The Framers Forum

I've got some thicker samples of picture wire from Frank Scragg's to look at and it's quite noticeable that the appearance of the thicker sizes look very classy, due to a kind of platted or rope twist effect.

However these dont fit into the Fletcher-Terry wirewinders, so I was wondering, if any one has ever tried increasing the width of the slots in the wirewinders, how to do it and does it work?

Or does anyone have any tips for neatly twisting the larger sizes of picture wire please?

A strange thing is that the smallest wirewinder in the set is too small even for the number one brass picture wire.

Supersoft strand rools OK

Hi John,

I think a heavier guage brass wire done by an expert really looks the business. I must post a picture of the sample I've got. It was done by an upmarket London framer and will show you what I mean.

Supersoft strand rools OK
Supersoft strand rools OK
Supersoft strand rools OK

osgood wrote:Supersoft strand rools OK
Supersoft strand rools OK
Supersoft strand rools OK

I concur mightily with that. No more black fingers.

Kwik Wire rox my sox!

Well, ya know - I'm all for the back looking the bollix - but, at the end of the day; when all is said and done and the bottom line is ........ It's got to be functional over all.

Brass wire and crimps don't do it for me - I have brass stuff about the house - if I don't polish it - it tarnishes; if left, that process will wreck it - if continuously polished, that will too.

Stainless steel does not have the problem and tied correctly in tight coils it looks better than any crimped thing too IMHO.

Having said that - post this picture you have been taunting us with for the last eon FFS!!!

Forgive the question of a postulant, but for those of us not in the know, just what is so great about super soft strand?

Well, it's stainless steel - and coated - oh-so supple - oh-so strong oh-so smooth.

Tied the right way it's just so neat - no need to cover and hide the knots with a sleeve - show off the oh-so neat neatness - use a bird-mouth pair of snips to flatten the cut ends.

Photo to follow.

(Also cheaper - pennies admittedly - but still cheaper than the cord I'd used for years before Euro Mouldings went tits up)

It won't oxidise or discolour. It's very sexy.

Thanks John. Interest definitely piqued! Looking forward to the piccie!

I think chunky brass wire looks better than the soft strand stuff, especially if done with style. The following picture is not the really stunning one which I saw first and raved about, but I would say it is done by the same framer or one of his staff. This one could be a little neater, but the method is the same. It was not easy to get a good photo of this for some reason and the photo does not look as good as looking at the real thing.

I think it can be made to look much smater than this and I have done so with the aid of wirewinders and No: 3 brass wire, but the No: 4 wire is the one which really looks the business. Unfortunately the No: 4 wire won't fit into the wirewinders.

Also I've been trying to get a neater crimp tool too! Brass wire looks fantastic with an all black frame back. I've also tried the soft strand stuff and it don't look as good! Together with the all black backs and some very nice hand-finished frame options, I think some might get an idea of what I'm aiming at. Intended for the top end of the market of course.

The D-rings are not the minature type, but standard size ones. That should give you an idea of how chunky the wire is.

Looking forward to seeing the finished product, Mark!

Interesting to see different stringing methods. I have got into the habit of using wire only half as strong as required and doubling it. This way I only have to tie one end.

* Another advantage of plastic coated stuff is that the coating will prevent reaction with the metal of the hook. Many people will hang a picture straght on a nail or screw which can cause brass wire to fail.

prospero wrote:Interesting to see different stringing methods. I have got into the habit of using wire only half as strong as required and doubling it. This way I only have to tie one end.

That's exacterly what I used to do with cord - all the time - tie the two ends with a reef knot - slide it close to one 'D' ring and then tie the two strands together with a half hitch and the loose end wrapped in magic tape.

So now I'm using half the amount of supersoft strand, which costs less, doesn't stretch and looks about a zillion times better.

prospero wrote:Another advantage of plastic coated stuff is that the coating will prevent reaction with the metal of the hook. Many people will hang a picture straght on a nail or screw which can cause brass wire to fail.

Hi Prospero,

While there is an element of truth in this, there are also solutions to this problems.

The examples I have seen employed by up-market hand-finishing framers all without exception are using much chunkier wire diameters than usual. I would assume that this is to counter this problem. I also note than I have seen very many old framing jobs brought in with obviously very old thin brass wire which is still in good condition.

I also intend to supply a suitable hook for free with each framing job and my own little leaflet containing advice to the customer. It would be a simple matter to add a line or two about using the hook supplied.

It would be very nice if our suppliers were to look into supplying plastic coated brass wire. Gentle hint here!

I will be continuing with my use of chunky brass wire as part of the "traditional workmanship, materials and methods" niche.

Overal, my business strategy is one of real quality in every area, resulting in a discernable difference which customers can see and appreciate. This together with a range of hand-finished frames, mounts and slips all adds up to something very attractive and different.

Grahame here,


thought i'd show you a typical back from one of our smaller pictures,

we use Kwik Wire, (this is the narrowest size we use - no.3)

Oh dear, Oh dear. Come on everybody, come and join me in the 21st century.

Cord is great. No black fingers, no pricked fingers, never tarnishes, never corrodes, a billion times stronger that brass, it don’t stretch, lasts for ever (I did some tests in my time machine), quick to use, easy to tie, less then 5p per M and the only tool you need is a pair of scissors.

Now see me run and jump behind a big pile of sand bags ready for the barrage of abuse and insults.

I to, as a jolly good framer use cord, wire to me seems so much more trouble to use and does not look any better. I don't see much wire used down here in cornwall, but I'm sure John and Kev will have somthing to say if they use it.

The Jolly Good Framer #1 wrote:Oh dear, Oh dear. Come on everybody, come and join me in the 21st century.

Cord is great. No black fingers, no pricked fingers, never tarnishes, never corrodes, a billion times stronger that brass, it don’t stretch, lasts for ever (I did some tests in my time machine), quick to use, easy to tie, less then 5p per M and the only tool you need is a pair of scissors.

It does stretch, so there.

Apart from that SSS meets all the above, bar the scissors, well, actually you could use scissors, but they wouldn't last very long - snips are .....a snip!

Think the cost may be competitive too - esp as you are using your cord doubled.

Plus it looks like this, which I think knocks spots off your dangly bits!

Or anything else so far.

What say we?

Roboframer wrote: Plus it looks like this, which I think knocks spots off your dangly bits

How do you know if my dangly bits have spots?

Anyway the nice cord I get from Lion does not stretch, so there.