The Framers Forum

Customer has asked me to produce a new frame to match two existing frames. Customer lives in London and visits his holiday home in north-east Essex perhaps five or six times a year. Existing frames were made in London. I'm having difficulty in getting the stain the same so as they all match. Is it the done thing to get in touch with the original framers, I don't wont to upset anybody by doing the wrong thing.

Chances are that even if you did find out the right colour/brand of stain used it wouldn't necessarily turn out the same. The result produced with stains will vary according to how it's applied and what wood it's applied to. Also, if time has elapsed the stain might have vanished from the market or had it's formulation changed.

Unfortunately, we all have our little tricks / ways and means when it come to hand finishing and this includes staining and matching wood colours.

Can you posts some photos of what you are trying to match and of the frame you are staining yourself, plus any details of what you have used and how the stain has been applied?

We've got quite a few really experienced handfinishers on this forum and there's a good chance that some of us will be able to point you in the right direction.

I thought by the title that this would be a discussion involving Descartes. Perhaps not.

I've been in more or less the same situation where clients from London comes down to their country homes with frames to copy. I just phone the number on the label and ask. They've always been more than helpful. I don't think I would ever mind if another framer phoned me with the same question. I'd be happy that the frames were being made to my spec.

I don't mind either if other framers ring me

off topic
Simoonez you website link is not working ,

Oh dear...thanks for letting me know, I'll get on to that.

Thanks Prospero and Mark for your reply's. I was more concerned with treading on somebody's toes by pinching a job that they started.

"Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery"


That's my excuse anyway.

I would say that there is no harm in asking the orginal framer. Nothing ventured, nothing gained!

many a framer has contacted us to ask how we have achieved a certain finished product, my usual response is to tell them to go @!#$ them selves with a $#÷×@#÷$ great big &^_€£*$ dil $#@ and please for the love of christ just ^/$=%& off and /^$#÷.

Hope this has helped

I occasionally get people trying to pick my brains. More often artists wanting to know how I paint whatever.... (I do a bit of painting when the mood strikes). I don't mind telling them, but generally they don't like the answer.

One guy came in after I had done a local exhibition. "How do you do grass", asks he. I replied something like "You get your brush, dip it in some green paint and apply it to the paper.". "Oh No" says he. (winkwinknudgenudge). "There more to it than that". "No there isn't", says I. He went away unconvinced......

Which is the basic truth of the matter. Fact is, 100 people could follow a recipe from a cook book (or a cerk berk for viewers in Hull) and every dish would turn out different.

Actually I was not being serious, I don't mind sharing at all, not sure if I would give out info in the circumstances you have outlined though.