A few musings........
It's funny when you think about it, but there really isn't an entirely good system for making strut backs. If you only need to do a few here and there, you aren't going to fork out for a press to attach the hardware and to be honest, this method is a bit naff anyway.
A long time ago I had a spate of making readymades with stands. It was really a use-up-the-bits exercise. I riveted (by hand) two bars onto the (MDF) backs so that they would stand either way. I don't like the diagonal thingies. I made about 300, so that's four holes I had to drill in each back and four bif rivets to place and hammer. Tedious, but not hard work. I made a jig and template for drilling the holes 10 at a time. The tricky bits were the struts themselves. Cutting tapered struts would have been too much trouble. Fortunately, at the time Lion did ready cut tapered struts with a clip (which fitted the bars) already riveted on. They were great. I just picked a size that was that was longer than the frame and trimmed it flush with the edge of the frame. Magic
The bars were strategically placed so the struts were right whatever orientation.
OK, they didn't look as classy as the velvet covered ones, but they looked presentable enough and they didn't wilt like the cardboard specimens. I did sizes from 5x4 to 12x10 using this method.
But lion don't do those anymore.
I did get some of their metal ones to try. The ones that are a curly gold piece that slots into a plate. The plate needs a special press to fix them to the backs, but I thought it would work by screwing the plate to the frame. (as long as it's wide enough). I tried one and it seemed OK, but I never got round to testing them out properly. I did observe that it would only work safely on frames <8" high. Although putting two props on might stabilise bigger sizes.
It occurs to me that any manufacturer who comes up with a cost-effective, user-friendly, nice-looking (that's too many -s, but wth?), would be onto a winner.
