Trying out a New Contemporary Moulding

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Trying out a New Contemporary Moulding

Post by vintage frames »

Here I am trying to create some simple contemporary mouldings that can be used around more modern artworks. I've selected a cheap and basic flat top obeche profile - A40 R&H - and glued several lengths on to some sheets of rosewood veneer.
IMG_3018.JPG
These were glued in a vacuum veneer press - because I have one - but could otherwise been produced using iron-on veneer adhesive or contact glue.
After cutting out and trimming the lengths, I cleaned up the veneer with a basic rough sanding and then milled out a very steep bevel with the spindle moulder. This could also have been done by angling the blade on a bench saw or with a router.
IMG_3022.JPG
These bevels will now be painted with gesso and further water-gilded with both gold and silver leaf.

The look I'm aiming for is a high quality black ebonised finish with a steep reflective gold and silver bevel which can highlight the enclosed artwork.
By using rosewood I have avoided the rather cheap and boring grain pattern found on obeche wood, and instead of using paint which can give a shallow flat finish, I will be layering on coats of black shellac to add more depth and quality to the overall effect.
As well as the black finish, I will also varnish some of the rosewood with transparent laquers and use these as further choice within the range.
But that is the aim - let's see how it goes!
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Re: Trying out a New Contemporary Moulding

Post by Justintime »

Looks great Dermot, keep us posted!
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Re: Trying out a New Contemporary Moulding

Post by Not your average framer »

I like the sound of that, it looks like a great idea! I also like the idea of chamfering the sight edge as well. I bet it's going to look amazing!
Mark Lacey

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Re: Trying out a New Contemporary Moulding

Post by prospero »

I did a similar thing using cooking-grade constructional timber. It was a bit rough already but I roughed it up further with a
wire brush+drill. Put a bullnose on the sight edge with a router and used a table saw to cut a wide rebate. I finished it with
a coat of shellac and and grey paint and then sanded it back and waxed it. Looked fab. :roll:
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Re: Trying out a New Contemporary Moulding

Post by Not your average framer »

I very much like the fact that so many members are doing their own thing and being quite inventive and creative. It's particularly impressive that some many are doing something that is so uniquely their own creation. Different members often have very different markets and are doing thing at very different levels within the market place. I think that a lot of this is going in great directions.
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Re: Trying out a New Contemporary Moulding

Post by vintage frames »

The next thing was to be applying gesso on to the steep bevels.
There are two ways I could have done this. One was to spray the gesso on; takes about 10 minutes to cover the lot. But I would have had to run masking tape along each length to cover up from the over-spray,
So the better option was to paint on the gesso, four coats and that took about 3/4 hour so not much difference either way.
And here's the lengths with the gesso now dried -
IMG_3024.JPG
And that looks nice and messy - but when the gesso is sanded smooth and a quick rub over on to the veneer top, I get back to a nice sharp edge on the profile.
IMG_3025.JPG
That is the beauty of using traditional gesso. It just sands cleanly away where it is not needed.
Next thing was to cut and join the lengths. I filled the gesso mitres with some thickened gesso putty. Anyone doing this should first wet the dried gesso, thicken some warm gesso with lots more whiting and thumb it into the mitre corner.

After sanding a bit further, I painted the bevels with gilder's clay or bole.
IMG_3028.JPG
Here again the dried overpaint will sand away when dry. Bole acts as a cushion on which the gold leaf is laid. With polishing the surface can achieve a mirror like finish.
IMG_3030.JPG
IMG_3029.JPG
So now on to do some gilding ..
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Re: Trying out a New Contemporary Moulding

Post by Not your average framer »

Seeing this has been quite an inspiration to me. I won't be thinking of doing and veenering, or real gilding, but I was very impressed with the beveled sight edge, which I think has turned out very nicely.
Mark Lacey

“Life is short. Art long. Opportunity is fleeting. Experience treacherous. Judgement difficult.”
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Re: Trying out a New Contemporary Moulding

Post by vintage frames »

Thanks for your support Mark.
Heavens knows how these will turn out. There is a fair bit of process involved but the aim is not to make them 'affordable' but as something the customer could be tempted to spend outside their original budget - if the finish quality is good enough.
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Re: Trying out a New Contemporary Moulding

Post by Not your average framer »

I'm not actually not doing anything at the moment. I've got a back injury at the moment and I'm suffering with a lot of pain right now. We have a friend who is a builder, carpenter and decorator who is doing a lot of work in the passageway along side the shop right now. I am planning on using up a lot of my old stock and doing some very basic hand finishing to make a few ready made frames for the shop windows and maybe I might bevel the sight edge of a frame, or two to see how it works.

It won't be anything like your sort of thing, but just a very simple, quick and easy finish.

Best wishes,
Mark.
Mark Lacey

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