First time framer has something to frame

[Rigglydude]

Hi All

I apologise in advance for what will be a very simple task to you all but since you gave me such good advice on a previous post i thought i would push my luck a bit.

A good friend of mine has just given me an english heritage map of an area very close to my heart and this will become my first attempt at framing.

I will make the frame myself probably from oak or iroko, i should have enough lying around i have ply and mdf and my friend is a glazer.

I would like your advice as how to proceed from here how do i put it into the frame what glass should i use etc etc.

The Page is about A3 and it is paper. it is a bit creammier than the white printer paper and i propose to hang it in my office.

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

[pramsay13]

Not sure exactly what you're asking but I'll give it a go.
From your other thread it sounds like you are fine making the frame.
Ask your glazier friend to cut 2mm float glass to fit in it.
You will need a window mount or something to stop the glass touching the artwork (or map in this case).
Next you need to hinge the artwork to an undermount, there are few different options for this so probably worth searching the forum.
Put on an mdf back, secure everything (normally with points) and tape everything up.
Add on d-rings and cord or wire and you're good to go.

[Rigglydude]

Thanks Pramsay13

just a couple of questions

i understand the idea of a window mount and an undermount seems self explanatory too.

The hinge throws me a bit. Do you mean a way of fixing the map in place and is there a way i can do that without damaging the map?

Are points pins to hold in the mdf back?

I apologise again for asking elemental framing questions.

[Roboframer]

Points/pins (but preferably flat points fired from a tab gun) are indeed to hold the back in, which does not have to be MDF.

Regards hinges, see 'T' hinges here http://www.frametek.com/HTML/Articles/Hinging2.html that's the principle but there are other things like self adhesive and gummed tape that can be used depending on the value (commercial/perceived/sentimental/historical/whatever) but whatever type of hinge you use you have done SOMETHING to the artwork, even if it is on the back of it, it's no longer as it was given to you.

There are non-adhesive methods that can be used, either no adhesive in actual contact or no adhesive full stop.

As for glass, well there's UV filtering but if it's in a room that gets a lot of natural light, direct or otherwise, it will fade in time, UV filtering glass will help but if the light is direct and not filtered by curtains and blinds, not very much.

Whatever the value of this item is, actual or just to you, it could be used as an exercise.

You're a 90 min drive from me, M25 permitting.

[pramsay13]

I think John has covered everything.
Might be worth investing in a training day if you want to do it seriously, and you could do a lot worse than spend a day with John.

[prospero]

One thing you have to realise when framing paper items is the 'frame' - that is, the wooden bit, is the least important element in the job.

The logical way of thinking for the uninitiated is to fix four bits of wood together, add glass/backing and put the paper in and fix the back in with pins or whatever. If you do only this the paper inside is subject to several risks: Any inks on the paper can stick to the glass. The paper is restricted and any changes in humidity will cause the paper to go wavy. Any condensation running down the glass will pool in the bottom and wick up the paper inside, leaving a nasty tidemark or even moldy patches on the paper.

To do it properly you have to isolate the paper in a sort of cocoon so that it is isolated from anything that could cause damage and fix it so it can expand and contract freely. The usual way is to use a bookmount. That is two sheets of card, one with a hole in it that allows you to see as much as you want of the image - the window mount (USA = mat) This is hinged along one side to a solid piece the same size - the undermount. The paper is attached to the undermount typically with two tabs in a T formation along the top edge - about 1/4 of the way in from the sides. The edge of the paper should be well away from the outside of the mount. That way the edges aren't crimped and the paper can move freely. Hinging is an art in itself. Get the paper properly mounted and the rest is just woodwork.
Sometimes with stuff that isn't valuable, or at least readily replaceable the paper is stuck to a rigid board. This also is an art in itself. Doing this will keep the paper flat, so no hinging is required. A stuck-down print allows you to dispense with a bookmount, but you still have to engineer some sort of spacer to lift the glass off the surface and it shouldn't be too tight in the frame.

Think of the wood bits that surround all this as the finishing touch. Apart from the aesthetic aspect it's only purpose is to hold the glass/mount/back together.