Creating picture frames.

[Northbeach]

Had a look around the'intrawap' and google but sometimes best to have some 'live' advice on this forum.
I thought it would be a simple case of buying glass from a local merchants, a few mitre cuts on some wood, bit of card and accessories (clamps and hanging clips etc) and a stain of your choice finish...not quite eh?
Looking at the back of our current frames you see the two channels down the hidden side of the wood - one for the picture clamps and the other...? Not entirely sure what this is for - tension distributer for the glass?
Can you buy bits of wood with these channels already cut into them or is it a case of buying a router (and a workbench!!) and doing these cuts yourself?

Many thanks.

 

[Scrit]

Had a look around the'intrawap' and google but sometimes best to have some 'live' advice on this forum.
I thought it would be a simple case of buying glass from a local merchants, a few mitre cuts on some wood, bit of card and accessories (clamps and hanging clips etc) and a stain of your choice finish...not quite eh?
Looking at the back of our current frames you see the two channels down the hidden side of the wood - one for the picture clamps and the other...? Not entirely sure what this is for - tension distributer for the glass?
Can you buy bits of wood with these channels already cut into them or is it a case of buying a router (and a workbench!!) and doing these cuts yourself?

Many thanks.

Picture glass is very thin and can be had in non-reflective as well as standard glass from any half-decent glazier. Most wooden frames use a twisted brass wire held onto the back of the frame by metal triangular ring plates which are pinned in place. Any good ironmonger will stock kits to do this. The type of frame you are referring to sounds like a contract framer's product, but I wouldn't worry about it as that isn't the only way. The pack of glass, mountboard, picture, backerboard is generally held in wooden frames using triangular points called "sprigs" which require a tool called a sprin setter. A simpler way is to purchase small brass turn buckles from the ironmonger which wioll have the same effect. Oil paintings are thicker and heavier and may require the use of wooden turn buckles - I'd avoid nailing or screwing through the painting's frame into the picture frame as this can damage the canvas.

Your biggest problem is to produce and glue mitre joints accurately and where the joint is really tight. The frames can be cramped-up using a Spanish windlass (home made and therefore cheap), but the joint needs to be sawn with a very fine saw in a mitre block (or a purpose-made mitre saw), and you may need to clean-up the joint using a block plane and mitre shooting board before glueing up. Many in the trade tend to use corrugated joiners with hand setting tools these days.

Scrit

 

[Northbeach]

Blimey - may be biting off more I can chew at the moment with this then!
Clear this isn't a straight forward mitre cut some wood, glue, place in backboard and hang then.
The frame I was thinking about making is one I had purchased a while ago (£25 ish). Inch thick frame (darkly stained) with the buckles and clips you have described above.
I'm none to sure how I would cut the rabbet cut on the wood (L shape for placing the glass onto) - would I use a router for this? Above that is a groove in which the grips/clips enter to keep the picture/glass/backboard secure. Above that is another slightly larger groove - not sure what purpose this serves mind - nothing is going into it...unless this is if you where to place in a canvas with thicker backboard (and use wooden clips as you suggest)?

Is a coping saw fine enough for th cuts?...and are 'splines' going that bit too far into craftmanship?

Thanks for this advice scrit.

 

[Scrit]

I'm none to sure how I would cut the rabbet cut on the wood (L shape for placing the glass onto) - would I use a router for this?

Yes, in conjunction with a rebate bit. Although I might consider starting by buying a length of pre-formed picture frame moulding

Is a coping saw fine enough for the cuts?...and are 'splines' going that bit too far into craftmanship?

You won't be able to cut a straight mitre with a coping saw as the blade is not rigid enough. Traditionally the job was done using a gent's, novelty or beading saw (all pretty much the same thing) for smaller mouldings in conjunction with a mitre block, whilst larger mouldings called for a tenon saw up to 16in long in conjunction with the larger mitre box. Later on specific purpose mitre saws were developed (current best made ones are probably by Nobex or Ulmia). You need a fine tooth blade with minimal side-set to get the best cut. Professional framers use a mitre guillotine, like the Morso F-type as seen here, to achieve a perfect joint surface. That's not a bad site to take a look at as some of the stages in framing are shown

You don't need the guillotine or the underpinner. You do need a decent back saw and a mitre block (or better still a mitre saw which can also be used for skirting boards, door architraves, etc) and a pin hammer. And you can easily make your own Spanish windlass (shown around the frame in this illustration). Even the sprig (bradder) gun is optional - use panel pins and a pin hammer.

Are you thinking about using veneer splines to strengthen the corner mitres? If you are make them in a contrasting veneer to the frame in order to make a feature out of them. They are a nice touch which shows the frame is hand made.

Scrit

 

[big-all]

if you want a simple design of picture frame [i make loads] 2x1"planed
router a moulding along the two top edges what ever you choose

mitre and make up the frame with bicuits or dowels in each mitre

now if you have alternative bearing to alter your rebate width you dont have to be exact with your measurement in construction
otherwise you need to measure accurately with 2 or 3mm gap all round the back board

now these frames arnt ment for anything other than paper prints with glass and backing and the mouldings opposit the rebate on the front cant be anymore than about 6mm or 9mm dependant on rebate as the bearing may find the moulded front edge

you can also leave the front edge moulding till the frame is assembled if you dont mind rounded moldings in the corners