The Framers Forum

I've got an etched non reflective piece 705 x 910mm. But I'm in bedfordshire.

Thanks Robo, that's very interesting, bumpers on th e back and probably all ok then.

I haven't used suedette mountboard as a top mount before and I'm thinking of using black suedette as a mount on a fabric, does anybody have experience of what happens to the suedette mountboard when it's against the glass like a normal mount - does it absorb condensation and go blotchy/weird after a...

Django Reinhart and s Stephan Grapelli: musicians. django: great name for a big unruly black dog! Shout it.

Just as a general point on cut fabrics, there is a product called 'fray stopper' or you can try clear nail varnish, or, and i haven't tried this but prob works, if emergency, watered down pva. Test a small unobtrusive area first.

The tip about magic tape sounds good, thanks ill try that!

and it does not look square, so, if floating, wide borders will minimise the differences,

I sometimes use fine grade wire wool to rub wax in to woodgrain, wearing gloves I s good idea. this works with flat and contoured profiles, buff with a rag. ,but you get a grey tinge if using lime wax. You can varnish first, e.g. one coat, or more, white French polish,then wire wax for good sheen.

advantages of making your own driftwood
: Fun
: using up and 'unifying' oddments of (damaged?) moulding
: not buying lengths of "finished" moulding of which once a few frames are made then there is not enough of to make a frame and what could you do with those bits?

I had a go at using a marine wood cleaner and brightener once, as I remember it works like a sort of bleach, the one I used is called net_trol deks rens, by Owatrol international corporation, oslo - don't know if it's still available

For making holes in mountboard you might like to consider getting a 'pricker' which is a tool used by bobbin lace makers specifically for making holes in card. on www.make-lace-with-us.co.uk/shop there are five different styles to choose priced around £4 to £5. it consists of a small wooden part whi...

I go along with what David said, if any part goes wrong... why do it the hard way when there's an easy way?

I have seen one of these before in a men in sheds workshop, I recall it had a label on it indicating it had come from Lion. I didn't use it but those who had seemed happy with it's performance, it was not being used in a professional capacity.

I recently used arqadia 475167034, its about 19mm wide 16mm tall. the gold edges are very shiney, and I had a terrible time with the mitred edges crumbling, but that might have been me ramming it too hard into the underpinner to get a good join because it was slightly warped, .

could easily have been a monty python sketch.

another vote for lighter fluid, or white spirit. Lighter fluid is also a solvent for masking tape and can sometimes remove marks from paper including photographs but test a small area at the edge first!

I would recommend going on a course. I started 20 years ago by asking my dad to show me how to make picture frames, (he was a carpenter and knew nothing about framing) so we started with a piece of wood, router an, filled the workshop with sawdust, and hand held mitreing saw - I thought there had to...

white frames are popular at the mo, nice one. and your work surface might sell as an abstract

If you want to apply a finish to an already finished frame it's usually best to create a key by sandpapering but there are paints like milk paint or Annie Sloane which can just be applied straight on top of a finish, these paints have a matt appearance, but you could then put wax on top and buff for...

Hi Gill, one way to get the liming wax into the wood is to 'open the grain' this is best done with an unfinished wood moulding, apply water, with a sponge or paintbrush, and the wood swells and the grain opens, different woods behave differently, you can even get results with pine but woods like oak...

wow this post has rocked on. thanks for all the helpful points.