Another 2 hand finished frames with photos of various stages.

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Of framing styles or techniques that rocked your boat, and also of those that didn't
vintage frames
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Re: Another 2 hand finished frames with photos of various stages.

Post by vintage frames »

I actually use the pine stretcher from Rose and Hollis. It's machined from good quality pine and has a generous weight to it. Whilst I was initially worried about all the knots, I've found hardened gesso has a remarkable stabilising effect on the pine surface. Prospero's right in observing that pine was extensively used in earlier picture frames but the pine available then bears little resemblance to the stuff around now.
I use the pine stretcher because it has been machined to a smooth PAR profile. As I don't, but should, have a planer/thicknesser, the accurate shape makes an ideal reference surface to feed into a spindle moulder.
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vintage frames
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Re: Another 2 hand finished frames with photos of various stages.

Post by vintage frames »

Two points to look out for before we all rush out to buy pine stretchers. The surface needs wetting to raise the grain and then sanded smooth. This is because the prominent grain lines can print through paint and even gesso.
The other thing is that the same grain lines can make it difficult to see some of the more subtle sight-lines that those who use a router or spindle moulder, machine into their mouldings.
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Re: Another 2 hand finished frames with photos of various stages.

Post by Not your average framer »

A lot of the pine that was used on older furniture was stone pine, or pitch pine. It was pretty tough stuff and some of the wood removed from demolished buildings is more, or less the same stuff. The trouble these day is that all of places expect crazy money for the stuff, it's got a bit trendy these days to have old fashioned floor boards these days, but these are items that fail to sell in local auctions all some auctions are only to glad to get rid of some of this for virtually peanuts. Even the unwanted stuff with reusable wood has a lot of people wanting it, so they usually expect something for it.
Mark Lacey

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Re: Another 2 hand finished frames with photos of various stages.

Post by Bertie »

Orde02 wrote: Thu 07 Nov, 2019 9:00 am
Has anyone used something like a Logan Studio joiner? I don't have any equipment at all so if I was going to buy a vice and nail frames together, wouldn't it be a good idea to buy a hobby grade tool that does the job?
Hey Matt,

Those are fine looking frames - I think the grain look works here.

With regard to the Logan Studio joiner, I bought one a couple of months ago. I'm in the fortunate position to be able to joint most of my frames (using a Domino) but needed an underpinner for some thin, painted MDF frames I was doing. I don't have the space (or urge to splurge) for a professional one and I found this has worked well. I can't compare it to a professional model, and there aren't stops for precise, repetitive positioning and so on. On occasion I had to bang a proud pin in to get it flush but overall I'm happy. It's small and relatively cheap if it's going to be used a lot - I think it was about £150 Amazon - the F300-1.

Hope that helps.

B.
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Re: Another 2 hand finished frames with photos of various stages.

Post by Not your average framer »

A major challenge with any hand operated joiner is going to be if you try to join woods requiring the most force to insert the wedges. Although there are some models of hand joiners, which are supposed to be able to insert stacked wedges, it would be wise to be aware that the force to insert two wedges into the same position, will be more than the force required to only insert one wedge.

I'm not saying don't do this, but be aware of what you are expecting and than the increased insertion pressure will have it's limits in practice. Having said all that, with practice many users of such joiners can produce a very acceptable level of finished results. Obviously these joiners have their limitations, but with sensible use and not try to push these limitations, they can be a adequate and practical piece of equipment.

I don't think that expecting to join oak, ash, or cherry is likely to be within the intended capabilities our most hand operated joiners. If you need to join harder woods such as these, you probably should be looking for something which is more capable.
Mark Lacey

“Life is short. Art long. Opportunity is fleeting. Experience treacherous. Judgement difficult.”
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Not your average framer
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Re: Another 2 hand finished frames with photos of various stages.

Post by Not your average framer »

Thank you Dermt for your suggestions about buying Rose & Hollis stretcher bars, as a source for a good quality pine. I did not think about it too much at first, but I remembered to check the price today and just wanted to thank you for your suggestion. I think that is going to be particularly helpful for me with my limited mobility and will save me needed to carry so many lengths of pine, back to my shop from my local suppliers.

As you have already said the wood used for their stretcher bars are excellent quality, nice and straight and a good price as well.
Mark Lacey

“Life is short. Art long. Opportunity is fleeting. Experience treacherous. Judgement difficult.”
― Geoffrey Chaucer
vintage frames
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Re: Another 2 hand finished frames with photos of various stages.

Post by vintage frames »

Thankyou Mark.
It's flattering to know someone gives a bit of notice now and again.
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Not your average framer
Posts: 11012
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Location: Devon, U.K.
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Re: Another 2 hand finished frames with photos of various stages.

Post by Not your average framer »

Hi Dermot,

I would not claim to be doing things at the same level as yourself, I do bits of wood machining which enable me to produce larger profiles, or custom profile to suit customer requirements. Quite often I'm looking to pack out the space between a couple of mouldings stacked together just to add a bit extra to the overall width of the finished profile. The favorite machine tools I used are largely my table saw and my band saw, I also have a router and router table, but at the moment I'm still getting my workshop fully sorted, as I was in the middle of moving in and getting everything sorted, when I had my stroke. Initially I was quite surprised that I could obtain quite a good level of finish from even a table saw if cutting the right type of wood with a blade with enough teeth on it and a little bit of a rub down afterwards.

There are even the odd moulding that gets sliced up and used as two different mouldings. My shop has a side door and passage which goes straight through from the street at the front and out into the garden and I set up my table saw in this passage way and any saw dust that does not get captured blows out in to the garden, which usually is not very much a disappears on the next windy day. I suppose it would surprise many, but the finished result when the frame is finished is of a high standard although much of the machining has been done with a table saw, followed up with a hand plane, or sandpaper. Your suggestion is particularly relevant to what I am doing, because the finish on these stretcher mouldings is a lot better than the quality of final on many of the planed all round lengths I buy from the hardware shop.

I often have trouble finding lengths from the hardware shop that are not bowed, or twisted and to date I have found Rose and Hollis's stretcher mouldings to be pretty much much perfect in this respect. So this will help me a lot.
Mark Lacey

“Life is short. Art long. Opportunity is fleeting. Experience treacherous. Judgement difficult.”
― Geoffrey Chaucer
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