Looking for an unusual moulding for a customer

[Abi]

A customer has requested gold bamboo or gold and black bamboo moulding for her canvas. It's quite a large piece, so needs something with a decent rebate depth. Ideally something 3/4 or 1 inch in width.

I've checked all the obvious suppliers D&J Simons have told me they are out of stock of theirs, with no idea when it will be restocked.
Wessex have something in their catalogue that would have worked, but again it's not in stock.

Any suggestions.

[Not your average framer]

Hi Abi.

How much do you need, I think that you may have some of what you are looking for. I don't know the dimension off the moulding right now, but I will try to have a look sometime tomorrow, if I can. I have a really busy week this week, including a phone consultation with my doctors surgery and I only have a rough idea, where to look for it, but I'll do my best.

It's an old fashioned antique gold bamboo from what I can remember. Probably about 20mm wide by 25 to 30mm deep and it's much the same appearance as Simons 0648/1385, but the gold finish is a lot nicer and not the glitzy gold that you see today. I'll be in touch tomorrow, or the day after.
all the best,
Mark.

[prospero]

Plenty of 1/2" gold in my shed. Have you thought of stacking it to make the width you need?

[Abi]

Lol, I might be in contact regarding your stash of skinny bamboo, but I've discussed it in depth with my mentor and in my ignorance suggested stacked mouldings and subframes, but he says it's just not robust enough for the project at hand. Its a big canvas and something way beyond my ability, so I'm going to be guided by his advice which is I need a chunkier moulding with a deeper rebate.

[prospero]

It could be done easily by making a subframe from a chunk of timber (pine?) and placing the bamboo on top.
You would need a piece to fill the rebate of each layer of bamboo. When it say 'stacked' I'm not thinking of placing
each layer inside the rebate of the preceding one, but making them all level. Could look quite cooooooooool.

Then you have a solid structure with a deep rebate.

I'll leave you to mull that over......

[Not your average framer]

Hi Abi,

I was able to have a look for the bamboo mouldings this afternoon, but I was unable to locate them. I know that I had then before I moved into my new premises and I also am very sure that I have not disposed of them, or used them from making frames, in fact I was planning to used them for making some mirrors to sell at auction in Exeter, which I was unable to do after moving premises, because of my stroke and there was no change after I started to get better, because of the Covid virus shut down.

I am sorry to disappoint you at this time. I am sure it must be buried somewhere under some of the stuff moved from my original shop, much of which I am too weal to lift the large amounts of moulding bundles, because of the lack of strength since my stroke. I am hoping to get a self employed friend to make me some moulding racks, so that I will have somewhere to store all these mouldings in adequate order for me to find them, as I need them and I should be able access the bamboo mouldings by then.

I am sorry to have let you down at this time.
Mark.

[Abi]

Don't worry Mark, I knew it was a long shot.

Regards

Abi