The driftwood look.

[prospero]

Wire brush, drill, angle grinder, bleach, workmate, safety glasses, dremel, shellac, paint, sandpaper, wire wool, wax, marine wood cleaner, sand-blaster, stain, oil paint, blowtorch.....

...and all the time in the world!

I prefer just to buy driftwood mouldings and have the frame made in 10 minutes.

True enough. Lots of rough wood moulding on the market. Simons do some nice 'barnwood'.

But what if you want one a different shape?

And anyway I need a bit of fun now and then. After agonising over endless little niggly flaws in finished moulding it's very therapeutic to knock seven shades out of a bit with impunity.

[caro]

advantages of making your own driftwood
: Fun
: using up and 'unifying' oddments of (damaged?) moulding
: not buying lengths of "finished" moulding of which once a few frames are made then there is not enough of to make a frame and what could you do with those bits?

[raymond]

Thanks for the link to Lion. I do use ready made moulding's for picture frames. The hand made frames are for mirrors, I'm going to rout and engrave into the wood, then fill with colour or doweling. It's a bit difficult to explain really, when I finish one I will try and post a picture on here.

[raymond]

Thanks for the Lion link.

[Roboframer]

not buying lengths of "finished" moulding of which once a few frames are made then there is not enough of to make a frame and what could you do with those bits?

One of a few things, like just toss them because the wastage is factored in, knock out a ready-made or two or hang on to it hoping the next batch matches.

A few suppliers have/have had 'driftwood' mouldings over the years but all they have ever been is 'rustic' at best - too consistent to look anything like real driftwood and the same applies to some hand-finished stuff too! "Rustic", "distressed", "Shabby" .... etc - Yes.

"Driftwood" - No!

The Lion range (which Simons also do ... not something like, it's the same stuff so it might be worth comparing prices) is the closest on offer to anything you'll actually find washed up on the beach.

It needs to be split and looking all bleached and dried up, possibly with a few bits of frayed orange or blue nylon cord and the odd rusty nail thrown in to look anything like real driftwood! How's about making casts of barnacles for a bit of authenticity ... or starfish .... etc!

[IFGL]

My thoughts exactly John, although you forgot the old tampon, condom, syringe and a few turd stains for the British drift wood experience, might make a nice frame for a Tracy Emin piece.

[Otters Pool Studio]

But what if you want one a different shape?

I don't. I sell what is on the wall. If it's not on the wall, and I can't find it in any catalogues, I don't sell it. Like Wickes don't sell kitchen cabinets in orange, like Ford don't sell Fiesta's with 4 wheel drive, like Subway don't make a 10" ham roll. All of these are examples of heavily customisable products, but you can still only choose from a list of options being offered.

advantages of making your own driftwood
: Fun
: using up and 'unifying' oddments of (damaged?) moulding
: not buying lengths of "finished" moulding of which once a few frames are made then there is not enough of to make a frame and what could you do with those bits?

:Fun - I'm running a business here and my time is very expensive. This is an expensive town and my overheads equate to around £400 per day. If I spent half a day having 'fun' with a bit of wood to make it look like driftwood, I would have to add £200 to the price just for labour.
:Using up oddments and having leftovers - I don't have any oddments or leftovers as I would order it on chop - like I do with (now) with around 70% of my frames (and growing).

And then there are the disadvantages:
:Expectations- You've spent half a day with a dremel, blowtorch, wax, etc. to create a realistic piece of driftwood, make the frame with it, and when the customer comes to collect it says - ooh it looks a bit bashed, or can I have it a bit less green, etc.
:Consistency - your customer comes back six months later and says - that driftwood frame you made me, can I have another one exactly the same.

Once again, this comes down to the old discussion of working out how much your time costs you. I realise that this will be different for everyone, but for me, the time I save by ordering my moulding on chop offsets the increased cost for the moulding. If I drop a d-ring on the floor, it is cheaper for me to leave it there that it would be to take the time to pick it up.

So for all of those who can afford to take the time beating a bit of wood into a masterpiece of bespoke hand-finished framing, I salute you and perhaps envy you a little too. For me, my frame was finished three hours ago and I'm off to have some 'fun' away from my workshop!

[Not your average framer]

Has anyone noticed that Raymond is based in Cornwall? I have not been to Cornwall for a while now, but driftwood frames were a real big deal there, when I last visited Cornwall.

As a rusult, I'm suspect that the economic arguements put forward against making your own driftwood won't apply to the same degree in Cornwall as elsewhere.

[Not your average framer]

Has anyone noticed that Raymond is based in Cornwall? I have not been to Cornwall for a while now, but driftwood frames were a real big deal there, when I last visited Cornwall and the prices also reflected this.

