Picture wire

osgood · Post by **osgood** » Mon 18 Feb, 2008 8:03 pm

Whatever you choose to use to hang your pictures, old fashioned brass wire, cheap looking cord, modern plastic coated wire or filthy old shoe laces, it should never, never, never be tight and straight across the back of the frame. The flatter the angle it makes to the connection points, the more pressure it exerts on the frame and the fixing point.

The angle from the fixing point up to where it hangs on the hook should be as close to 60 degrees as possible.

The logic of sticking with old fashioned stuff like cord and brass wire totally escapes me.
Here we all are in another thread discussing CMC's and most people want one, yet some are convinced that some older products must be retained even though they have been superceded by better products. It makes no sense to me. Then again I suppose I am a bit strange and besides that, what would a bloody colonial know???

Why don't you just splurge and buy a roll of SuperSoftstrand Wire No. 5 and try it out! You will then be able to make a judgement based on experience!

Grahame Case · Post by **Grahame Case** » Mon 18 Feb, 2008 8:21 pm

osgood wrote: The angle from the fixing point up to where it hangs on the hook should be as close to 60 degrees as possible.

Mary Case GCF · Post by **Mary Case GCF** » Mon 18 Feb, 2008 9:01 pm

Liking your Supersoft Strand, John. Looks rather sexy to me.

Ormond. Grahame has got me singing from your hymnsheet. I was taught to make the wiring at the back as tight as possible to make the picture lie flat against the wall. Being on the forum and seeing your diagram before has shown me the true path to enlightenment.

Spit · Post by **Spit** » Mon 18 Feb, 2008 9:08 pm

I do both methods, if somone brings in a fresh, never been hung before picture then I hang for 2 hooks, 60 deg from the rings. If I'm reframing an item, I use whatever hanging style (flat or angled) so they can plonk it straight back where it was.

Mary Case GCF · Post by **Mary Case GCF** » Mon 18 Feb, 2008 9:28 pm

Good point Steve. Though quite often the old thing they want reframing has been lounging in granny's attic for years and not yet made it to any wall. I have to say that I don't just use Kwikwire. Local art groups tend to want screw rings (the product of the devil) and cord for exhibitions. I once tried to put a group straight about correct hanging methods and almost lost the job. Now if they specifically ask for s r and c, I will do it. If not, I just do my usual method of D-Rings and Kwikwire, However, sometimes for older pieces that are just getting a tart up, I find brown cord looks really nice. I sell brass wire off the wall because Kwikwire needs a crimper, but today we offered to sell someone Kwikwire if she would bring the picture in for us to crimp the ends - for a charge, of course.

Post by **prospero** » Mon 18 Feb, 2008 9:43 pm

Let 'em have sc**w-r*ngs. They will invariably stack the frames front to back and gouge great lumps out. Then they will bring them back for refaming.

Spit · Post by **Spit** » Mon 18 Feb, 2008 9:44 pm

prospero wrote:Let 'em have sc**w-r*ngs. They will invariably stack the frames front to back and gouge great lumps out. Then they will bring them back for refaming.

There's an idea - sharpen the buggers with an oilstone!

kev@frames · Post by **kev@frames** » Mon 18 Feb, 2008 9:47 pm

Phill wrote:I to, as a jolly good framer use cord, wire to me seems so much more trouble to use and does not look any better. I don't see much wire used down here in cornwall, but I'm sure John and Kev will have somthing to say if they use it.

99 percent Cord here also, Phil. We do offer wire, at same price, but it seems we Cornish dont trust wire in our sea air and granite walls

Grahame Case · Post by **Grahame Case** » Mon 18 Feb, 2008 9:49 pm

why do art groups still insist on those horrible screwrings?

we try to educate the masses, even today i caught myself hacking off screwrings on a reglaze, "there there, it's okay, you won't be hurt" i was muttering to myself.

two new double D-rings and Kwik Wire later, and that picture wont be falling off a wall anytime soon.

