OOPS ???

Unexplained mysterys, or maybe it's the "old math", done in a new way. I didn't catch this until the frame had been joined and splined, by my customer calling wanting the exact rabbett size. A gut wrenching moment, as we are on a deadline.

Once I've confirmed my idiocy, rather than rush into correcting, I've found it's better to walk away for a bit; let the nerves settle, and think about the proper procedure for correction.

And here, waiting for splines to be fit and glued in, and the proper size now.

D-Rings, or strap hangers

 

Some examples of D-Rings, or strap hangers. Far more secure than screw eyes. All of us who restore antique frames have seen damage from screw eyes failing. Screw holes should be drilled for the strongest installation. If wire is to be used, the hanger should optimally be angled in the direction the wire will go. On larger frames, two hangers matched to two wall hardware, is best. This requires some precision in measurement and installation. Securely wrapped wire loops can be attached to the D, allowing some adjustment to the wall screw or bolt. For really heavy objects, I usually make cleats, sometimes known as "French Cleats" from plywood. Two strips of ply with matching angles cut on the edge, attached to the frame and the wall so they can hook together.

Now, if you insist on screw eyes, at least wire them right.

1. Through the eye

2. Around the shank, and below the wire.

3. Back through the eye.

4. Wrap the wire around it self.

This makes the wire as low as possible, reducing the force against the one little screw. Physics. Also, as the route the wire follows is more complex, this makes the wire less likely to pull free.

There are commercially available other forms of frame hardware, some that include mechanisms for leveling.

 

 

Apparantly, mechanical competence is a hindrence to artistic genius, grumbles the old curmudgeon.

 

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Bad Choices in Hanging Hardware, or "Hey, you artists, get offa my lawn".

Some examples from a recent exhibition I installed. 

Screw eyes are bad, made worse by wireing around the eye, so physics can have it's say, and leverage can pull that screw eye right out. Bending, then pull-out, followed by crashing. If one insists on using outmoded tech, at least run the wire through the eye, around the shank, then back out the eye, then wrapping.

Now the staples, well, they were actually solid, at least until the staples start to loosen as the wood ages and shrinks.

Personally, cup holders are never going to be a good choice. This particular frame is relatively heavy, and the cup holder is already bending from the strain. Soon, the fall.

Solutions, next post.

Some more process photos.

 

Applying bole. Bole is a very fine clay, in various earth colors, that when mixed with hide glue becomes the base layer and adhesive for water gilt gold. The color above is a mix, to match the color on the original frame.

 

Water gilding. The surface is wet with the "gilding liquer", water and some alcohol to break the surface tension. The polished bole is wet thoroughly, and the gold leaf is applied by picking it up with the tip, that wide flat brush, and almost slapping it on to the wet surface. To make the tip grab the leaf, I rub a tiny amount of vaseline on the back of my left hand, then lightly brush the end of the tip over my hand before grabbing the edge of the leaf with the tip. Sounds simple enough.

When the gilt areas are dry, they are burnished using an agate tool. To test for dryness, the surface is tapped with the agate; when a hard click is heard, the surface is dry. Trying to burnish wet just destroys the leaf. Two different shaped burnishers on the bench.

Burnished gilding and stained wood, with the color sample to match to. Waiting for the finish coat.

 

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An unusual frame.

Actually, not that unusual , though this style, where the corner escutcheon is carved is unusual. I did quite a few of these early in my career, in mahogany and black walnut, though stopped pushing them as the labor intensity tended to make it hard to make a profit. I'm doing a reproduction of a damaged existing frame, with carved, water gilt and burnished corner escutcheons, over stained and finished basswood. Basswood, though usually gessoed, then finished, actually is an attractive wood in itself. MOMA, NYC, has a few examples of stained and finished basswood frames.

Photo above, I'm using an oscillating saw to rough out the shape for the corners.

A corner before gessoing. After roughing out, small carvers rasps were used to refine the shapes.

Another photo before gessoing.

The corners masked off, and the first few coats of gesso applied. Normally I spray gesso, but in this case, all of the coats will be brushed. The first coat was scrubbed in with a toothbrush until almost dry, to eliminate pinholes.

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Lumber

Lumber, 6/4, 5/4, 4/4. (hardwood lumber is measured rough, before milling, so 6/4 is 1 1/2" thick, milling out to 1 1/4" thick. Similar to the 2 x 4 framing lumber that is actually 1 1/2". X. 3.1/2" On an overhead rack in the studio. This is for one frame, four feet x eight feet. By storing it on an overhead rack with air spaces around each piece it can acclimate to my studio conditions, and dry more if needed. Tomorrow, I'll do some moisture readings to see where I'm at, in moisture content terms. I generally buy lumber as needed, though there is always an accumulation.

