Best method of cleaning up the back of this frame

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daveym
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Best method of cleaning up the back of this frame

Post by daveym »

I've mentioned in a previous post that I am using a particular deep boxed frame from a high street retailer for specific sculptures that I am make. I've been testing various methods of keeping the sculpture in place but each one involves wire as part of the sculpture includes wire elements. It is a fairly intricate hand made artwork where by I have to then tighten the wire in order to hold it in place. The only possible solution was to secure the wires to the backboard using hot glue then hide the wires from customers.

In total I have 2 tiny drill holes into the backboard where the wire is hot glued. There are another 2 holes drilled into the roof of the deep spacer and the wire is pulled through over to the back board then hot glued. I completely understand it is not a very attractive appearance which is why I need to cover this area. I also have to pull the strut back off each frame as it gets in the way of some areas I need to apply hot glue depending on the sculpture I make.

My dilemma is that I need to find the most suitable and simple method to best cover the back of frame but also that leaves an area for the customer to hang the frame using the existing hanger attached, which I have left in place. The back board is sunk approx 5-7mm beyond the back of the outer frame. Would it be just a case of using framers tape to mask across the whole back, leaving a gap around the hanger? If so, id be a little concerned about a customer piercing the through the tape and exposing the mess underneath.

thanks in advance for any help.
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fitz
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Re: Best method of cleaning up the back of this frame

Post by fitz »

Question. Do you really need to use the hanger which is attached to the strut back? If not it seems like you have enough room to fit a double backing board of sorts. You could add a bit of a spacer using left over materials such as foam board or MDF off cuts and then fit another backing board using the tab gun. This would effectively conceal all of the gubbins. To hang it you could use a saw tooth hanger or conventional hangers and string/wire or even stretcher bar hangers?
daveym
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Re: Best method of cleaning up the back of this frame

Post by daveym »

many thanks for your reply. I suppose I could do that and hadn't thought about it before, but upon testing with a random smaller backboard, it doesn't give me enough space to apply tabs especially over the hot glue blobs. They are just raised a little too high from the current backboard. If it were to have worked and say I were to apply 5mm foam board to areas on the back and attach a new backing board over this, the hanger would protude slightly and not allow the frame to sit flush against a wall. I think thick deep box frames look best when hung relatively flush to a wall as possible. Some frames look fine if hung at a slight angle but I don't think it works with this particular deep frame.

Funnily enough I was routing through some random materials I have here and I have large rolls of 6mm thick low density white foam which is quite spongy. I placed it over the back and it disguises the blobs of hot glue quite well. Although you can feel them and the wire underneath when pressing the sponge in, it disguises them quite well and doesn't look that out of place on the back of the frame. I could apply a piece to fit the whole backboard area and just glue it down. The only thing I would need to do is cut out a perfectly square area on the back for the hanger to show through. I don't know if this would look right or how to go about cutting out a square within the foam so as it looked professional. I'm limited to using basic tools as I'm not an actual framer, I just make art to put into these frames. It might well be a completely silly idea but so far the only alternative with the materials I have here.
daveym
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Re: Best method of cleaning up the back of this frame

Post by daveym »

I can't seem to edit any of my earlier posts as I would of added this. I didn't want to create a new post but have no other way.

I didn't realise how easy it was to cut the foam using a stanley knife. I've had issues with thick foam in the past and thought the foam wouldn't cut cleanly. However, with this particular thickness (approx 6mm), it cuts through it like butter. I tested using a simple off cut piece of small square wood and just placed it onto the foam as if it were a small opening and cut around it so as to allow usage of the hanger on the back and can see this working. It seems practical enough but might be a little unusual to some people, especially seasoned framers on here. However, since I'm not a framer, i'm open to criticism...do people find this an odd method to cover the back up? The only thing that lets it down is the white foam I've used as thatis the only colour I have here. I think black sponge foam would look more professional and would match the back backing board.

If people do think this method could work, what is a good size for a small opening around the hanger based on if I were wanting customers to use the existing hanger as seen in my main picture. Apart from nails in a wall, I don't know what other options people use for hanging on a razor hanger. I want
to give enough room within the foam for any other common attachments customers might want to use?

If anyone else has any alternative ideas I'd be most interested to hear them.
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Rainbow
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Re: Best method of cleaning up the back of this frame

Post by Rainbow »

Hi Dave, would this work....

- Start again.
- Use a plain backboard to glue the wire to, not a backboard with a hanger.
- Lengthen the wire, so that you can use a spacer but instead of it going over the glue blob and causing a bump, the spacer sits over the wire, so that the glue blob is below the level of the spacer. The spacer could be wood or rigid foam, not the spongy foam that you've mentioned. Would 3mm rigid foam be enough to stand proud of the glue blob?
- Drop the board with a hanger on top of the spacer so that it sits just below the level of the frame, enabling the frame to sit flush with the wall. Fix with tabs in the normal way and tape over for neatness.

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Justintime
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Re: Best method of cleaning up the back of this frame

Post by Justintime »

Roboframer recently suggested using a correx fluted board when using wires. Remove some of a channel of fluting(?) on the back, pass the wire through the board and silicone the wire into the chanel. Pop your backboard on et voila!
Justin George GCF(APF)
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