Straighten warped frame?

Get help and framing advice from the framing community
Post Reply
User avatar
pramsay13
Posts: 1375
Joined: Tue 27 Sep, 2011 11:46 am
Location: Stonehouse, Lanarkshire
Organisation: Picture Framer (ML)
Interests: picture framing (no, really!) sport, music
Contact:

Straighten warped frame?

Post by pramsay13 »

One of my own frames has warped so the top right corner sits away from the wall.
It is around 700 x 500mm and the moulding is around 30mm x 15mm.
Is there a way to straighten it without having to replace the frame?
Not your average framer
Posts: 11014
Joined: Sat 25 Mar, 2006 8:40 pm
Location: Devon, U.K.
Organisation: The Dartmoor Gallery
Interests: Lost causes, saving and restoring old things, learning something every day
Location: Glorious Devon

Re: Straighten warped frame?

Post by Not your average framer »

I was asked to straighten an old frame belonging to my brother and his wife. It was reasonably old and is a bit of a family hierloom from my brother's wife's parents. The age is a bit of a guess, but could be 1960's / 1970's, or there abouts. I constructed a fairly rigid frame to be screwed onto the rear face of the existing frame.

As the newly constructed stiffening frame was deliberately more solid and rigid it did not give very much, but none the less it did give a little, because there is a battle between the tensions between the two frames. The final result was quite good, but i think that expecting everything to go completely flat down to the last millimetre is just not a reasonable expectation.

Unfortunately, somethings are the best you can do within the dictates of what you are trying to fix. Sure you can get rid of most of lack of flatness in the original frame, but there is always likely to be some residue of the original warping out of flat. Otherwise, the alternative solution would be to construct a completely new frame.
Mark Lacey

“Life is short. Art long. Opportunity is fleeting. Experience treacherous. Judgement difficult.”
― Geoffrey Chaucer
User avatar
pramsay13
Posts: 1375
Joined: Tue 27 Sep, 2011 11:46 am
Location: Stonehouse, Lanarkshire
Organisation: Picture Framer (ML)
Interests: picture framing (no, really!) sport, music
Contact:

Re: Straighten warped frame?

Post by pramsay13 »

Thanks Mark,
this frame is only around a year or two old, it's one I made for myself.
Making a new frame would be easy enough but I wondered if there was a quick solution, e.g. putting weights on opposite ends for a night or two.
User avatar
prospero
Posts: 11492
Joined: Tue 05 Jun, 2007 4:16 pm
Location: Lincolnshire

Re: Straighten warped frame?

Post by prospero »

Easier with hand finished frames. :D

Twist the sucker until one (or more likely two) corners give. Tweak it until it's flat and jam some non-solvented
cartridge glue into the gap(s) and make good. I'm doing one now which went completely ballistic. A 4.5" wide stacked
combination about 4'x3'. It was OK when it left the shop but subsequently twisted about 3" off true. I managed to right
it by only cracking one corner and that took some beef. :D A testament to my corner joints. It's now sitting in the workshop
with a 1/8" gap waiting to be filled.

With a finished moulding it's best to replace the whole frame, but check the rails as it's usually only one that is twisted and
you can salvage the others.
Watch Out. There's A Humphrey About
kuduframes
Posts: 185
Joined: Thu 28 Apr, 2011 6:09 pm
Location: Ewshot, Hampshire
Organisation: Kudu Frames
Interests: Art, photography
Contact:

Re: Straighten warped frame?

Post by kuduframes »

I would offer a full refund and learn to be more selective in choosing your customers next time :giggle:
User avatar
pramsay13
Posts: 1375
Joined: Tue 27 Sep, 2011 11:46 am
Location: Stonehouse, Lanarkshire
Organisation: Picture Framer (ML)
Interests: picture framing (no, really!) sport, music
Contact:

Re: Straighten warped frame?

Post by pramsay13 »

kuduframes wrote:I would offer a full refund and learn to be more selective in choosing your customers next time :giggle:
Yes this customer is particularly handsome and funny so it's always a pleasure.
Not your average framer
Posts: 11014
Joined: Sat 25 Mar, 2006 8:40 pm
Location: Devon, U.K.
Organisation: The Dartmoor Gallery
Interests: Lost causes, saving and restoring old things, learning something every day
Location: Glorious Devon

Re: Straighten warped frame?

Post by Not your average framer »

I would not completely rule out straightening warped frames. A reasonable part of my business involves salvaging old items of historical interest to either individuals, or local clubs and organisations. This sort of work will not make you especially wealthy, but you do get spin off business from doing it.

Clubs in particular, do not forget that you helped them out, when no one else wanted to know. As a results you may get regular (usually low volume) work from them, which you did not get beforehand. This does not mean that you can charge what you like, when the work comes your way. Most of them have to be very careful with their money, but if the price is fair, they will usually give you the work.

I also don't mind putting the odd flyer in my window for events, fairs and whatever. That too builds useful contacts. Being based in a small rural town, business is particularly about building contacts in the community. This is probably less so in larger towns and cities where there is not the same community spirit.
Mark Lacey

“Life is short. Art long. Opportunity is fleeting. Experience treacherous. Judgement difficult.”
― Geoffrey Chaucer
poliopete
Posts: 798
Joined: Mon 04 Apr, 2016 7:13 am
Location: The Wash
Organisation: Annie Lou Fine Framing
Interests: Caring for my wife, Picture Framing and Natural History

Re: Straighten warped frame?

Post by poliopete »

Risking controversy, if the warp/twist is not too severe I have found MDF as a backing helps.

As for flyers/posters in the shop window :shock: no way Pedro. Our shop was on the route of the old A17 and with up to 10,000 traffic movements a day was, without doubt, one of our biggest assets for our business and there was no way that the view into the shop was to be compromised.

The old iron swing bridge in Sutton Bridge was often a bottle neck that frequently held up the traffic often bringing to a complete stand still. Drivers and passengers would disembark and be attracted by our window leading to countless sales. With the co-op on one side and a furniture shop on the other it was a no brainer for them. :lol:

Soon after starting our business I realised how important the shop window was in atracting customers. My wife can take full credit for imaginative displays changed regularly. Also, we left lights on at night because it's suprising how many people there are about at all hours.
Not your average framer
Posts: 11014
Joined: Sat 25 Mar, 2006 8:40 pm
Location: Devon, U.K.
Organisation: The Dartmoor Gallery
Interests: Lost causes, saving and restoring old things, learning something every day
Location: Glorious Devon

Re: Straighten warped frame?

Post by Not your average framer »

I started from home in a sleepy little village and then moved to a main street shop with two windows in a town location. The shop windows make a very big difference indeed! A signboard above the windows and the front door also completes the professional image.

Working from home can work, but no two locations will be the same and the wrong location can make life quite hard. The reality is that we all need some passing traffic and some degree of visibility to prospective customers.

If you have already been trading for a while and are well establish with your customers and then move to somewhere less obvious, customers often will follow you, but it's getting the reputation and regular customers to do this in the first place.
Mark Lacey

“Life is short. Art long. Opportunity is fleeting. Experience treacherous. Judgement difficult.”
― Geoffrey Chaucer
Post Reply