My second attempt.

[armouredbear]

This time a freebie for a friend of ours (she likes girls ) and took quite a shine to this poster as we were going through some of the prints we bought in our job lot!

Again I got a bloody bit of fluff between the mount and glass, I can't tell you how careful I was too

Some more thoughts would again be most gladly received.

Thanks,

Bear.

http: //s873.photobucket.com/albums/ab292/armouredbear/?action=postupload

If you left click on any image you'll get the enlarged slide show.

[Jonny2morsos]

Just a couple of points:

If you are troubled by fluff get out the vacuum cleaner - yes I am serious! clean the glass, go over it with a microfibre cloth then get in the corners and edges with a vacuum but not one you have just done the floors with.

Your cord looks a bit tight, think about hanging it, sometimes you need to have enough slack to get your hands behind and get the cord on the hook.

Did I also see a mismatch between the sections of moulding at one of the corners? Always try to complete a job from one length of moulding and if you can't then make sure they are from the same batch.

I would have stuck with a plain black moulding for a classic look with a BW image but silvers, pewter/grey and black all work well.

A favourite of mine with BW images is to do a double mount but make the underneath mount black/blackcore so no white bevel shows and keep it subtle 4mm would be about right on this example.

Keep up the good work.

Oh and nice a**e, by the way.

[armouredbear]

Your cord looks a bit tight, think about hanging it, sometimes you need to have enough slack to get your hands behind and get the cord on the hook.

Yeah fair comment,

Did I also see a mismatch between the sections of moulding at one of the corners? Always try to complete a job from one length of moulding and if you can't then make sure they are from the same batch.

Wow!!!! Great shout! Didn't even occur to me that one. As matter of information I used three lengths. I kept making the cuts too short.

Is there a basic formula you use for working out the length of the chop? Otherwise waste will ensure this will be a very short lived career

Bear.

[guzzijim]

I’ve always avoided those mouldings with a distinct raised/embossed pattern, if the squares (as in yours ) didn’t match, it would a source of constant annoyance.
I suppose it must be possible to get the corners to be symmetrical, I assume you cut the longs & shorts before you cut the mount.
There must be a formula / procedure for making this type of frame, who’s going to outline it.?

[armouredbear]

Hello jim

Are you trying to be funny?

Bear.

[Nigel Nobody]

Your design looks good. The mat colour is fine with the image. (It must have been distracting working with that particular image)

Do I see brown backing tape attaching the print all the way around? If so, you should know that there are better ways.
1. The print could be hinged to a backing mat (or even to the back of the mat) with two hinges. Hinges could be Japanese paper & starch paste or P90 hinging tape would be OK with an open edition print.
2. The print could be dry mounted or mounted on self adhesive foamboard.

Brown paper tape is not suitable for hinging. Art on paper should never be taped all the way around as there is no allowance for expansion and contraction due to environment and weather changes.

As someone already said, cord or wire shouldn't be tight. Here's an illustration that explains it. It's always best to use the 60 degree angle, especially with large frames.

wire angles.jpg (95.25 KiB) Viewed 7461 times

[guzzijim]

Hello jim

Are you trying to be funny?

Bear.

Take view 3, top rail is fine pattern central, top of left-hand rail looks fine don't know about bottom can't see it, top of right-hand rail in my opinion should mirror top of left hand rail.

[Roboframer]

The link in the opening post seems to have gone for me - but I it did work yesterday and I remember what I saw.

With moudings like this (looked like Larson Juhl 'Manhattan' to me) with repeated patterns, you can only ever depend on one thing to get the pattern matched at the corners - luck!

And you'd be extremely lucky to get it matched up on even one corner.

As for the tape all around - yes, bad if it's around the artwork/paper, but to me it looked as if the tape was around a board, like the image was already dry mounted, so, if so, not so bad. But if it was on a board, that board should really have been made flush, and if it was, the board/strips of board making it flush, would also go a long way to holding the mounted artwork in position - all you'd need would be some tape across the corners; not all the way around.

[armouredbear]

Good Morning Robo,

With moudings like this (looked like Larson Juhl 'Manhattan' to me) with repeated patterns, you can only ever depend on one thing to get the pattern matched at the corners - luck!

And you'd be extremely lucky to get it matched up on even one corner

So, best to avoid a frame pattern like that altogether?

As for the tape all around - yes, bad if it's around the artwork/paper, but to me it looked as if the tape was around a board, like the image was already dry mounted, so, if so, not so bad.

