The Framers Forum

:) Sure masking tape is nasty stuff, but why use a more expensive tape for the same purpose? In fact using a more 'permanent' tape in this application make things harder should you ever want to dismantle the frame for any reason. I'm not talking about using it to finish the backs of frames, I use ni...

The masking tape in this case is not meant to last. It's purpose is to hold the sandwich together until the frame is assembled. If you use good masking tape it will stay sticky for years, so when the little flies try to infiltrate they have two choices: Go over and carry on out the back, or go under...

Any good quality artists eraser, but I would avoid the kneable type. They are for moving graphite about rather than removing and will eventually get so full they will reapply the dirt. Best thing for light marks is a draft cleaning pad (or 'magic sausage' as I call them). It's basically a muslin bag...

I always assemble ally frames by first making a sandwich of the backing/artwork/glass and wrapping the edges with making tape. The glass should be marginally smaller than the backing board so in theory it should never touch the frame. Glass in this situation usually gets broken from a shock to the f...

How big are the paintings? If they are realtively small (<12x16) and are the ubiquitous far-eastern factory panitings I would be tempted to glue them to a board. If they are bigger, stretching is preferable. But the term 'stretching' for canvases is slightly misleading. You only need to get them tig...

Well most of my framing is fairly traditional. Most frames I do have some gilding, although I don't tend to use leaf, mainly gold powders in medium. One drawback with HF is getting a good range of unfin profiles. Rose & Hollis deserve a plug here. There used to be a manufacturer a few years back...

For a good paint to use as a basecoat, get youself down to local DIY shed and get a big tub of the stuff for textured ceilings/walls. I use Wickes trade ripple coating - about £10 for 5lt. It has great 'stick' qualities. (as anyone who has tried stripping a ceiling will tell you). You can lay it on ...

What a great forum. :D I happened across it by accident while searching for something. :shock: I have been in the framing biz since early 80's. About ten years ago I started exp with hand finishing moulding and nowadays I rarely use factory-finished stuff. I know hand finishing is not everyones thin...