As a rusult, I suspect that the economic arguements put forward against making your own driftwood may not apply to the same degree in Cornwall as elsewhere.

[markw]

Mark
you do bang on about the west country economy - There are lots of very successful profitable framers there and I doubt if one of them would hand finish a driftwood moulding when they could buy it off the shelf. Business is business and playing rarely comes high in the experience of making money.

[vintage frames]

Maybe the argument should be about what the driftwood frame is for. As a mirror - yes, otherwise who's going to buy it? For some off the shelf art or art with as yet, no great value, a factory finished moulding is perfectly adequate.
For an established artist, a handmade frame is a must!

[Whitewater Gallery]

I am coming a bit late into this thread, but for what it's worth.....

I have not found an off the shelf driftwood moulding that I would say is perfect, they usually just look a bit cheap and, not surprisingly, manufactured. The Lion moulding mentioned earlier is one of the better ones (I have seen very similar from other suppliers) but I would prefer it if it was a flat profile so have not used it as yet.

We have however mixed Farrow and Ball sample pots to match colours in photographs and hand paint flat profile plain wood mouldings which sell well, but we just don't have the time or space for this from June to September.

[prospero]

This is turning out to be a very lively thread.

I understand that everyone has their own business model and faffing about hand-finishing moulding won't suit all. I agree that if you can find a factory moulding it's muchly preferable to go with that. Especially driftwoody-type stuff where you don't have to agonise over little dings and flaws. But I would emphasise the word 'if'. Most of the hand-finished frames I do just do not have a factory-finished equivalent. And it's not as if they are very outlandish.

As for spending hours/days/weeks drifting your wood, one of the big advantages with hf driftwood is that it doesn't take long. No sanding as such to build up a smooth finish and no multiple coats of paint etc.

I've even converted factory driftwood to something more interesting.

http://petrbnsfineart.com/images/wormyframe001.jpg

That was one of those bilious pink examples that was popular at one time. The worm holes where added with an engraving tool in a Dremel. Then I slapped a thin wash of mucky-coloured paint on. I think it was the water I was rinsing my brushes in. Quick buff with a yellow duster and bingo.

[Jamesnkr]

. I think it was the water I was rinsing my brush

Oh dear. Tea on the computer keyboard moment. Come to think of it, you could have used that!

[raymond]

I'm not talking about framing art/photographs. I'm talking about arty/ creative mirrors. With the right equipment, and a bit of experience I should be able to make them in 60 - 90 minuets. I will sell them for £225.00 to the gin and tonic yacht types, so they can hang them in their second homes and sailing boats that litter St Mawes bay in the summer.

[Roboframer]

For some off the shelf art or art with as yet, no great value, a factory finished moulding is perfectly adequate. For an established artist, a handmade frame is a must!

Tell that to the National galleries then, there's stuff there in Simons econ range! There's plenty in much better too of course, plus a whole load in stuff between.

What is a must is something that a customer likes and if it is to be a 3" flat profile with a bevel in a white wash from Arqadia, I'm not about to insist I match it - which I could do; it won't look no different!

[Not your average framer]

I'm sorry if the west country thing is a problem, it was not intentional. I was speaking specifically about Cornwall (not the rest of the west country) and it is surprising how many Cornish galleries and artists choose not the use normal factory produced mouldings and finishing techniques as a matter of policy and prestige.

It's pretty much part of the culture and a major selling point with a degree of exculsivity and prices to match. From time to time, I get asked to copy a particular artists syle of frame and it's often not easy to do so. As far as I can tell the "arts and crafts" thing is still alive and doing very well in Cornwall.

[raymond]

I'm sorry if the west country thing is a problem, it was not intentional. I was speaking specifically about Cornwall (not the rest of the west country) and it is surprising how many Cornish galleries and artists choose not the use normal factory produced mouldings and finishing techniques as a matter of policy and prestige.

It's pretty much part of the culture and a major selling point with a degree of exculsivity and prices to match. From time to time, I get asked to copy a particular artists syle of frame and it's often not easy to do so. As far as I can tell the "arts and crafts" thing is still alive and doing very well in Cornwall.

The arts and craft movement is thriving in Cornwall. A lot of the art galleries use hand made frames painted in Farrow and Ball colours. I was talking to a framer in Charlstown a couple of days ago, he had just made and deliver 80 to a gallery outlet.

[prospero]

As I tell customers quite often - "You wouldn't drink wine out of a jam-jar".

[markw]

http://silvermushroom.com/product/kilne ... oCT4Xw_wcB you might.