Screw-rings, the no.1 cause of reframing jobs, as far as i'm concerned, those who insist on them can keep using them, and i'll be more than happy to replace their frame and glass when they fall off the wall.

osgood · Post by **osgood** » Mon 18 Feb, 2008 9:56 pm

You're very accommodating to your customers Mary! Much more accommodating than me! If I couldn't talk someone out of screw eyes (devilish things from a long bygone era) by explaining the benefits of better methods and also by asking them if they drove a sulky or pedaled their penny farthing to my shop today, I would rather they went elsewhere.

It is a rare case indeed that I am unable to convince a customer about the hazards of using crap in their frame!

I have some lines drawn and the non-use of screw eyes was one line drawn back in 1985 when I first started in this game! Nothing will convince me to use them or a number of other outdated products!

I've said it before.....we framers are supposed to be the experts and the customer is not! How would it be if we told our plumber how to fix our drain pipes?

I do not subscribe to "the customer is always right". If the customer wants something that I know is detrimental, an explanation is given to convince them that they don't know very much about framing!

osgood · Post by **osgood** » Mon 18 Feb, 2008 10:02 pm

Phill wrote:I to, as a jolly good framer use cord, wire to me seems so much more trouble to use and does not look any better.

Phill,
Wire is not too much trouble! IMHO it looks much more professional than cord and has many advantages.

Phill wrote:I don't see much wire used down here in cornwall,

Logically, that is not a good reason not to use wire, unless Cornwall is a world leader in framing techniques!

Spit · Post by **Spit** » Mon 18 Feb, 2008 10:15 pm

I have the logical answer to screw-eyes......

Sorry luv(or guv) don't stock 'em! Can't fit wot I ain't got..

The Crofter · Post by **The Crofter** » Mon 18 Feb, 2008 10:15 pm

The engineer in me appreciates the simplicity and strength in a crimp system so its plastic covered stainless steel wire and two crimps for every job. I also use small or large anchor plates (Lion 1093) and multiple screws to spread the load on the frame. My larger frames use the "hang-it" system, one on each end of the frame and two wall hooks. This removes the need for a single wire taking all the strain and the possibility of an overload.

osgood · Post by **osgood** » Mon 18 Feb, 2008 10:26 pm

By the way, 'Wallbuddies' are even better than SuperSoftstrand wire!

kev@frames · Post by **kev@frames** » Mon 18 Feb, 2008 10:30 pm

[quote="osgood

Phill wrote:I don't see much wire used down here in cornwall,

Logically, that is not a good reason not to use wire, unless Cornwall is a world leader in framing techniques![/quote]

Well, we didn't like to mention it, being modest Celtic types....

"Kernow Bys Vykken"

Not your average framer · Mon 18 Feb, 2008 10:39 pm

Phill wrote:I to, as a jolly good framer use cord, wire to me seems so much more trouble to use and does not look any better.

Hi Phil,

Cord looks cheap, wire looks expensive, (chunky brass wire looks fantastic). Some customers want a high class job and will pay what it costs to go to an up-market framer. Perception is a very marketable commodity and commands a premium price - think about it!

Post by **prospero** » Mon 18 Feb, 2008 10:46 pm

Lion did/do some brown cord to coordinate with the nice bronzy d-rings.

Not your average framer · Mon 18 Feb, 2008 10:58 pm

prospero wrote:Lion did/do some brown cord to coordinate with the nice bronzy d-rings.

Yes, but they only sell small quantities of the bronze screws in small snappy bags while the bronze D-rings are available in large quanities. There was a time when I was going to standardize on them, but the lack of bulk packs of the screws was a PITA.

Why didn't they sell them in tubs of 1,000 like a the other screws. In the end I gave all my bronze cord and fittings away to an ex-employee.

Roboframer · Post by **Roboframer** » Mon 18 Feb, 2008 10:58 pm

Wallbuddies - yeah give it to me - who's got wallbuddies?

I have - but they were not called wallbuddies - I'm using past tense because I can't find the company any more and I'm short on supply.

They were called 'hangeeze' or 'hangezee' the website now shows bloody coathangers - the company probably sold or otherwise got rid of the domain name.

they advertised in Picture business - or maybe ABT - last year - anyone else use them - where can we get wallbuddies - why don't Lion do wallbuddies - wallbuddies are ace.

The Crofter · Post by **The Crofter** » Mon 18 Feb, 2008 10:59 pm

This stuff may be worth a look, but difficult to crimp...