edge…

The next difference will only affect some of you, ideally the slide should be mounted a 1-1/4” from the bottom of the drawer… If you follow these instructions when you push the drawer it will open almost completely by itself.

What about the doors you ask?

This is easy… Salice sells a push – open European hinge, it mounts and installs exactly the same way your “regular” hinges work… You need to install a touch latch, otherwise the door has no way of staying open…   Simple right?

This is another way for you to look a little different than everybody else…

Have you had any experiences selling push open hardware?  Do you have clients requesting drawers and doors without decorative hardware?  Or do you feel that decorative hardware is the jewelry that finishes off the dress?

If you have any questions about push open hardware or my fashion sense please feel free to contact me at richdemarco@optonline.net. 

Filed Under: Closet Hardware, Closets, Hardware Tagged With: , , , , 2 Comments

Undermount Slides not just for Kitchens Anymore?

Almost every new kitchen is made with undermount slides – even imported stock cabinets have them.

Clients today are more educated, familiar with undermounts and have very high expectations.  That’s why dovetail boxes and undermount slides are not just for kitchens anymore.  Some high-end clients not only expect undermounts, but require them to land their job.

Don’t let this make you cringe…

Undermounts may be different, but they aren’t any harder to install…

As long as you know the facts –

Let’s start with a common misconception – even though the slide is referred to as an undermount it still mounts to the vertical panel and will probably hit your system holes.  The drawer box sits on top of the slide, that’s why it’s referred to as an “undermount”.

Now it’s time to get technical –

The drawer spacing is different.  Instead of it being an inch less your opening, it’s 5/8” less when using ½” material and 3/8” less when using 5/8” material.

Number two, undermount slides don’t come every two inches.  Standard sizes are 9”, 12”, 15”, 18” and 21”.  This size refers to your drawer box depth.  Your vertical panel must be an inch deeper than the drawer box.  There are a handful of companies on the market that make a 13” deep undermount, I stock King Slide, it works great.

If you’re outsourcing your drawer boxes than that’s all you need to know.  For a few extra bucks the drawer company will prep the boxes for the undermount slides… Trust me this is the best $3 you’ll ever spend.

If you insist on manufacturing the drawers yourself, you will need to recess the bottom of the box a ¼” so that you can mount the front clips.  You will also need to notch the back of the drawer and drill a 10mm hole.

I hope this post makes you feel a little more comfortable with undermount slides.  If you have any questions please feel free to contact me at richdemarco@optonline.net.

Filed Under: Closet Hardware, Closets, Hardware, Undermounts Leave a Comment
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