The Framers Forum

Plan was to sink a rebate in so that you could assemble 3 sides then just slot in the glass, backing etc, and the 4th side would then hold the lot together. Venton's do a moulding which works like that. I assume it's still in the new plain wood mouldings catalogue, but I'm not sure how I feel about...

With my method a mount at the front is needed to hid the pine moulding used for the box extension, but it means I can use any moulding the customer wants. Here's a couple of examples, they both were somewhere between £60 and £80 each if I remember correctly. http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p137/D...

Thank, Kev, I've started lining them with Arqadia suede mountboard, I find their suede colours are really stunning. I have a mount at the front, a cheap Simons pine moulding for box bit fitted in behind the mount (lined with suede board), with suede board in the back followed by the backing board an...

Yes, Patrick, My thoughts too! I'll tell you what, it ain't at all easy to work out how to get the same results, but I'm gradually getting there. The splatter is very difficult to get just right and needs loads of practice with the technique. To date, I'm still not 100% sure which is the right techn...

I think they work well on white and off white mounts too. The effect is subtile, classy and draws the eye into the picture, while being very minimalist in so far that the mount remains uniform in colour. It's that interesting difference between how much light falls on each side of a V groove that do...

Wow, Kev,

A medal case in 5 minutes. How on earth do you manage that? Is that for the whole job, or is this extra time above and beyond your normal framing time? I would be pleased if I could do the whole lot in 30 minutes. I must be getting too old!

We add 25% to the cost of the mount or £1, whichever is greater. Not having a CMC, I think about the slight risk that something may go wrong and so I like to make sure I still come out on top. In general this pricing seems to fit customers expectations and is well received. I push it a lot on multip...

paint spatter is very easy to do with an old tooth brush or a hard bristle finger nail brush. That's how I usually do it, but you don't get very many repeatably long thin drawn out lines unless you get really close up and then the splatter marks become much closer together and the effect is less ev...

Deleted, Opps I quoted myself when I meant to edit

The splatter effect is the most difficult aspect of the overall effect to achieve. I've come close to it a few times, but as yet can not reproduce the effect at will. I've tried various methods, including blowing the streaks away from the splatter spots with an air brush, but in all this I've come t...

Cut with a broken bottle I reckon!

There are a few more pics of this frame on Photobucket under the name DevonFramer. All have the word hand finished in the title. I think it is an amazing piece of workmanship, the distressing of the finish is an art in it's self. I'd love to be able to watch this framer at work and see all the actio...

Hi Jane, I used a Gielle underpinner while on two days of training with Mike Royale who is the south west Master of the FATG. I don't know if it was the same model, but it seemed to be a good solid machine and easy to use. If someone like Mike uses it, one would assume it would soon get the elbow, i...

Looks like the work of Patrick Ireland to me, one of the Jedi Knights of hand finishing. Bet you've tried it before the end of the day! Right on both counts Pete, The customer thought the framers name was John Ireland, but he was a little vague sounding, like he wan't sure exactly. I've also briefl...

The pub has given us a bit of business too! The tenant is into vintage local photos, which he gets us to frame. We've done loads of them. We often do quite well with the pub and restaurant trade. It's quite un-predictable as we never know what to expected next. Eight framed blackboards to hang over ...

Hi, A customer brought in a handfinished frame for re-glazing. The handfinishing was just stunning. It was produced to order about 10 years ago by a framer from London. I've included a couple of photos below in the hope that someone can tell me how this wonderful finish was produced: http://i127.pho...

I've just discovered that we're on the web and I never knew it.

http://www.devoncam.co.uk/devon_picture ... racey.html

I wonder how we got that? The page even says that you can order pictures - sadly not from us though. Oh well! You can't have everything I suppose.

Some of the miracles I refered to were pretty amazing too! When I signed off from the Job Seekers Allowance, I had a business plan. It had been approved by the Job centre, who had arranged my grants and support. One very important part was that the Working Tax Credit which would follow on from me si...

Hi Framerpicture, I don't know about being brave, I'm cleaning these at the owner's own risk and the insurance company knows they don't have to pay if I don't succeed, other framers who also work for the same company don't want to do it. (Maybe I'm just stupid to take it on). I've already returned a...

The paintings which I am cleaning have been involved in a fire. The gesso finish on many of the frames has blistered and it is very difficult to tell whether some finishes were originally gold or silver. Fortunately some are clearly identified as acrylics. Certain of those which are acrylics have be...