The Framers Forum

Hi all,

I had originally said no to this one before Christmas but they have come back asking for suggestions. Someone gave me a good suggestion of supplying self-adhesive board, with them to transfer themselves, but they don't want to do that.

I still don't really want to do it as I think it is asking for trouble, but I'm wondering how others would tackle it? It is 136 x 96cm, 8000 pieces and currently on a board on their floor It would need collecting and transporting (they can't) and then somehow sticking down. It looks like there are a few methods, I'm not sure what would be suitable for that size.

I would be happy framing that, jumbo self adhesive board and acrylic. I would use 2 4' x 5' sheets of MDF for transport. The good thing about this is you can quote before you start and factor in the logistics

See, I’ve never framed anything that large, or indeed a jigsaw.

How do you go about getting it into the self adhesive board? I guess flipping it over between the MDF sandwich but how to guarantee the pieces doing all slide off when flipping it?

A two person job as that's always easier.

You need two pieces of rigid board slightly bigger than the jigsaw.
Being bigger is key as the middle of the boards will hold more firmly than the edges.
Push gently on all four sides to bring the pieces firmly together and ensure all pieces are correctly in place.
Place one board under the board the jigsaw is currently on, sliding it in carefully.
Place the other on top.
Use handywrap or similar and bind them together very firmly. Around all edges and in a cross, so both ways, across the middle.
You now have a solid package to move around.
Make sure to mark which is the upward facing side.

When you get it to your workshop, flip it over so the jigsaw is face down - still within the board package.
Carefully cut the handywrap and remove the boards from what is now the top.
This will reveal the underside of the puzzle - again check all pieces are correctly in place and gently push the sides together.

Have prepared a self adhesive board - fastmount or something similar and cut it slightly oversize.
Have one person hold the board at each end and carefully position it over the top of the puzzle - very slightly above and without touching the surface at this point.
Then drop the board firmly onto the puzzle and use your hand or a roller to just help bond it down.
The puzzle on the sticky board can then be turned over and trimmed to size.

Puzzles can be daunting, especially large ones, but the most stressful point is always flipping them over.
Holding them in a tight package between really good rigid boards and using the handywrap takes away some of the stress.

Hope that helps.

It does help massively, thank you. Still gives me the heebie-jeebies but a bit less so. In any case I physically can’t take it in until I move to my workshop as I just don’t have the space here. So I could have some time to practice.

Another option I’ve read about is mod podge. Is that something worth suggesting they could do before I get it?

Tudor Rose's method is very similar to how I would do it, you need to consider whether you want to get involved with the transport, you could maybe do it yourself, ask a favour, hire a van or decline, saying 'quite happy to do the framing but you would need to deliver to me and collect'
As framing is labour intensive time is always your enemy and you need to put the job to bed one way or another
I would be buying on chop, ordering acrylic cut size, charging for the 2 sheets of MDF and transport if you decide, to the customer I would say it's looking like a £400 - £500 job and I'm happy to do it when I am in my new premises

Thanks, really helpful. I have a van and don’t mind collecting. I’m starting to see the light with chop and am starting to factor that in for some frames now.

What acrylic would you recommend? I am going to do as you suggest- go back with a price and leave it there.

WannabeFramer wrote: ↑Sat 03 Feb, 2024 12:07 pm Another option I’ve read about is mod podge. Is that something worth suggesting they could do before I get it?

Far, far easier with a self adhesive board - so you could always give them the board and get them to stick it down.

I use Wessex, extruded acrylic start with codes like HY7 if buying a sheet but I would buy cut size, self adhesive mount board is JSA1

Regarding "flipping the art without loosing pieces.

You need to keep the panels from bowing in the center. This can be accomplished with 5cm x 5cm sticks of timber. Two or more on the top panel and the same number under the panels. With the sticks aligned, top to bottom, place a clamp at each side and secure. Two pairs of sticks will require 4 clamps. Place the clamps as far in toward the center of the panels with the puzzle in between and secure. the pressure of the clamps on the sticks will hold the center parts in place.

