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Making frames
I had a bit of fun this weekend trying to make myself some floater frames, something I've been meaning to do for a while. I followed the instructions, roughly, from Jon Peters on youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSU5darREwc
I don't have a power mitre saw, so I used a hand mitre block which worked fine. I also don't have a nailgun so I just glued the corners using a masking tape method which again was fine. My first effort was a bit wonky but after I learned to use the saw better the second effort was a fair bit better. I also didn't bother putting a mitre on the interior strainer as it's hidden behind the painting anyway. I used cheap paint stirrers cut up for the strainer on the the small one.
I made a small one first:
you can see I had to use a bit of wood filler to mask some cock-ups
The second one was larger and came out a bit better:
Because of the slightly ropey joinery I sprayed them black with Krylon colormaxx paint+primer. I really messed up the first application and had to sand most of it off and try again. Turns out reading the instructions on the can and applying very thin coats is actually a good idea. It seemed to work OK in the end:
I've got loads of those little 6x8" paintings lying around so I'll probably get to building frames for the ones I want to put up, or just include them with sales.
Anyway, total cost per frame is pretty low. I used 0.5x1.5x4' poplar from lowes that is about $4. Think I used two lengths for these two. The mitre saw thing was $30 from home depot. All in all, a pretty easy (after some misfires) way to give your paintings a nice simple frame. Good enough for my walls anyway!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSU5darREwc
I don't have a power mitre saw, so I used a hand mitre block which worked fine. I also don't have a nailgun so I just glued the corners using a masking tape method which again was fine. My first effort was a bit wonky but after I learned to use the saw better the second effort was a fair bit better. I also didn't bother putting a mitre on the interior strainer as it's hidden behind the painting anyway. I used cheap paint stirrers cut up for the strainer on the the small one.
I made a small one first:
you can see I had to use a bit of wood filler to mask some cock-ups
The second one was larger and came out a bit better:
Because of the slightly ropey joinery I sprayed them black with Krylon colormaxx paint+primer. I really messed up the first application and had to sand most of it off and try again. Turns out reading the instructions on the can and applying very thin coats is actually a good idea. It seemed to work OK in the end:
I've got loads of those little 6x8" paintings lying around so I'll probably get to building frames for the ones I want to put up, or just include them with sales.
Anyway, total cost per frame is pretty low. I used 0.5x1.5x4' poplar from lowes that is about $4. Think I used two lengths for these two. The mitre saw thing was $30 from home depot. All in all, a pretty easy (after some misfires) way to give your paintings a nice simple frame. Good enough for my walls anyway!
Comments
I know I'd be more likely to buy a painting if it came in a simple frame rather than having to factor in taking it to a framing store, and possibly paying more than I paid for the painting!
A few of my works I have painted a little too close to the edge for a regular frame.
So I will hopefully be making some of the too.
We have a painting by Joan Howe that we love. Her husband was skilled at making frames and made a lot of the frames used for her paintings.
Here’s a link to some info on her artwork.
https://www.askart.com/artist/Joan_Anderson_Howe/10026188/Joan_Anderson_Howe.aspx
@Ronna ver kind, thank you!
Looking at your guide, it doesn't seem too bad, but I'm just wondering as well where I can find the right type of wood for framing. And what wood filler to use? I did my own research on https://woodyexpert.com/best-wood-filler/
The chances of me putting glass in are slim to none, thinking about it, so I'm not sure if it would actually be worth it...
I've also watched a few videos that use a table saw to make further embellishments. But the nice thing about floating frames is they seem to require fewer tools and still look great.
Following Mark's videos for making furniture has definitely awoken an interest in woodwork I never knew was there.