Framing Football Shirt Double Sided Frame

[blokman]

Taken a job in today, a football shirt that the customer would like to be visible both on the front and the back.

The front has been signed and will require to be fully visible whilst the reverse will need the name and number to be visible.

I am thinking along the lines of using a window mount for the reverse of the shirt and attaching the shirt and former to this mount.

The customer would like a solid oak frame which will need to be created in two halves and fastened together.

I would be very grateful for any thoughts on this construction.

Many Thanks

[Roboframer]

I am thinking along the lines of using a window mount for the reverse of the shirt and attaching the shirt and former to this mount.

But then you'd see the attachemts, you'd need another window mount to conceal those, which would give it more strength anyway, as long as they were bonded together.

As for the frame in two halves you could just use one, fit the rear glass in the same way as if it was a backing board and then make a flat batten frame to the outside frame size (which could be oak just like the frame moulding) and wide enough to cover the sealing tape. OK - still two 'frames' but only one would need a rebate, the rear one is just cosmetic.

[blokman]

Thanks for that Robo, how would you join the rear batten frame to the "proper" frame ?

[Roboframer]

As it's only cosmetic it could be simply glued on, although that would make life difficult if anything had to be replaced, so countersunk screws and some filler would be better, but how are you going to fit the hanging hardware?

If this is something that is just going to be turned around now and again to view the back, as opposed to being hung either way, then you could also screw the hardware through it.

[prospero]

How about.....

Get a sheet of 10mm foamcore. Lay shirt on top and draw around it with a pencil. Cut out round the pencil line. Carefully trim about 2mm off one of the pieces. Put the inner piece in the shirt. Cover both sides of the outer piece with a suitable fabric and trim off around the hole leaving 5mm overlap except for where there is an opening in the shirt (neck/armholes/bottom edge). Push the shirt/inner back in the hole and tuck in the overlapping fabric. Where there is an opening, trim the covering fabric to conceal any backboard that shows and tack it down inside the shirt.
To hold the middle in place, get some hat pins and push them into the edges of the foamcore so they go right though and lock the middle in place. Shouldn't need many.
Then it's just a matter of framing it with glass spacers front and back.

This is just an idea. btw. Never actually done it.

[blokman]

Robo, many thanks for that, the customer is undecided how it will actually hang, but glue and pinning would I think work fine.

Prospero, great idea and one that I think would work a treat and the 10mm foamcore would give the ridgidity that is needed.

[Not your average framer]

This would only work if you can find a perspex supplier who can do this for you, but how about this:

Make a template with fits inside the shirt and get a perspex supplier to make a perspex template to the same profile, with a suitable extended supports projecting from the neck opening and at the bottom opening of the shirt.

The edges would need to be smooth and polished to remove any cutting marks, otherwise they would not appear to be as hidden as one would hope. Obviously you will be able to see them if you look, but you know what I mean!

These projected supports could then be fixed to the top and bottom of the inside of the frame and the fixings hidden with two slips or mounts in contact with each of the sheets of glass. The shirt would then appear to be floating in space.

[Roboframer]

The whole back of the shirt does not need to be shown

The front has been signed and will require to be fully visible whilst the reverse will need the name and number to be visible

[Otters Pool Studio]

Take a photo of the back of the shirt, print it and stick it on the backing board!

[Graysalchemy]

I did one once where the customer wanted the shirt suspended in the back and visible front and back as it was going to be suspended from the ceiling and viewed from both sides as it was in the middle of the room.

I made a former out of foam core to put inside the shirt , then suspended the shirt from inside a box frame with fishing line. I then made a second identical box frame and glued the two halves together with Gripfil. To hang I attached d rings to the top of one of the halves before I glued it.

I think I also lined the inside of both boxes with single strips glued to one side. It was very fiddly but looked the dogs and not the bodge that I have described.

[Roboframer]

Check this thread - bottom of this page for photos and next page for a diagram - posts by Steve N

http://theframersforum.com/viewtopic.ph ... 7&start=40

[Graysalchemy]

Thats what i achieved but without the chrome trim