It was dry mounted, yes.

Should I not have bothered dry mounting in this instance?

But if it was on a board, that board should really have been made flush, and if it was, the board/strips of board making it flush, would also go a long way to holding the mounted artwork in position

I'm sorry Robo I'm not trying to be deliberately obtuse but I don't understand.

Bear.

[guzzijim]

And you'd be extremely lucky to get it matched up on even one corner.

As.

There must be a way of setting out before you start chopping away.

Guess its like tiling a floor, don't start from one side, find the centre and work out, outside cuts are all the same then.

[guzzijim]

There maybe a compromise with the mount size though.
At the end of the day is it worth using a moulding with a heavy pattern?
As I said before, it would drive me insane looking at those mismatched corners.
It's a bit like those supposedly random pattern veined bathroom tiles from the 70s, the ones where you could see the shape of a chick in. Once you can see the chick, the upside-down ones etc just jump out at you.
The only solution is not to look at the walls when in the bath and play with your rubber duck.

[armouredbear]

Hi Jim,

All that bathing contemplation and playing with your duck have appeared to have whipped you up into a bit of lather!

I promise here and now to never make the same mistake gain!

Ok now

Bear.

[guzzijim]

Eureka , but I’m not running naked through the streets !!!

[Roboframer]

Good Morning Robo,

With moudings like this (looked like Larson Juhl 'Manhattan' to me) with repeated patterns, you can only ever depend on one thing to get the pattern matched at the corners - luck!

And you'd be extremely lucky to get it matched up on even one corner

So, best to avoid a frame pattern like that altogether?

Only if it bothers you/customers - it doesn't bother me.

As for the tape all around - yes, bad if it's around the artwork/paper, but to me it looked as if the tape was around a board, like the image was already dry mounted, so, if so, not so bad.

It was dry mounted, yes.

Should I not have bothered dry mounting in this instance?

Not necessarily, just that if it wasn't, 'T' hinges would have been best.

But if it was on a board, that board should really have been made flush, and if it was, the board/strips of board making it flush, would also go a long way to holding the mounted artwork in position

I'm sorry Robo I'm not trying to be deliberately obtuse but I don't understand.

A board sitting in the centre of a window mount, not made flush with (e.g.) strips of board of the same thickness butted up to it, forms a lump, which is not good as it makes the backing board bow slightly outwards, or very badly outwards if it was a thicker 'lump' - this can cause all sorts of problems, apart from looking bad, such as the window mount bowing away from the artwork.

[armouredbear]

Oh I see now, OK, good.

So, whats the point of dry-mounting?

Why not T-hinge everything?


Bear.

[Roboframer]

The (main) point of dry-mounting is to make something flat that won't lay flat otherwise. Glossy photos/prints can be problematic as every little undulation sticks out like a sore thumb.

But if it doesn't need it there's not much point and it costs far more, in both time and materials, than hingeing. Plus it should only really be done on things that are either replaceable (but not for loads of money) or ephemeral, or both. There are 'reversible' boards such as artcare restore; reversible dry mounting tissues too, but heat is still required so it's still a risk.

[armouredbear]

Thank you Robo,

I like you a lot!

Bear.

[framemaker]

for anyone else who wants to see the pictures:

click here for Armouredbear's photo album

Looks good, the corners don't really bother me, nearly all my corner samples of this type of pre finished moulding are mismatched anyway, so if a customer chooses it they know what they are getting. My current favourite frame for B&W photos is the Arqadia Ferrosa range.

If they want a frame in either a simple or a very ornate pattern (no chance of matching the corners), that matches perfectly at every corner then make it from scratch with closed corners and corner decoration to cover the mitre join on the ornate pattern.

[Jonny2morsos]

I have never matched the corners on these mouldings although I suppose you could like matching up strips of wallpaper. I have thought about it but as I have never been asked to to it I have not bothered. I do, however, look at the four cut lengths as arrange them in the best match possible.

I notice you are using the synthetic version of what are generally referred to as "Manhattan" style mouldings.

Arqadia do it in real wood (Larson Juhl range) although I have found in the past the quality a little variable. Having said that the last two batches I had from them were perfect. It is available with a matching mount slip which can make the job look far better.

The Lion version in synthetic is only available in one width but if you look at the Mainline Mouldings Polcore range there is a narrower version and a mount slip.

[Steve N]

Hi Bear,
I see you are in Somerset, where abouts ? I'm in Bath, you are welcome to pop in and have a chat if you like.

Steve