A corner of the studio, the wall where the lumber leans; some black walnut boards, birdseye maple, basswood, oak. All extras from projects past. I've been trying to eliminate the really small stuff, but it's hard to cut and burn a piece that might be useful some day. This corner used to be twice as full; As long as I don't think about it too much.

Another overhead rack that holds the ten foot and longer pieces; in the back is a black walnut board, 8/4, 12 or 14" wide, and I think 10' long, maybe more. A remnant of my rocking chair project. I think I bought a lot, as those boards had a subtle purple cast, like the wood had been air-dried, or kiln dried by somebody with a real feel for the wood. That purple color is rare in black walnut; more common when the lumber is air dried, though not a given. Like my post on popple, and rainbow poplar, a few back, cutting open a board can be magic. Jame Krenov, and George Nakashima have both written of it in their books on woodworking.

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Here, a picture of frames:

Some picture frames; it is, after all, a blog mostly about frames and frame making.

Free Form Carving

In a previous post, here, Studio Scenes III, I mention a random orbit sander. There are actually two, except for color, identical machines. The one in the back, light gray, has a flexible pad, for sanding curved forms. The black one has the standard pad for flat surfaces. Below, some other tools for free form carving, both for furniture and picture frames.

Left to right, a small electric chain saw, an industrial grinder, that has grinding heads, cut-off heads, sanding pads, and just in front, a chain saw wheel. To the right of that, an air die grinder, fitted with a large carbide burr. There are a variety of cutters, grind wheels, cut off wheels, etc., available for it. I have a slightly smaller one that has different size collets allowing me to use some of the same tools for my Foredom tool, here. Then, the random orbit sander with the flexible pad.

Some examples of frames and furniture that used some or all of the tools mentioned above:

A little more ... tools and sharpening

Some more on the previous post, and other things.

Two cabinetmaker tools I use regularly on frames. Forefront, a low angle, block plane, used to chamfer a slight bevel on the back edges of frames, thus making the fragile edge more durable. Background is my favorite chisel, a one inch paring chisel, used for cutting glue off the backs of miter joints and cleaning the inside of the joint, in the rabbet area.

The block plane is also a favorite, from the Canadian firm of Lee Valley Tools. It is their own design and manufacture. Adjustable throat, set screws for keeping the blade in line, and a large, heavy blade. The smooth, rounded cap, and the indentations in the side make for a comfortable and secure, one handed hold. I have a small collection of block planes, usable antiques, but this is the one I grab first.

Paring chisels have a long, thin body, and are designed to be used much like the block plane, one handed in a paring type cut, pushed, by hand, not with a mallet. See here. They are designed to cut with the back flush with the work surface. I will also use this chisel when mortising for door hardware when hanging or refitting doors. Then, I do use it with a mallet, but if I really need to chop out some wood, I use a thicker bodied, general wood working chisel, especially in refitting work, where one encounters all sorts of trash. I have returned to the studio after a refitting, with one or more of my chisels "rounded" into a mangled mess, but never the paring chisel. Fortunately, I can restore the edge rapidly. I've been working with a small, neighborhood group, trying to bring back some of the old houses here, my specialty being doors and windows, a craft I learned as a very young man. It's satisfying to take an old door that won't open or close, and bring it back to "snicking" closed, as the latch settles in, and it gets me out of the studio once in a while.

A simple way of testing an edge, other than actually cutting something, is to lightly lay the edge on a fingernail, and feel the grip. If it's sharp, it will grip the nail.

Sharpening

The grinder station. At the top, clamps, hand screw clamps, hanging from a lumber, and long clamp rack. Spray cans, lubricants, etc., then two shelves with thin profile cuts of various moldings I make. Grind wheels, and to the left, bits, burrs and cutters for the Foredom rotary tool, hanging from a swing arm on the other side of the window, Another post. Then the grinders, from left to right. Hard felt buffing wheel, soft felt wheel, 60 grit aluminum oxide grind wheel, and a fine wire wheel.

Grinding an edge, using the forefinger of my right hand as a "fence" against the tool rest, for how to "place" the tool being ground. After much experimentation, I've come to the conclusion that a basic grinder, medium grit, is all you need. No wet grinders, or slow speed grinders, or diamond grit, horizontal wheels. Just a plain old grinder, but you need the secret ingredient; patience. The grind wheel needs to be clean, right forefinger clamped to the tool, and quick, light passes. After each pass, touch the just ground tip; it should be cool enough to touch; if not, you're not being patient. In spite of the lack of "jig", very accurate, and maybe more accurate, because I can vary the approach easily, which is more accommodating to the irregularities of most hand tools. I'm going for a slight, hollow grind, with the edge perpendicular to the sides of the tool. This is an antique cabinet chisel, but the same holds true for carving tools.

