Hello

[Colin]

I am new to the forum so please allow me to introduce myself.

My name is Colin, I am a computer engineer/programmer by profession, a sculptor by passion and a gallery owner to help maintain the starving artist status.

I started framing about a year ago after buying a Hansen mitre cutter, a Morso underpinner and a bundle of moulding following the passing of a local framer. This was quickly supplemented with a new Keencut Ultimat Gold mount cutter. Two entire rooms in my premises are now devoted to framing. I have a horrible feeling it is taking over although sales are few and far between.

Made a couple of pricing cock-ups in the early days but soon cobbled together my own pricing program based on an Excel spreadsheet. Its considerably cheaper than the commercially available ones and accepts the csv files from Simons and Wessex.

These are the only two companies I have dealt with so far and have found them both to be very helpful. I would gladly look at any other suppliers if any of you have any recomendations. I am still very much a novice and will watch the forum closely to pick up tips and advice.

Anyway that's enough waffle for what was supposed to be a short introduction.

Colin

[mikeysaling]

welcome to the forum colin.

[David]

Welcome to the forum.

Wessex are good, I also use Arqadia, Nielsen Bainbridge, Lion and Glass & Mirror and would recommend all of them.

Good Luck.
David.

[Mary Case GCF]

Hello & welcome Colin!

[birdman]

Welcome to the forum Colin. You should find us a friendly and helpful bunch and please try to find the time to become involved. Another view point is always welcome.

[Perfection]

Welcome Colin - from a fellow novice on the forum. We've been in business for donkeys years but only been framing since beginning of this year. We also deal with Wessex and find them helpful and they own Frintons Mouldings (which although part of Wessex still trades seperately) who are even more helpful (sales manager is common across both companies in the north, Chris Draper on 07736 476026). We also use Arqadia but more often than not their mouldings arrive damaged and of course you have to have the Lion catalogue (described in earlier posts as the framers porn mag, which is probably why we have two of them!)

Good luck - the guys on here are brilliant if you need advice.

Paul

[Colin]

Many thanks to you all for the warm welcome. I will have a look at the other companies mentioned especially Lion. I did order a catalogue last year but it never arrived. Perhaps my postman is a closet framer and needed it for those cold winter evenings. Will order another one today so its probably back to lurking for a while.

Colin

[swanlinnet]

Greetings Colin

In my vast and extensive experience of making the grand total of two poorly made frames I think I may be qualified to point
you in a good direction.

For the last four months or so I have been in the active process of setting up a new workshop where we shall be doing our framing. Four months
ago the worshop was bare ...not a stick of equipment of furniture in it. Four months down the line and today I have just returned from the same
workshop again and it is just as barren as it was the day we first started our project.

This, really, is great news for during the four months we have been setting up the workshop we have been negotiating and dealing with
lots of equipment and moulding suppliers. In other words, our time has been well spent sifitng, so to speak, the wheat from the chaff and
whilst most of the suppliers who have given us their quotes and time are genuine and helpful one has excelled in their help.

Considering we have not yet set up Ashworth and Thompson of Nottingham have been there for us from day one. We not even spent one single penny
with them and throughout the four month period of setting up together with the people on this forum their presence and help has been invaluable.

Honestly, Colin, I am complete ab-initio when it come to framing but knew from day one I would have to find the right company to turn to before even
a nail was knocked into a frame, so to speak. I really and truthfully here am grateful Ashworth and Thompson and this forums' members have proved to be
the key.

All is going to plan now and while things in this world do have a habit of not running in a straight line even so, Ashworth and Thompson have accomodated us throughout
this journey.

I suppose there are other comapies who can help to. But this is my experience and it's true and unbiased.

Hope this helps Colin ....Have a good day. Vince