The Framers Forum

Stupid question alert

I'm looking at using one of those double rebated frames to make a few quick boxes for a low budget job

Stupid question is, what holds the glass in? Obviously this would usually be the spacer, but with these mouldings where the spacer is effectively 'built in', how does one fix the glass? Points will show.

Am I missing the true purpose of this type of moulding?

"Am I missing the true purpose of this type of moulding?"
Yup, me too!

You might find that the glaziers' points don't show at all.
That would be the quickest solution.

If not then just cut a strip of foamboard; slit, fold and glue it all around the inside to hold the glass.
Then use the bottom rebate to secure the backing board.

Or am I missing something too ...

I’m not sure if the spacer is effectively built in as you suggest. Surely the sides will be bare wood at best and perhaps showing the black overspray from the finish at worst. I would think you will need a spacer, made perhaps from the same material as your mount boards? You could attach the mountboard to 3mm foam board and back this with finger lift tape to stick to the sides. This will hold the glass in place. Not sure why you would want a double rebate moulding as a straight forward deep rebate would also suffice, in which case you could choose your depth rather than be limited to the pre cut rebates.

This was a question I asked when I first started framing but never got an answer that made sense.
You always need something to hold the glass in so you will either need to use points which might be seen and might break the glass, or cut a separate spacer from wood or mountboard.

"Not sure why you would want a double rebate moulding..."
I'm guessing because it's on sale?
A black paper wrapped spacer from R&H is my go to for speed.

I've done a repair job for a football shirt framed in a double rebated moulding. It had the mount at the front next to the glass, which was held in place with points hidden behind the mount. The shirt was then spaced away from the glass using the back rebate. Guess it saves the time of glueing a spacer in

The original function of frames with a "stepped" rebate was for a frame that acts as a shadowbox frame. The first step is visible and the second step holds the backing board. A second function is to allow for "extensions" that increase the depth of the cavity of the shadowbox.

In my original shop we used 1/4" x 1/4" strips of balsa wood that were painted the same color as the sides of the deep section of the frame. The glass was held in place with 1/2" 13mm small wire nail brads through the balsa wood with a traditional framers compression squeeze tool.

https://www.unitedmfrs.com/Frame_Mate_p/f07200.htm