EstLite Coved Box Designer

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Of framing styles or techniques that rocked your boat, and also of those that didn't
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John
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EstLite Coved Box Designer

Post by John »

Click To Download

This is a Windows application to aid the design and construction of slope sided boxes made from mountboard (sometimes referred to as coved boxes, or slope sided shadow boxes).

Using the results from the designer, it is a fairly simple job to cut out the shape. The trickiest part being the v-grooves (The blue rectangle in the diagram). The corner cut-outs can be made with straight-edge and Stanley knife. And of course, with a CMC the process is even easier.

Image

The program will run in any version of Windows from Win95 onwards.

It requires only four inputs: the Depth and Breadth of the slope, and the dimensions of the base (shown in red in the diagram).

Dimensions can be entered in inches or mm.

To use, download and unzip the file, cove.exe, which can be placed in any suitable location on your computer, or on a memory stick.

Download the file from [viewtopic.php?f=11&p=100786#p100046]Here[/url]

The application outputs your design to a PLT file that can be used by most CMCs, either directly, or via CorelDraw.

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Re: Slope Sided Box Designer

Post by John »

Although this example has been cut on a CMC, it is not difficult to do it manually.
IMG_0667.jpg
IMG_0667.jpg (27.24 KiB) Viewed 89880 times
V-groves on the base allow the sides to be easily folded up.
IMG_0666.jpg
IMG_0666.jpg (32.45 KiB) Viewed 89879 times
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Re: Slope Sided Box Designer

Post by James Miller »

Thank you for providing this handy utility for calculating cove mat dimensions. Very quick and easy to use!

An incredible conicidence: Just a few days before I learned of this from a post on the USA Picture Framers Grumble, I submitted a feature article to Picture Framing Magazine. The subject was a project recently built in my shop; framing a folded flag and a certificate. I used two cove mats in it, and the article detailed how to use the CMC to cut the cove mats.

May I ask the editor to include a link to your cove mat utility in the published article, if it's not too late?

James Miller, MCPF, GCF
ARTFRAME, Inc.
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Re: Slope Sided Box Designer

Post by John »

A remarkable coincidence James.

Certainly, provide the link in your article. I hope that other framers will find the application useful.
markw

Re: Coved Box Designer

Post by markw »

What a star! I use this little program a lot - and the improved version will make assembly just that little bit easier. Thank you John.
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Re: Coved Box Designer

Post by Merlin »

Thank you John.

Much improved and saves the mental math.
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Re: Coved Box Designer

Post by John »

I must credit Merlin with designing and rendering the beautifully clear graphical representation of the slope sided box (the lower left image in the screen shot).

Many thanks John
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Re: Coved Box Designer

Post by YPF »

I have used previous versions of this for loads of boxes and find it an invaluable tool.

Thank you, John

Regards,

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Re: Coved Box Designer

Post by James Miller »

Thanks, John. You have given us a very useful utility, and then improved it. Kudos to you.
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Re: Coved Box Designer

Post by FramingBarista »

Brilliant. Many thanks.
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Re: Coved Box Designer

Post by GUNNAR »

I've used this wonderful little program many times and never said

'Thank you John'!!!
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Re: Coved Box Designer

Post by Tudor Rose »

What a great Land Rover piece - love it :clap:

We've only used the cove box designer a few times, but it is so easy to use and saves tons of work - thanks John.
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Re: Coved Box Designer

Post by Jonny2morsos »

Thanks from me too. Here are a couple of items of wedding memorabilia I did. Mountboard is Arqadia Suedette 8525
Wedding-Memorabilia-1.jpg
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Wedding-Memorabilia-2.jpg
Wedding-Memorabilia-2.jpg (249.39 KiB) Viewed 84353 times
I also had a customer with a collection of medals in a little oak chest with drawers and we made some drawer liners also in suedette mountboard using the ciove box designer.
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Re: Coved Box Designer

Post by Steve N »

:clap: Liking the Land Rover frame a lot! well done, and I like yours aswell J2M, like the suedette mountboard great effect with the (is it ) feathers look very nice. :yes: :yes: to both of you
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Re: Coved Box Designer

Post by Not your average framer »

Thanks John,

Today is the first time that I've downloaded and tried the program.

It's absolutely brilliant! All I need now is a customer to try it on!

Bring 'em on!
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Re: Coved Box Designer

Post by GUNNAR »

J2M They are lovely
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Re: Coved Box Designer

Post by Jonny2morsos »

Not your average framer wrote:Thanks John,

Today is the first time that I've downloaded and tried the program.

It's absolutely brilliant! All I need now is a customer to try it on!

Bring 'em on!
I bet you have something lying around or could pick up in a charity shop you could use for display in the shop. I ought to do the same!
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Re: Coved Box Designer

Post by AllFramed »

Yes, thanks from me too.

Those are creative uses of the box. I wouldn't fancy trying the Land Rovers by hand! I did as J2m said, dug out my London Marathon medal from what seems long long time ago....

Not a great picture but the medal is in a box.
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There's more to the picture, than meets the eye. Hey hey, my my.
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Re: Coved Box Designer

Post by David McCormack »

I would be interested to know about the different methods everyone uses to attach the cove box to the frame?
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Re: Coved Box Designer

Post by silvercleave »

Cut the sides as normal but leave more board, then score and fold a flap down then use tape or glue to attach to the reverse of the front board.

Does this make sense?? it did to me!! :Slap:
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