Aluminium Frames

[rtwwpad2008]

Hi All,

Going to try and do my first aluminium frame for some black and white pictures. Its not something I've done before (Alu Frames not framing ) and thought I would pick the brains of the masses.

Looking at the samples it seems to suggest the following approach:

1. I will have to assemble 3 parts of the frame
2. Tape up a sandwich of glass, mount, pictue, mount, back board.
3. Insert the sandwich (which I assume one would seal with tape with a 3-4mm strip on the front wrapping round to the back so that the glass isn't pressing against the alu.
4. Fix the last part of the frame in.
5. Hold it down with clips (vague here do you need a special tool for this like when making up small glass frames?
6) Somehow fix hanging items on or do these get put on before the last part of the frame is fixed.

Going to order from Arqadia after their samples turned up yesterday and were ok but some felt a bit cheap.

Phil

[prospero]

That's pretty much it. The clips are easily put in by hand, unless you have filled the rebate up too much. In this case a few bits of suitable thickness board jammed in will hold it tight.
The hanging go on last. They clip into the channel on the back. (some types are held tight with a screw.)

Sealing is really optional, but it is a good idea. Especially to keep the little flies out. And as you say, it does cushion the glass/frame contact.

[Bill Henry]

I’m not familiar with Arqadia but have dealt with the Nielsen line of aluminum frames for over twenty years. Their quality is top notch as far as I’m concerned. Probably 15 – 20% of our sales are in metal frames. Some of the profiles are very interesting, and most of them are a lot less expensive than a comparable style in wood.

They are obviously not as elegant as wood moulding, but metal frames certainly have a prominent place in our shop.

If you can find a Nielsen rep, you should be able to get more profiles, styles and colors than you have room for. And, they should all be free.

Like Prospero, we seldom seal the frame "package". The pressure of the spring clips should hold the contents tightly enough for most environments.

[Roboframer]

When I asked for aluminium samples from Nielsen, they came with slotted metal display strips to screw to the wall and little plastic corners that clip in to them to hang the samples on - all for free.

[foxyframer]

Nielsen every time; smart profiles and finishes.

Like Bill, aluminiums tend to be a fifth of sales.

Metals come into their own on photographic landscapes, especially those that customers bring back from Os.

I find soft grays and gunmetals are the best sellers; rarely use the colours nowadays, few golds or glossy silvers.

Nielsen's woods are top rate too; always up to date and fresh and no crap - no hassle.

Foxy

[Roboframer]

Nielsen's woods are top rate too; always up to date and fresh and no crap - no hassle.

Seconded! Wish they'd go the Larson Juhl route though and have more matching fillips on their 'exclusive' range.

I don't shift much aluminium - mostly because I only usually offer it when the customer wants something skinny but large.

I think I'd plug it more if I was geared to chop it.

[dazza]

Just Curious how are the majority of you cutting your aluminium frames. have experimented in the past with the Morso wasn't all that pleased with the results perhaps a regular chop saw is the way forward?

[The Jolly Good Framer #1]

Just Curious how are the majority of you cutting your aluminium frames. have experimented in the past with the Morso wasn't all that pleased with the results perhaps a regular chop saw is the way forward?

DON'T USE YOUR MORSO TO CHOP ALUMINIUM MOULDING !!!

It will seriously knacker the blades at the very least.
A rotary chop saw with a metal cutting blade is what you need!

[foxyframer]

Dazza,Dazza,Dazza......don't do it.. slapped legs and sent to bed with no tea !!

If you do want to cut your own, use a tungsten tipped blade with a high speed saw. The cutting concept is entirely different, no chopping, just ease the blade through the aluminium, slowly.

I have cut my own aluminiums for many years now; Nielsen Profiles 4,11and 15; and only those which are used frequently. The box sections, best ready chopped.

Most framers get theirs ready chopped. Probably best for your good self. High speed metal cutting is very exacting and will take no prisoners.

