The Framers Forum

Hi All, I am a start-up newby in the process of getting a custom hand crafted frame business going. I am also a painter of still lifes and sea/landscapes. I'm looking forward to being part of this forum. My biggest need at this time is to find a supplier of barewood mouldings that would be willing to ship to South Africa at good prices as the availability of such mouldings is tightly controlled by monopolies in South frica.

Welcome to the forum PSS.

Welcome to the forum Pieter!
I am sure you will get some ideas and tips from here, and I think we have one or two SA posters already who may be able to help.

Richard

Welcome to the Forum PSS.


As for bare wood mouldings, have you thought about making your own? Not sure what profiles you are looking for, but you can make quite interesting frames with some fairly basic woodworking equipment. Table saw - router - planer/thicknesser. OK, there will be some profiles that will be beyond your scope, but stacking sections together can yield impressive results.

What you save in shipping costs will pay for the machinery.

Graysalchemy and Richard: Thanks for the welcoming words. I'll look out for the other South Africans on the Forum, thanks Richard.

Prospero: Thanks for the tip. I have actually thought about the idea of putting different sections together but I would still prefer to use sections with some curves and for that I would need some woodworking equipment. I have only started looking into the framing business during the December break and have not been in a position yet to start the collection of machines. I'll have to draw up a list of the minimum requirements and work from there. However, it won't help to spend money on machinery if I am not sure that I will be able to source frame material from elsewhere in the world at a reasonable price. I will put a post on the "Help" section in this regards.

Pieter

Hi Prospero,

Your comment in your post made me think! I think I will spend some money on machinery rather than importing the profiled timber and cut & assemble the frames myself. I have not used a router before but it looks like it can work out OK. See, it pays off to be on a forum! Thank you for guiding me in the right direction.

Cheers,

Pieter

PSS wrote:I have not used a router before but it looks like it can work out OK...

You really need to look at a spindle moulder rather than a router if you want to produce your own mouldings.

Richard

Thanks Richard, I'll most definitely do that.

Pieter

A spindle moulder is quite a heavy-duty piece of kit. Expensive too. It will allow you to do big cuts for scoops, etc. But before diving in with both feet I would try a router table mounted with a 1/2" shank router. You can gradually build up a collection of bits. This way you can take a flat plank and do grooves/rounded edges/etc and most important - rebates.
A planer/thicknesser would also be a valuable asset. Also a bandsaw which would be safer and take up less room than a big table saw.

Another thing is to look out for reclaimed timber. Old furniture - whatever. Some of this wood is much better quality than new stuff. Closer grained and well seasoned. It may look scruffy on the surface, but plane it up and you'll be amazed. Just remember to check for nails.