 Here, the hollow grind on the edge of the tool.

Here, the stones. I keep my various stones in water, distilled water, because it doesn't grow algae, in plastic tubs. Behind the tub, held in place by two spring clamps, is a Japanese water stone. Above that, the shelf for the tubs of stones, and to the left is the spray bottle, filled with distilled water for wetting the stones when in use. The spray bottle is handy for the glue pot as well.

Some slip stones in the tub, used for honing the inside of carving tools, and to the right, the special stone for flattening the water stones. I have also used wet sand paper laid on a flat surface, for flattening water stones. The Japanese water stones get hollowed very easily, but that is also why they sharpen so quickly.

 Here, I'm flattening the back on the just ground chisel, on an American water stone, of 100 and 220 grit, using the 220 side. Get the back flat.

Now, sharpening the bevel. I'm again using the right hand forefinger, between the stone and the tool, as a guide, or fence if you will, to control the angle. A slow, gentle back and forth, patience, with the two edges of that hollow resting on the face of the stone. Lap the back, again, then move to a finer grit stone. I usually start with the 220, then 800, followed by a 1200 stone. If you let the 1200 dry a little as you are working it, the slurry produced gets finer, and you will get a more polished edge. You can go beyond 1200, though an edge from 1200 cuts oak, walnut, and basswood very well. With a carving tool, the tool will need to be rotated through the back and forth so the whole edge is sharpened. This is where no jig can help, as the carving tool needs to be sharpened "freehand". Getting comfortable with the process on a cabinet chisel, will make it easy to do the more complex carving tool.

Now, a little lazy controversy. I hone my tools using a buffing wheel, a hard felt wheel for the bevel side, and on carving tools I'll use the soft wheel on the inside. (See first image) Here, I try very hard to be both patient and judicious, being very careful to lightly approach the edge. There is a fear of rounding the edge, so to speak. But I routinely touch up an edge on the buffing wheel as I'm carving. And it works. I use one of the green oxide polishing compounds, but any kind will do, just adjust for how aggressive the compound is.

It is possible to buy any number of tools and gadgets for producing that "miracle" edge on tools. Bevel gauges, jigs for holding the angle, special grinders, or you can do it the way it has been done since we started using tools; by hand and feel. If you learn hand and feel, you can sharpen a tool anywhere, and with whatever is at hand; concrete, sandpaper, your jeans, or the palm of your hand. Stropping a tool in the palm of your hand, either with some of the slurry from the stone, or not, works quite well.

There are nuances I'm avoiding, but for the good reason, that I want the tool to do some work, and I have little interest in going beyond getting the job done. I can shave micro thin slices, with or perpendicular from any wood I'm working; more?, nah, I'm too lazy.

Edit: Changed "stopping" to stropping, second paragraph above.

Black Beast

Sanding, .... gahhh! Every time I've had an employee, I think sanding is what has driven them out the door. Of course, my gentle personality could have some effect. ( I have been told that I have a certain intensity, that might be intimidating to some. )

Above, cutting sandpaper to size. I use a cheap paper cutter, with marks for the division of the sandpaper as to my needs. The marks are to make it a no-think operation, and also because the cutter is not well aligned to the back fence.

In the can at the left are some of the rubber sanding blocks of various shapes; the combination of concave and convex means any element of a molding may be efficiently sanded. The can in the rear has a collection of "flats" for sanding flat areas, as well as some "pads" that can be bent to conform to large coves, etc. At right, my sandpaper of choice, 100 grit, the short side conforming to the length of my sanding blocks. 100 is my main grit; occasionally progressing to 150 or 220. For water gilding, I'll go to 220 on the burnished areas. For metal leaf work 100 is fine enough, as there will be at least three coats of shellac after sanding, with the first shellac coat being pigmented. Covers a multitude of sins.

Sanding is the Black Beast, Bête Noire, Bugaboo, Bane, Bogeyman, ... well, you get the drift; the combination of the back and forth, gesso dust sucking moisture from your skin; I've had fingers split in summer, though winter is the worst. Frustrating, too, as you think that spot is done, then vacuum off the dust, pfui. Good music helps; sometimes really loud, good music. Sanding is the mind numbing, repetitive evil of frame making; seldom creative, though an essential part of the process. It's where the messy gets cleaned up enough to go out in public. And that gesso dust, floating through the air, everything with a fine dusting of powdered .... gesso. In your nose, eyes, hair, and that is with a good dust extraction set-up. Above my main bench is an enormous filtration unit, and there are various exhaust fans, but dust  ....  is just in the air.

