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[Not your average framer]

This is turning into a very interesting thread which is developing into some very useful directions. I think a lot of us are saying don't be affraid to be different, or a little original in what you are producing.

[Justintime]

Hey Woodypk, I think it sounds like a great idea and I agree that there is space in the market for this type of framing.
I follow a number of framers in Australia and all of their frames are made from fresh sawn or reclaimed timber. Admittedly they have some incredible native timbers over there and almost everything of any age is made from seasoned hardwoods.
For me the primary objective is to protect the art, enhancing the look of it is a bonus. I would suggest investing in some sound training from someone like Lyn Hall at Fringe Arts or Jan at Framers Equipment. This will give you the foundation of how a frame package is put together and the reasons why good framers use the materials they do and why they charge what they charge.
Framing is a very old craft with many skills to learn. One of the reasons that I got into it was that I could see that there was years of learning and experimenting for me to get my teeth into. I'm only 4 years in and there's so much more to learn!
Dermot McArdle has recently put together some videos on gilding and hand finishing techniques. These are very old techniques, but he has been encouraging me to use them in contemporary design styles. As he always says, the key is to do something different from your peers, to stand out from the masses of bog standard framers.
If you enjoy carpentry and have an interest in art, then I would say go for it!

[Woodypk]

Hi Justin,

I also agree about the protection of the artwork being framed along with training on the subject.

I've been researching how to make sure that whatever I frame is protected as well as the correct way to construct the package to be framed. Once the Covid stuff calms down a bit, I will look at training in the new year.

My plan is to offer a premium 'standard' set of frames along with bespoke options as per the clients requirement.

All of this is some way off at the moment,. I'm planning to rebuild my 6m x 6m garage into a purpose built, brick built, studio in the new year. I'm not 100% sure it will be where I'll stay forever but it will be more than enough to get me started.

My first step is to rearrange my workshop to suit what I'll be producing, then I'm going to start making some prototypes and hopefully settle on some designs.

Between now and then, I do envisage having to pick all your brains for tips, ideas and help!

Thanks for the support so far, it really does mean a lot. I've been looking at the forum for a few months, even before I registered on here. What is very apparent is the vast amount of knowledge I know I'll be able to pick up here. It's going to be an invaluable source.

Tom.


Tom.

[Justintime]

Tom,
The new edition of the Fine Art Trade Guild Study Guide would give you the levels and requirements for framing, if you want to frame pieces of value.
https://www.fineart.co.uk/shop/Default. ... tOrderBy=1

[Not your average framer]

Hi Tom,

I too had no idea how to get start at first either. It's a steep leaning curve and I had even had a 6 months training placement working in a really well clued up south Devon galleries framing workshop, but that's a lot different to starting your own business from scratch. It is a fact that you will make some mistakes as you are getting things going, it's something that we all do. Just don't rush in to spending money without spending a little bit of time thinking things through first and somethings that you don't need straightaway can often wait until later.

Do you feel a bit out of your depth? Well join the club, it's the same for everyone else at this stage and don't be surprised if you are still feeling a bit out of your depth for maybe most of your first years trading, because that's nothing unusual. New businesses take about two years to get established and beginning to function reasonable well. None of us get there overnight, life does not work like that. Not only that, but cash flow is not likely to be easy during the first year to two years, so be prepared to be feeling a bit skint during the start up period. That's just how it works!

A lot of customers will try it on in the early days, thinking that you might be desperate enough to accept being knocked down a lot on price. It can be a big temptation and you can end up working too hard, for too little return for your labour, so try not to be caught out by this one. Your are not in the business of producing cheap junk, that's how Woolworths went bust! However, some customers will come to you for affordable ready made frames and ou can't afford to send too much time and money on producing these.

Many ready made frames are just a convenience purchase, they are not meant to be something special. They need to look like value for the money and be quick to make and you don't need to make too many of these, just a few of the popular sizes will be plenty. There will be times when business is slow and that's when it's an ideal time to perhaps knock out a ready made frame, or two. A lot of mine are made out of left overs and scraps, which makes a lot of financial sense. I'm quite good at avoiding trying to get too much out of every stick of moulding,

Scraps that are too small to be any use, leave no scope for making any money at all. This is not where it is at for me! I even make rustic frames out of slightly imperfect moulding scraps, everything is worth something. I make lots of small box frames. Why? Well, I've get a lot of small left over bits of glass, backing board and mount board and they all owe me nothing, but if I am to make any money from them, they need to be used in a frame. Box frames are quite a good market, if priced to sell, because the ready made frames sold in the cheap shop are not usually box frames.

I suspect that the cost of shipping box frames from the far east is probably not economically worth doing, so there's a bit of a gap in the market, which helps me a bit. What I am able to sell, from my shop is a bit of a mixed bag and that's o.k., I am based in a small rural town and I get good days and bad days, so I take the rough with the smooth, but I still get by well enough. They say that variety is the spice of life, well it certainly is in my shop, you name it and if there's money in it and a customer for it, I'm up for it.

What I am saying, is you may need to do a bit of this and a bit of that to make things work well, So just bear that in mind, just in case!