very long narrow map

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lynnbmack
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very long narrow map

Post by lynnbmack »

Hi, I have a customer who would like a 3m x .5m map framed. I have been racking my brains re solutions regarding length/acrylic/weight, would like to keep it as one piece rather than cutting it up- proving a challenge, also as living in the Highlands, sourcing suppliers may be an issue- any ideas welcomed!
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Re: very long narrow map

Post by Justintime »

I had a similar piece come in. Sadly it fell at the first hurdle, cost, and with hindsight I think I probably guesstimated the cost to be half what it would actually have been.
If the map is 3m, your moulding longs are going to be over that. I've not seen off the shelf moulding over 3m or an entirely usable full length! Sounds like you might need to have some moulding made up for you, with a strong subframe. With acrylic that size, I'd guess you need 3-4mm acrylic and have an expansion gap in the rebate of up to 5mm all round. That's also longer than my work table...
Make sure you're aware how much space and time this job will take up and that the customer is aware that it will need a medium to long wheelbase van to collect/deliver the piece.
Good luck!
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Re: very long narrow map

Post by Gesso&Bole »

My first thought is have you price conditioned the customer? Do you have enough room to make something like that? You would need the woodworking skills to extend the moulding beyond 3m also.

I would turn the job down based on the size of my workshop and the fact that I work alone, I suspect also that the customer would not want to pay what I would need to charge.

I would strongly suggest cutting it in three and having a triptych map
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JKX
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Re: very long narrow map

Post by JKX »

How’s about making two open ended frames - so three sides, each two longs & one short then fix together with pocket hole screws and glue.

You’ll need a pocket hole jig but that’s such a useful bit of gear and not expensive anyway.

You’ll see that join unless you finish over the whole thing, which wouldn’t be too difficult, or you could make a feature of it and make more thin grooves/lines all the way around - to maybe represent grid lines as it’s a map.

Someone like sheet plastics can provide the acrylic and I’d make that at least 5mm. Mounting and backing boards could be spliced.

The moulding would need to be substantial and maybe still braced, but if substantial enough maybe just one bracing bar central.
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prospero
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Re: very long narrow map

Post by prospero »

The first thing to do is source the Acrylic. (Polycarbonate is a good alternative). Nail down the cost including delivery.

This is a seriously OTT project and it's worth doing a lot of thinking and planning before launching into it.

There are many sneaky ways to make the job easier, but it's the sheer size that is the major challenge.

Building the frame using pre-finished moulding is likely to give you problems. I've spliced raw wood before and even trying
to conceal the joins in the finishing process is not easy. Using a stacked combination with the splices staggered will retain the strength.

Bear in mind that unless you have a workshop the size of a hangar it will tie up all your space for the time you take
to construct it. You will also need maybe a couple of helpers, unless you have very long arms.


I would tend to pitch a big quote. £5000+ is not unreasonable and maybe a bit generous. :lol: Hopefully that might make them think again. :shock:
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lynnbmack
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Re: very long narrow map

Post by lynnbmack »

Thanks for the replies, all very helpful. I realise how complicated a job it is, my inclination is bloody big drawing pins and tack it on the wall ;)

I will do much more research. It would need to be done on site (if at all) and the logistics are just scary, especially up here! So many things could go wrong but I will be totally brutal with the facts of the enormity of the job to the customer and the cost!

The things you get challenged with as a framer eh! :D
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Re: very long narrow map

Post by JKX »

Sheet plastics will charge you £117 inc VAT for 5mm acrylic that size.

I recently made nine frames not far off this size - which may be “big” but really only in one direction. If it was 3m square or even 3x1.5 m - then you’d be talking.

I then screwed these huge frames together to make three planters.

It would’ve been just as easy, or no less difficult, to make the individual frames flat instead of high, if you know what I mean.

Then you can buy stuff like skirting, In solid oak if you like; make that say 8mm wider than your main frame and glue it on top to create your rebate lip - clamp it while it dries. The joints won’t be mitred (but they could be, you can buy longer than 3m) but straight butt joints look fine - as they do on an oak door with a glass panel, just like my kitchen door!

This was made in my garden, on a saw horse - two inverted V bits of plastic with an old door on top. Some sash clamps and spreader clamps will help and so will a random orbital sander - these things, and more, I invested in after retirement and I SO wish I’d had them in my framing days!

It’s a shame that you don’t have more encouragement, it’s not that scary, and if you have your pricing strategy sorted out, unlike the vast majority, then it costs what it costs, if you have to pluck stupid figures out of the air with intent of scaring the customer off, just turn it away, otherwise your bluff may be called
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prospero
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Re: very long narrow map

Post by prospero »

Update: I read 1.5m instead of .5. So not quite as scary. My bad. :lol:
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