glass both sides in a frame - how to fix as a ready made

[michelle]

has any one got any ideas on how to fix glass in a ready made frame when there is glass on both sides and no mount ( customer to fit artwork). The usual flexi points would show and I am having a brain block on how to do it.
thanks

[i-framer]

make a timber spacer frame to the height required to level it to the back of frame with the glass in, the same thickness as the rebate and paint the same colour as the frame. Put this behind your 2 pieces of glass then use turn buttons to hold into place.

[prospero]

You can't really do it. End of.......

....Unless you make a special profile which would be a wooden section with a groove machined in, just wide enough to take the thickness of two pieces of glass+art. Or you could possibly glue a thin wooden strip to the inside of the rebate to achieve the same end - providing there is enough depth in the rebate. Readymades are not renowned for generous rebates. Of course if you were using an already joined frame you would have to break it apart to do this.

The frame would have to be joined on two corners and the other two (adjacent) corners screwed with no glue. So you slide the sandwich in and fix in the last rail in. The screws allow dismantling in case of glass fracture/replacement. You would need a squarish section ideally.

With a mount you would be able to use a conventional moulding, as you could tape over the points.

You could stick with a readymade and hold the sandwich in with a tiny piece of quadrant moulding. Small enough not to protrude over the rebate lip. Stain it to blend in with the frame. Then either fix it with a few dabs of glue or very tiny pins. You have to be very handy at hammering for the last option. Hopefully the glass will never have to be replaced, but if you ever needed to do this the quadrant inserts would have to be prised out forcibly and most likely spoiled so a new lot required. Then there is the insufficient rebate depth issue again.

Who'd be a picture framer?

[michelle]

thanks for the ideas,
I have the potential of providing a large number of these frames for crafters if i can find an easy, cost effective way of doing it. all in standard sizes. The biggest challenge is the fact that they are to be provided as ready made frames for them to fit their own work if not it would be a lot easier. I think I will have to go back to them and ask how they are currently doing it but would have prefered to go with a solution. They are quite a price sensitive bunch.

[prospero]

If you are likely to be doing a number of such frames you could get a custom section machined up. If you could get it done in oak or ash it would be quick to add a finish. Make a few jigs and you could knock them up all day. If you go with the removable rail method, you could put nice csk brass screws in the top and bottom (so they won't show from the sides but wouldn't look unsightly if you did see the heads...). Doing that would mean no underpining needed so no marks on the backs. They would look the same front and back.