Fixing a 'Fillet'

[Nige Hogg]

Hi all.
Is there a preffered or only way to insert/fix a fillet in to a frame.
What size would you cut the fillet in relation to the frame.
Is it a snug fit or are there tolerancies.

Thinking about it. I suppose my question is "What is the correct method of inserting a fillet in to a frame"

This is probably a very basic question but I would apprciate it if i could be enlightened.

Thanks

[prospero]

Measure the width of the flat back section of the fillet - the bit that goes under the frame lip. They are usually about 5mm or so. Cut a piece of fillet on the Morso using this measurement where you would normally use the back measurement of a moulding and take the sight size of the frame where you would use the rebate size. Cut slightly over. Offer up the piece to the frame and see how it sits. Eyeball one end so that the mitre is in line with the mitre line on the frame. Look at the other end and see if any needs shaving off. Nibble away small slices off the end until it fits nicely. Try it on the opposite side. In theory it should fit exactly, but don't rely on it doing. If it fits OK on the opposite side, cut another piece. If it is either a tad too long or short, make necessary adjustments.
I fix them with double-stick tape. You can get special fillet tape, but easy enough to use 12mm. Lay a strip on the fillet, rub down (don't peel the backing) and then slice off the excess which you can use on the opposite side. Repeat for the short sides. It's mostly a matter of jiggling about until it all fits. You can put a dab of glue on the ends, but not always essential.

[Nige Hogg]

Thanks for that Prospero. It is very much appreciated. I thought the fillet may need underpinning, but it does not seem necessary if double sided tape is used.
Thanks again.

[Beau]

For fillets I simply measure the frame size and knock off 0.5mm then make the fillet this length by using zero on the Mors0 moulding width scale.

My wife assembles the pictures and she prefers to use a short piece of double sided tape but I cannot see the need.

For measuring the frame accurately always use 2 steel rules, each with their zero ends placed in the corners of the frame. I colour the bevelled surfaces e.g. for black fillets a little black ink on the bevelled surfaces avoids seeing the relatively bright colour of the untreated wood.

[Framemaker Richard]

I picked up a method from a great framer a few years ago, which I much prefer to cutting 4 lengths with mitres that line up with the frame mitres, which is how I used to cut fillets.

Maybe lots of people do it this way anyway... First you cut the top and bottom fillets, you cut them backwards and the size does not need to be accurate, a couple of mm short on each end is fine. Next cut the sides, just measure the distance from top to bottom fillet and again cut the mitres backwards. Use a small piece of DS tape and one or two blobs of PVA to secure the side fillets, although if you have cut accurately the side fillets will be snugly held in place anyway.

I find this method very quick and the join at the four corners is always very tight, whereas using the normal mitre method can be a little hit and miss, and the mitres can sometimes look a little rubbish.

[Keadyart]

Any pics of any of the methods,everyone I read ,I get further confused-

Cheers
Brian

[Nige Hogg]

Thanks eveyone. I will try each way and see how they look.

What is likely to happen if you just underpin the fillets and do not use any double sided tape.

[prospero]

btw. Are we talikng about fillets or slips?

this is what I call a fillet....



What I call a slip is flat on top.

[Framemaker Richard]

Yeah, maybe some confusion without pictures

The image Prospero has posted I call a mount slip.

By fillet (which I usually call a spacer) I thought the OP meant this:

[Nige Hogg]

It seems i am causing some confusion. I am looking to put space between the artwork and glass. In the Wessex catalogue on page 188 of the ninth edition there are images of strips of wood which are termed fillets. Are these called spacers. Have i got this totally wrong.

[Roboframer]

Not your fault - Wessex's fault!

Pity we all, framers and suppliers, can't all talk the same!

That's a spacer in my book - a rebate spacer...... but to confuse things, if it was mitred flat to show like a sight edge - then I'd call it a frame slip!

I suppose if one wanted, one could even edge a mount with it .... then it would (in my speak) be a mount slip.

Frame slip, mount slip, rebate spacer -

Confusion between slips and fillets could be removed if either word was preceded with either 'frame' or 'mount'

Anyway if I were to use one of those I'd make it a snug fit, no underpinning - wood glue with a few spots of DS tape just to hold while the glue dries ..... but I mostly use strips of foam board, maybe lined with mount board if the colour is important.

.

[prospero]

There is a bit of ambiguity about the terms used for various things. A customer old of mine used to call what I call slips - stretchers.

What I call a slip is typically a flat piece with a coved edge. You see them used as spacers in old frames. What I call fillets are a fairly recent thing. You can't use them under glass (well not very well) as they have a raised edge on the face. Mostly they are for adding a gilded edge to a frame or mount opening. Used on a frame they also handy for extending the width of the rebate, although you can use a slip for exactly the same purpose - on top of the glass. You can use slips in a mount, but a fillet is better as it's easier to get dead parallel to the mount bevel.

Then there are liners......

[Framemaker Richard]

This is what I was trying to explain. Not the best example as glazing is not used and this spacer was glued in place, but anyway.
I don't like underpinning spacers, I tried it once and found they bowed a little which meant that you still needed some DS tape and PVA to hold the spacer flush with the rebate so you could assemble the frame package, but maybe this was just me!

[Keadyart]

Thanks Richard,
the pics are great,
I could have used this method many's a time when I cut a spacer too short

Cheers
Brian

[Nige Hogg]

Thanks Prospero and Roboframer for putting me right. Sorry for the confusion, but we got there in end.

Thanks Framemaker Richard, it looks like the perfect fit.