Stacked moulding frame.

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Not your average framer
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Stacked moulding frame.

Post by Not your average framer »

Here is a photo of a stacked frame I did this evening. It's the result of a new idea that I had this afternoon. The outer frame is supposed to be a reversed profile being shallower on the outside edge and more raised in the centre, but I like my stacked frames the other way round. Therefore I have sliced off the sight edge, where the rebate should be and the thickest part of the moulding is now on the outer edge. Where I have cut the sight edge off is now a perfect machined finish, as the slightly fluffy finish has been very lightly sanded on my bench top belt sander.

The inner moulding is an old moulding from the now long gone company of Magnolia mouldings and it is a nice tight fit into the outer moulding, so much so, that I have to sand off the slight swell caused by the under pinning wedges in each corner. The original finish of the side has been sanded back exposing the bare wood to get a nice, solid glued joint and I will pop some headless pins inside the rebate of the inside moulding and into the outer moulding some time later.

The two frames are a nice tight fit and won't need any gap filling at all, just carry on with a hand finish it only. Filling gaps wastes time, a little extra care to avoid a gap to fill makes a big difference to how long it takes to make and hand finish a frame. This sort of profile is very much what I like to go for. I like a fatter outside edge, as opposed to a fatter inside edge and to me a skinny outside edge looks cheap. I'd be interested to hear what others have to say about this point.
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Mark Lacey

“Life is short. Art long. Opportunity is fleeting. Experience treacherous. Judgement difficult.”
― Geoffrey Chaucer
Not your average framer
Posts: 11013
Joined: Sat 25 Mar, 2006 8:40 pm
Location: Devon, U.K.
Organisation: The Dartmoor Gallery
Interests: Lost causes, saving and restoring old things, learning something every day
Location: Glorious Devon

Re: Stacked moulding frame.

Post by Not your average framer »

Thinking about it, I might do a deeper version of the frame to use for deep box frames. If I glue another piece of obeche onto the back and cut the outer edge of both moulding at the same time and then lightly sand the outer edge on the belt sander, it's dead easy to lose the glue line and for it to look like it's all one moulding.

I like wider, more imposing looking box frame mouldings. I think that it's better to make things like that in batches to keep the labour time down to a minimum. I've got my eye of some other cheap mouldings, for getting the same treatment. I'm hoping for some serious WOW factor for the displays in my shop windows.

Eventually, I reckon that I will need enough quite different and eye catching stuff for three changes of the shop window displays. I've also got some interesting ideas for some really interesting Art Deco frames, waiting to be tried out, as well.
Mark Lacey

“Life is short. Art long. Opportunity is fleeting. Experience treacherous. Judgement difficult.”
― Geoffrey Chaucer
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Re: Stacked moulding frame.

Post by vintage frames »

That works really well Mark. I see you also understand the importance of the first 10 or 15mm of profile in from the sight edge. Something I've been blathering on about. Get that inner profile to stand up alone first and then you can do whatever wiggly moulding you like around the outside.
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Not your average framer
Posts: 11013
Joined: Sat 25 Mar, 2006 8:40 pm
Location: Devon, U.K.
Organisation: The Dartmoor Gallery
Interests: Lost causes, saving and restoring old things, learning something every day
Location: Glorious Devon

Re: Stacked moulding frame.

Post by Not your average framer »

Just in case you are wondering, this sort of stacked moulding frame is not intended to be a ready made frame. I'll be looking for a decent price for it. When I get around to hand finishing it, it's going to be black over a dark red and distresed to show the red on the raised features of the frame. Frames like this will be marketed as something very special and will also be available, for me to use for framing orders. So far, I am thinking that I will mainly producing such frames in black, with distressing to reveal yellow ochre, light brown (tan), dark red, gold and silver. This first frame involved a bit of working out what I was doing as I went on, so I took about 75 minutes, to get to this stage. Any future frame will be produced in batches, which will bring things down to about 20 minutes, or less.

I will produce a spreadsheet that I can work to so nothing needs working out in the future. The profile width of this stacked moulding is 40mm, the depth is 23mm and the rebate depth is 10mm. The inner moulding is flush with the outer moulding at the rear. I have plenty of the inner moulding and the outer moulding is currently available, but I was able to make this up with off cuts. I also have a different outer moulding that, I am hoping to present in the same way and if all goes well, I would like to do this later today. I really like this presentation and think it probably has good possiblities. Currently, I am looking at ways of using some of my older "dead stock" to make somethings that are really special, which can be seen as clearly been very good quality, stylish, beautifully finished and definitely not "run of the mill".

Whatever else happens as a result of the Covid crisis. I want to come out fighting for every penny and not to be outclassed by anyone! I see items like this as being part of this objective. The outer moulding is an inexpensive, but excellent quality of moulding and the inner moulding is just older stock, which I have plenty of. I hope this will inspire some others to look at what they can do with older and cheaper mouldings to make some really exciting items to sell as well!
Mark Lacey

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