Oval Spandrel Frames

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Not your average framer
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Oval Spandrel Frames

Post by Not your average framer »

I don't think that frames with oval spandrels have ever been particularly out of fashion, but sometimes you may have make them as ready made frames to attract some sales. They are not going to be something thats particularly cheap, but they are something quite special anyways, so they should stand being priced at a good price. There probably needs to be the right balance between material costs and intended selling price and this is perhaps not always that easy to acheive. Pete Bingham always used to make the spandrels from grey board, but I probably thinking about cutting them out of pre-cut MDF backs instead.

Portrait style oval frames seem to be the one's which seem to sell well and if fitted with a strut back to stand on a deck top. I would probably display a pair for sale with the words his and her attached as I think that this may create a little bit extra appeal. I've got a very reasonably priced narrow ribbed cushion moulding which should sufficient for making these which is likely to be an easy choice for making these. I don't have any clear idea of what people will pay for these, but lot of whether they will sell is likely to be dependant upon whether they encounter much price resistance. I reckoning that there's going to be a reasonable level of labour tme involved in making these so, they are unlikely to be cheap.

Having said all that, I think that they would probably make an eye catching display in the shop window! So what the opinion, is it worth making some, or don't bother? Any thoughts?

Mark.
Mark Lacey

“Life is short. Art long. Opportunity is fleeting. Experience treacherous. Judgement difficult.”
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GeoSpectrum
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Re: Oval Spandrel Frames

Post by GeoSpectrum »

I make them on my CNC out of 6mm birch plywood and get a nice chamfered edge. MDF would be ok but needs a bit more work on the chamfered edges when finishing.
Alan Huntley
Ashcraft Framing
Bespoke Easels and Self-assembly tray frames
http://www.ashcraftframing.co.uk
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Re: Oval Spandrel Frames

Post by Not your average framer »

Thanks Alan,

I'm kind of trying to decide whether it's going to be worth the effort of making some of these. I'm guessing that after including handfinishing as well, might take me as much as 20 to 30 minutes to produce a single frame. I can probably save some time, if I decide to produce a batch of these, but it's not easy to know how easy these will be to sell. Producing smaller frames is unlikely to save me any money, but producing larger frames, will probably make them look like better value for money for the customer.

It's got to be at least 10 years since I last made one of these, so I've not got much idea, if customers will want them, or not. I thinking about making them as 16 inch by 12 inch frames, so it not that likely that I can save any money by using off cuts and waste materials at all. I'm hoping to display these ready to sell, so in reality they will be ready made frames, but I'm guessing that the selling price will need to be perhaps about £30 each. At this sort of price, I am wondering how easy it going to be to get some sales, so I'm wondering what other forum members might be thinking about this!

I will eally enjoy producing items like these, but if I struggle to sell them, what's the point? Any thoughts?
Thanks,
Mark.
Mark Lacey

“Life is short. Art long. Opportunity is fleeting. Experience treacherous. Judgement difficult.”
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prospero
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Re: Oval Spandrel Frames

Post by prospero »

I've done them using 2.5 MDF cut on my venerable Oval 6. It's not really possible to do a bevelled edge this way so
I cut it square as far as I can and smooth of with sandpaper - givind a slightly rounded of edge. On top of this I add
another layer using the old 2mm 'grey' board which I can do a bevel on. The grey board on it's own is a bit flimsy, but
when the two parts are glued together it makes a strong and stable unit. This is then finished to taste. :D

**The glass (if applicable) goes beneath the spandrel.
sprandrelpair.jpg
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Re: Oval Spandrel Frames

Post by prospero »

Same thing here but three layers of grey board. (Thanks Pete Bingham :clap: )

littlegirlwithteddy_small.jpg
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Re: Oval Spandrel Frames

Post by GeoSpectrum »

I might put some plain wood ones up on my website, sometimes artists want them. I only need to make one and photograph it and offer several sizes. I’ll offer discount to framers…probably… :lol:
Alan Huntley
Ashcraft Framing
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Re: Oval Spandrel Frames

Post by GeoSpectrum »

This is a 3D representation. What sizes would be useful?
F765D811-3131-4430-A37F-79FD2F5542F1.jpeg
Alan Huntley
Ashcraft Framing
Bespoke Easels and Self-assembly tray frames
http://www.ashcraftframing.co.uk
Not your average framer
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Re: Oval Spandrel Frames

Post by Not your average framer »

I am almost certainly likely to be going for 16 inches by 12 inches. I'm planing of buying some packs of pre-cut 2.5mm thick MDF backs and fitting some clip and bar strut back hinges to them. They come in packs of 50, so I was thinking about what else I would do with them. Some of them could by cut up to make struts for the strut backs and then I started thinking about the oval spandrel frames again. After what Peter has been saying about not being able to cut bevelled apertures using the Keencut Oval 6, I've been having a bit of a rethink about doing that. However he did mention cutting three layer greyboard spandrels and I already bought a box of grey board sheets about two, or three years ago, somethime shortly before my stroke, partly with making spandrel in mind. The grey board is still in the boxes and they not even been touched so far.

I've bought a secondhand Fletcher Terry 1100 oval cutter since then, because they cut super accurate ovals. So far to date I have not done any thing with either the cutter, or the materials. I'm not really very sure that Oval Spandrel frames are still going to be as popular as they once were following what the covid situation has done to peoples thinking about what customers might be thinging about what they are still up for spending their money on and maybe oval spandrel frames is not one of them. Small oval spandrel frames sold in pairs, might be something which would sell, but I'm not so keen on trying smaller ones as single frames as the amount of profit for a single sales transaction doesn't really appeal very much. Making too many frame sizes for oval spandrels frames, does not seem like a good idea, but 6 x 8's, 10 x 12's and 12 x 16's would be about all that I would actually consider making as stock frames and even then I would not be making too many of them.

These are still essentially to be sold not as a ready made frame, these are made as custom niche market items at a price which reflects that this is a hand crafted top quality item. I don't think that the budget end of the market is going to be part of my future plan for my business at all. It is much better to sell lower volume, but higher quality items at a proper price.
Mark Lacey

“Life is short. Art long. Opportunity is fleeting. Experience treacherous. Judgement difficult.”
― Geoffrey Chaucer
Tasnif445
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Re: Oval Spandrel Frames

Post by Tasnif445 »

I think you can go for different options like metallic golden colored frames. It definitely adds a glamour to any interior and customers are still in love with these frames. These are not outdated and still are liked by many. You can go through this blog for better understanding of the frame. Here's the link to the blog: https://memory-box.co.uk/blog/are-gold- ... ot-at-all/. I hope this helps.
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