Foxy

[Bill Henry]

Use a Morsø for Aluminum? I’d rather trim my eyebrows with a chain saw. (Actually, I wouldn’t, but I like hyperbole.)

If you can justify it economically, buying length moulding will almost always save money in the long run – assuming that you will cut enough of it to be able to amortize the saw and blade in a reasonably short period of time. And, your miters will probably be better than those cut by a distributor.

But, ordering metals by the chop has advantages, too. You are not stuck with having to inventory some weird colo(u)rs or profiles collecting dust just waiting to be used after your first order.

We stock roughly 30 styles/finishes of the most frequently used metals in length. For the seldom used profiles, we order them chopped and our distributor throws them on their truck for their weekly delivery. This way we can reduce our freight costs

[ross]

Very interested in your use of aluminium Bill - 15/20% - I have never evaluated what proportion of sales related to aluminium profiles, but I'm sure it wouldn't be much above 1 or 2%

We use and/or sell as little aluminium as possible - as others have said difficult to cut - we actually use an old set of blades that can no longer be sharpened for cutting any aluminium on our double mitre saw

Aluminium frames can flex a lot, customers always want to pick them up by the top, you can't seal the back very effectively - some customers want photographs in thin aluminium profiles without matt-boards - try putting a spacer into an aluminium frame

In summary, we don't push aluminium - prefer to stay with timber profiles - don't dabble in synthetics either

Ross

[Bill Henry]

In the New England area, we have four professional sports teams which over the years have done very well, so posters of teams and players are very prevalent around here. Guys tend to want to frame them in metal for their “man rooms”, generally located in basements which tend to become a bit damp occasionally.

The more colorful aluminum frames are very popular for kids rooms. The bright, primary colors are often not available in wood.

There is a local college which has a photographic arts department, so we get a fair number of students considering themselves the next Ansel Adams who not only want to keep their costs down, but like the contemporary, clean look of metal.

When we present a metal (or wood) frame to the customer, we always encourage them to carry it by the sides or bottom when it is wrapped, or by the wire when it isn’t.

We have steadfastly refused to go the poly route, though.

[Roboframer]

We have steadfastly refused to go the poly route, though.

Amen to that!

[Martin Harrold]

Just thought you might be interested to know that we are in process of commissioning a unique style of saw for cutting our aluminium chops. It was made for us in Germany at considerable cost by Lucker & Drucker in Gutersloh and is said to be the dog's whotsits for the job it does. It will ensure that we can offer the very finest quality cut on our L'Art and M series aluminium profiles.
The more eagle eyed may have noticed in our new mouldings catalogue that we are also very quietly introducing a chop service for some of our wood mouldings. We are taking it slowly, as wood chop seems to be fraught with little problems, which we are dealing with carefully as they arise. We have set up a Cassese 969 with computer measuring for this task and that is now settling down.
We'd be interested in feedback on framers experiences with wood and alu chop, and know we'll learn from them.

[Roboframer]

I'm not geared to cut metal and so I don't push it - it is reserved for those who want to match things they already have - or that have that look in mind and won't be swayed. Also for those who seem to think that anything over a quarter of an inch will 'take over' or 'detract' from the .....'art'

Aluminium, for us, is something to fall back on if all else fails - we don't like it!

But we've had no problems at all with aluminium chop service from Arqadia or Nielsen. I've used chop service on wood just the once - Arqadia - and it went together perfectly.

Big props for offering chop service Martin, whatever! The kings of chop seem to be Nielsen and Ashworth & Thompson. Arqadia only do chop on Larson Juhl mouldings, aluminium, and a few of their own mouldings (not many). Simons just don't do it - sometimes Simons baffle me (need to add here that I love Simons) - here they are flogging valiani CMCs but they don't do chop ....... and they can't tell me, at point of ordering, if a moulding (etc) is out of stock.

Makes me wonder why I'd want to buy a CMC from, or via, a company that can't call up their own stock levels like everyone else can. But I digress (and will probably take some earache - but I don't care)

[kev@frames]

i usae wessex for my aluminium chop, they do several brands. dont sell much though.