The Framers Forum

Good evening Framers... just putting this out there really. I met a friend today who's a carpenter and he makes and sells his own frames. Because he's a carpenter and not a framer he uses band clamps and not an underpinner. From what he was telling me, it seems pretty straight forward. I am just getting started and the framing I will be doing will be quite simple framing. The question I'm asking myself is; do I go down the underpinner route, or, with training from friend, the band clamp route. I would very much appreciate thoughts. Thank you!

I'm assuming your friend who is a carpenter, makes his own frames from raw timber which he shapes in his workshop. After gluing and clamping up his frames, he further needs to cross-pin the mitres by hammering a long thin nail into the sides at each corner. This provides mechanical support to the glue already holding the frame together.
Because he has used raw timber, he can counter-sink the small nail head and disguise with some filler.
If you want to make the same sort of frames like he does, then a band clamp is all you need.
Buy your raw-wood mouldings from Rose & Hollis, make the frame and then paint or varnish to suit.

If, however, you intend to buy pre-finished mouldings then you really need a simple underpinner where the mechanical support is provided by inserting a steel staple into the underside joint of the moulding.
Nailing into the side of a prefinished moulding will damage and disfigure the finish.

What he said! There's no harm at all in learning the traditional techniques, in fact I think it's the best place to start. The main advantage of an underpinner, other than the prefinished point, is speed of working, which is only relevant if you have a workload to deal with. It's worth pointing out that if you intend to work with Oak and Ash barewoods, an underpinner takes some mastery to deal with these woods.

Thanks for useful and informative replies..... It wouldn't surprise me if my friend works with raw wood and, also knowing him.. he wouldn't rush... at all. It's all good stuff to learn that there are different ways of doing things; that way I can make an informed decision of my way forward. For now, it'll be an underpinner.... who knows for the future! Now, all I need to do is find a decent secondhand UP!

There was an absolute bargain on here recently, the Cassese 486 for £500! If I didn't already have one I'd have jumped at it.

Another alternative is to use spring clamps. These actually work quite well as you have room to cross-nail the
corners while clamped. That can be tricky-to-impossible with a band clamp. The one drawback is they leave a
'divot' that has to be made good, but you would have to fill the nail holes anyway. When I started off a lot of
framers I knew used them.

On larger mouldings, ( 2"+) I like biscuits in a joint. They add a lot of strength.