The Framers Forum

I was asked if I could keep the original frame. This is what I came up with.

The elegant solution.

I like it

If using offset clips wasn't an option how would you mount something that heavy ?

I probably would have had to frame it with the mount overlapping and a foamboard surround to support it, although that wouldn't have looked nearly so good.
Another option would have been a small moulding top and bottom to support it.

Could have stapled through the back of the backing/mountboard into the back of the old frame

Normally when a customer requests the old frame is kept they either mean the artwork is totally re-framed and the old framed returned, or a mount added/replaced, glass replaced, new backing, hanging hardware etc.

Their old frame back just as it was but inside a new one would never occur to me, it might now!

Did you do anything to the old frame, like add a spacer, UV glass etc?

I took out the old artwork and cleaned it with a cleaning pad. Then I cleaned the glass and put it all back together again, minus the plywood backing that had warped. We spoke about UV glass etc. but decided that any damage that would have been done had been done in the last 100 years. Plus it was going to hang in a room with no external windows.
I have to admit I was a bit sceptical and tried to talk him into letting me re-frame it with an antique looking moulding, but he was having none of it, and I think in this instance I'm glad I was overruled. :p