The sanding blocks only go so far, too. At some point the sandpaper gets folded, and the fingers are the block, as one tries to make that pigs ear of botched molding, recalcitrant lumber, and errant carving into the princess it was meant to be ......

Labels

Richard Christie, Evesham, Worcestershire, United Kingdom, has been posting a lot of interesting labels over on the label blog.

A New Blog!

Frederick Harer signature from a frame on a Daniel Garber painting.

I've started a new blog, as a repository for images of labels, or signatures, on old picture frames, of the maker of the frame. http://pictureframelabels.blogspot.com/

I'm trying to make it open to other authors, but you will need to contact me, so I can add you, or just email me photos and information. Gradually, I will add links to authors own sites. Meanwhile, any additional information about the frame and label is welcome. Also, ideas on how to improve the "Label" blog are welcome as well.

Thanks,

Bron

Process, series, sequence wrong.

The previous post is out of sequence, as this is the first step, except ... maybe ... well ... going to the lumber yard. And prior to that, someone needs to order a frame ...

Above photo is crosscutting a board. Shorter pieces are easier to mill and flatten with minimal loss of material. Since I only need half of the board I can either cut one short, but wide piece into two narrow pieces, or I can cut one long, narrow piece into two shorter pieces ...

The board is clamped to the bench, with a support stand at the end of the piece being cut off, and me holding the board as it's sawed. 

This board is being marked with a chalk line before cutting it in two, as I only need half the board. However, after snapping the chalk line ( the yellow and black device sitting on the bottom of the board is a chalk line, a spool of line in a compartment full of powdered chalk, with a hook on the end of the line. The line is unreeled, pulled taut, then picked up and snapped against the board, leaving a long, straight line.) I decided that there was to much "bend" in the board, and am going to cut it in half crosswise.If I was cutting it length wise, the next step would be to set up the work support equal to the band saw height, then rip the board in half with the bandsaw.

Wood Shaper

My wood shaper.  No 1 is the broken lifting nut. (See previous posts) No 2 is the power feeder which pushes the stock past the cutters, and prevents the wood from being flung by the force of the cutters. When feeding stock by hand, the material is pushed into the cutter; this produces tearout; with the feeder I can climb cut; smoother cuts, and I'm never near the spinning cutter.

Facing the machine, with the cutter spinning counter clock wise, hand feed from the right; power feed from the left.

The machine is speckled because to the right is where I do most of my spraying and finishing. I use a "lazy susan" to revolve frames, and there is an explosion proof exhaust fan.

The clamps, left side of the machine are there for when the regular bolts for the fence won't work; then I use the clamps to hold the fence.

The motor on the feeder is a different color than the rest; it needed to be rewound, and it got painted in the process.

Frame Restoration

I haven't talked much of frame restoration, but there was a question about courses in frame restoration on the Grumble, and I thought I should post my reply here. It has always been a part of what I do. I don't do puzzles but I remember spending several hard days piecing back together hundreds and hundreds of broken frame ornaments from an early 19th. c. mirror frame. It was both challenging and enjoyable. Most restorations don't involve a lot of replacement ornaments, as the example above, though quite a few involve regilding.

 "The hard part is gilding and there are classes and workshops offered here and there. Smooth-On and their distributor, Reynolds AM, offer both the materials and knowledge on how to use various casting and molding supplies. There are a few books on frames available now, including this which covers methods. "The Encyclopedia of Picture Framing Techniques: A Comprehensive Visual Guide to Traditional and Contemporary Techniques". There have also been reprints of the two classic books on ornament, "The Encyclopedia of Ornament" and "The Grammar of Ornament". Once there is some feel for the language of ornament, it is possible to reconstruct missing ornaments when there are only fragments left. Basic knowledge of woodworking, carving and some modeling skills are all helpful."

The frame above, showing the bole on some replacement ornaments, prior to water gilding. The frame is from the Albert Milch Co., New York, and is a fine example of the "Art of Framing"; beautifully ornamented and water gilt, with extensive burnishing.

Kick Starter Project

Note: This post is sticky for the balance of the project. Scroll down for more recent posts.

Cover, courtesy Baer Charlton, Laura Reynolds.

The very first novel about a picture framing shop, really. The book was written by Baer Charlton, published photo journalist for over 20 years, professional picture framer for over 40 years, multi-medium artist since diapers, and illustrated by Laura Reynolds, a terrific sci/fi and fantasy artist. They are doing a Kick Starter project to fund the publication and distribution of the book, here. They need some help, so check it out.

Kick Starter is an All or Nothing method of funding creative projects, involving pledges of support and rewards for your pledge. Projects range from Art to inventions, books, films; anything creative that needs a little "Kick".

Thanks!

Bron