Framing Equipment

[danny11]

Hello Everyone,
this is my first post on the forum. I live in France and I am going to open a framing business. I need framing equipment and lots of advice. Before I go out and buy a load stuff I would like to know how you all started. I would really like to know your stories.
danny11

[markw]

Hi Danny welcome to the forum.

Best advice I can offer is to tell you to go on a good training course before you spend a Euro on equipment.

[Merlin]

Hi Danny
Welcome to the Forum. You have made a good start by reaching here.

Really though before we can answer your question, a little about your background would help. ie What do you know about framing, framing practices and what knowledge do you have of the many and varied pieces of equipment that are around.

You will no doubt get some blunt replies. Please remember though that there is no such thing as a seemingly silly question. I can assure you that most of us on here have at one time probably asked the same question.

Come on back

[Keith Hewitt]

Hi Danny,

Welcome to the forum.
I see you are just west of Bordeaux.
I suggest you read this thread as pretty much the same applies to you.

http://www.theframersforum.com/viewtopi ... nce#p23701


If you tell me your address I will post you a back copy of L'Art Plein Cadre - the French framing mag which is full of good articles and a list of local suppliers.

Not forgetting to mention Lion France http://www.lionpic.co.uk/Export-Services.aspx
and scroll down to France.

Let us know a little more about youself, and then any advice can be "tailored" to suit your needs
Have you framed before?
What made you decide to start framing? Been drinking tooooooooooo much Bordeaux

Markw suggests you go on a course. That is probably the best piece of advice you will get!
And ask Lion to send you one of their catalogues - its a bible!
Bon chance avec votre encadrement!

[danny11]

Thank-you for your replys, very positive. What can I tell you? I have done quite a lot of things and I like to make things. I and my partner Gwen have lived in France for 6+ years renovating a big old farmhouse. I had a fencing company at one time and enjoyed the work and I thought that I might do fencing here in France. But as we are in our late 50's I don't think Gwen would have liked it. We have always wanted to have a stall in a French Market, but not selling something in competition with the French stallholders. So after much discussion we came up with the idea picture framing. So are we mad? We are not looking to earn lots of money. We were both self-employed and very busy in England, and since moving to France that carried on while we were building. But now we have almost finished we find we very much miss going to work! Now I have read that I think that we are mad.
What do I know about framing? Not a lot. But I am pratical and I like to learn new things. I am going to look through the links you have sent.
Thank-you all once again you have made me feel welcome.
Danny

[danny11]

Thanks Keith that would be very kind of you. My address is

Danny Dunne
Chez Audaire
Mergnac Le Pin
Charente Maitime
17210
France

[Keith Hewitt]

Bonjour Danny,
vous êtes le même que moi - lever tôt !
Le magazine est dans le poste ce matin.
Keith

[absolute framing]

hi Danny,

I have a book on setting up a framing business i got years ago. I'll post it to you this week.
It's not overly elaborate, but it will set you on the right track.

Regards,

Stephen

[prospero]

Hi and Welcome Danny.

The basic equipment you'll need....

Something to cut frames. The most popular machine is a Morso guilloutine. It's pretty much the industry standard.

Something to join the frames. A underpinner is thing thing to get. It drives V shaped wedges into the corners forming a tight join. You can use the old-fashioned method of vice and nails, but an underpinner is neater and easier to use and no nail holes to fill in. They vary from basic foot operated to pneumatic models with lots of bells and whistles. A basic one should suit your purpose at present. I bought one when I started and I'm still using it 25 years later.

Something to cut mounts with. A mountcutter. There are various models. Get a professional one (Keencut??) with all the measuring stops, etc. There are a lot of simpler gadgets that are a lot cheaper, but these are aimed mainly at the hobbyist. A pro one will give consistently good results.

A wall-mounted board/glass cutter is also handy, but you can get by without one for a start.

A dry-mounting press is also useful. It allows you to stick paper items to a solid board if need be. Again, not absolutely essential. Depends on what type of work you get.

Apart from a few hand tools, that's the basic kit.

All you have to do then is figure out how to use them. You know where to come if you are struggling.

[danny11]

Thats really nice of you Stephen I will let you know when it arrives.
Thank-you Prospero,
I have been trawling the internet for quite a while,looking at framing equipment. So I will buy a morso and I think the cassese cs88. Which mount cutter would you recommend?
We are going to start hopefully early April selling and framing at market.
What does everybody do for supplies ( glass,mouldings,mountboard etc. etc.). Is lion the best to trade with?Then as you say Prospero I have to learn to use all this stuff!
Thank-you all very much.
Danny and Gwen

[markw]

Danny
Don't practice on your customers work. The best way of starting up in a market is to make up a range of readymade frames - look around at other markets to get an idea of what sells - sizes etc.

Framing other peoples work requires a little knowledge - some a lot of knowledge. Even using some of the kit that others have advised takes a little mastering. Many start in this business having progressed from a hobby - they have gone through that initial learning stage often only at the expense of making mistakes on their own work.

[danny11]

Thanks Mark point taken. Our main idea has always been to sell our own pictures and frames and then offer a bespoke service as and when. We are going to try and find other framers in France and meet up. But because of the terrible exchange rate and the fact that our savings are in pounds we are going to have to come to England for supplies. Thats scary, havn't been there for 61/2 years.
thanks to everyone we are off to find a morso now.
Danny