If the timber is bowed, that will be an advantage if the ends are raised up from the plane of the panels giving more pressure in the center of the sandwich.

Thank you, really helpful as always and I'm feeling more confident I could tackle it. I've found a random jigsaw I can have little play with too.

A couple more questions if you aren't fed up of me yet please. At this size, am I looking at a subframe as standard? (The largest I have done is an OS map). I'm quoting for a plain black frame - Lion domino or similar, (L2648), is that sufficient?

And the HY7 acrylic - anything I would need to be aware of?

I have run a few options through FrameR and given a guide price as you suggest. I'm still not particularly enthused but lets see what happens.

It all depends on the strength of the outer border moulding.
With a normal wood moulding in the 35-40 mm width or less, you might need an internal "skeleton" sub frame. In NA we call them "strainers".

On the other hand.... it wouldn't hurt to over engineer a project.

Don’t forget to factor into your quote the cost of buying a replacement jigsaw if it all goes wrong, and the time it will take you to replicate an 8000 piece puzzle


Only joking, I’m sure you’ll do it without any problems! I’ve never been asked to frame a jigsaw myself, but I’ve done lots of other jobs for the first time that I didn’t know I could do until I tried it. I think the trick is realising where the line is between knowing your limitations on the one hand, and having confidence that you can do a new type of job on the other hand. I’d wish you good luck, but I don’t think you’ll need it - and let us know how you get on!


PS. I'd mention to the customer that this will be a permanent fix - just in case they think that they can take it out of the frame to re-do at some future date. Maybe unlikely, but better safe than sorry.

I did many jigsaws and although a few have been bigger than I've been initially comfortabe with, this would break my record.
I'd do it no differemtly though - bar maybe using a few things I only bought once we retired, like spreader clamps.

I'd wet mount it, a far better ("mechanical") bond; probably with diluted builders PVA, applied with a roller, and on to mountboard, maybe 8 ply for this size and firstly bonded to something more rigid, you could make that MDF, you could make it foam board. I'd make it correx, double thickness with flutes perpendicular.

If you use self adhesive board, do that first as well, far too bendy alone - foam board version not much better at that size really.

The suppiler and/or manufacturer of a board mentioned above states it is pressure sensitive, all self adhesive products are. You may be able to press really hard but they're designed for paper borne art which can be burnished on (and you still read stories of failures), and you cannot burnish through a board. I know many use it and that's fine - just my 2 cents. It's not like it's actually "wet" either, it's tacky, just like self adhesive, it's not going to seep through the cracks, unless you're doing it wrong - but flip it back over ASP anyway and put under weight with greaeproof/release paper, just incase - one advantage is you have some time to make adjustments.

Good luck!

Thank you all,

I strongly suspect that I won't hear anything more now I have given a guide price. I'm not overly fussed (do NOT want to have scrabble around for 8000 jigsaw pieces on the workshop floor ) but you never know....

But, it has given me an idea to frame a jigsaw for my new 'showroom'. I didn't realise when I started framing how varied the requests are, so I may as well practice and put the ideas out there.

Rainbow, you are very right. I remember the first time I was asked to stretch a canvas and panicked, but I managed it. Same with a sports shirt. It is that initial wobble then realising that it may take me far longer with more false starts, but with the amazing help and support of everyone on here, it is possible.

I started this framing malarky almost by chance last year, not really expecting much and now I am moving into a proper premises! I will never stop learning, but you have all been so helpful and it is the support on these threads that give us newbies the confidence to just give it a go.

Once again, I thank you.

Janine x

Just an update, they said nope. One for the future maybe.

Don't worry about it, sometimes people like the idea of a framing job but are unrealistic about the cost. The important thing is to be diligent in your quoting but at the same time don't waste too much time