The Framers Forum

I've been asked to make a number of circular frames out of mdf for retail displays. The actual frames I'm going to make using a router jig.

However, the customer wants the frames to have spacers. Does anyone know of a spacer that would be flexible enough? I was wondering whether econospace would work , but I've never used it so I don't know if it has any flexibility?

Just off the top of my head, how about a corrugated plastic sheet like Coroplast?

If you were to slice if the right way so the flutes go crosswise you could bend it (I think)
and it would be very strong in compression.

How about 3mm foamboard with scores around the outside so that it bends into a circle, with a strip of mountboard(rag board may be more flexible?) as a face??

I'm not sure how the materials in the foamboard would react with the chemicals escaping from the MDF, it might be wise to seal MDF with something. Also there must be a frame diameter below which the foamboard does not bend smoothly, again I don't know what that would be either.

I guess you'll have go with whatever you can find that works, I can't think of much else.

Depends on the depth of the spacers, I just tied a length of 3mm econspace in a knot, so will do a circle , it seems easier to bend it so the self-adhesive gets stuck to the inside of the frame and not the glass

Thanks for the suggestions! If econospace is flexible enough then I'll probably go with that - really appreciate you testing it for me Steve. Would the self adhesive stick to mdf? I guess I'd apply dots of pva also to be sure

as long as you clean all the dust from the rebate and do as you say, a few dabs of PVA , it should be fine, plus the springiness will hold it against the frame