Curved mouldings

[Orde02]

Does anyone know if you can get curved mouldings, so you could make an arched top frame? I've had an enquiry from a customer who sent this image and is looking for something similar.

Any ideas?

Matt

I don't know why the image has fallen over! it's the right way up on my PC.

[prospero]

This is the sort of thing that you would have to make with a router setup. Not simple, but a canny woodworker
could do it by cutting a circle and chopping it in half. Then rout the same profile straight to match up.
Not a simple procedure.

Frinton Gallery http://www.frintongallery.co.uk/frames.html did them at one time so it might be worth enquiring.

[Not your average framer]

Frames like these are made up from thin pieces of wood glued together while the individual layers are wrapped aroud a former.. I would assume that the profile of the front face is machined by router after wards. Some mordern day mass produced frames with curved tops are assembled out of segments of wood glued together and then they are machined to shape.

I'm guessing that you could consider doing it either way, if you wished.

[Orde02]

Thanks for the answers.
I think I might just say I can't do it at the moment.

Matt

[Not your average framer]

If I needed to make one like this, I would probably cut the sections out from two layers of thick plywood using the bandsaw and stagger the position of the joins to different positions in the two layers and jion the plywood in both layer with pocket hole screws. The holes left by the pocket hole screws can be in the faces of the plywood which get glued to the other layer of plywood.

The profile of the wood can then be sanded to lose any transition at the joins, before routing the profile of the front face and again sanding everything smooth. The bottom rail would be produced separately and joined to the rest of the frame and then it is time to gesso the frame and sand it to a smooth surface.

I would not bother trying to underpin the bottom corners, but instead I would be thinking of joining them as mitred corners, but using pocket hole screws. For me really solid and strong construction would be the guiding principle and two layers of 24mm plywood would be my preferred choice of materials. It should be a stunning looking job, when it has been completed. It's a lot of work, so you need to charge for it accordingly.

[vintage frames]

Yes you can do it. Here's how.
Clamp and glue some shortened lengths of F10 obeche side on, so as to make a wide board that covers the arch-top area.
Draw out the curve on the board.
Take it to someone local who has a band saw, wood turners usually have one, and get them to cut out the shape.
Now mill out the rebate and profile shape using a couple of roller guided routing bits. A cheap router will do the job.
Then just glue the arch-top to the base assembly. Some gesso and you're on your way.

[Not your average framer]

That sounds good, and quite simple quick and easy too! Thinking about it, there might be some potential for making a ready made frame, or two for the shop window using a variation on this technique. To make it easy to make I would probably have a rounded top, but the frame would be for a rectangular piece of glass and a rectangular backing board.

It's dead easy to cut a rounded profile on the top, with a pivot hole in the middle of the blank for the frame and a pivot screw on the jig which is clamped on to the table of the a bandsaw, as you turn the black on it's pivot the bandsaw cuts a perfect semi-circle. It inner cut out can be easily cut out using a router templte and the rebate section can be glued and pinned in place at the back.

Carefully worked out with jigs and templates. this could be be really quick, simple and easy to make. I think that I could be up for this. Instead of gluing bits of wood together to produce to top area is might consider buying a thin cheap length of tongue and grooved pine board. These are usually about 125mm wide, so I might cut the whole front section out of one piece of pine. If the rear frame section which forms the rebate is strong enough, it will provide added rigidity to prevent the front section distorting over time.