Making Picture Frames

[dirtychinchilla]

Has anyone made their own picture frames? I'm looking to make some simple ones as I've got all sorts of pictures of strange sizes that I'd like to get on the wall. Does framing them myself make sense monetarily?

Looking at this 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. Any suggestions?

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...

 

[A.N.Other]

It's unlikely to be economic unless you have most of the kit already. Things like the 90deg clamps or strap clamps, the mitre box (/ a mitre saw) and a router for doing rebates will all add up to a surprising amount. You can buy moulded section (generally finished / veneered MDF - google 'framing mouldings') that you can just mitre appropriately to save having to do the routing, but that stuff is quite soft and will dent if the frame gets any knocks. Hardwoods will stand the test of time a bit better and are available online, but you'll pay extra and will need to do more yourself.

If you're doing one picture, then it's simpler just to take it to someone. 95% of these people will use the moulded MDF stuff with markup similar to a payday loan, but you're also paying for their experience in doing a good job. You can probably expect to pay £70-120 to frame a ~40x60 canvas at a decent independent framers. If you're framing a few things, then obviously this adds up quite significantly.

Separately, IKEA do surprisingly nice frames in plain white / black. Depending on how large the art is you might also look at these.

 

[dirtychinchilla]

Hi there,

Thanks very much for your reply. I wish it were only one picture, but it's at least ten and the majority are strange sizes! But I take the point, I don't necessarily have all the tools etc.

The major advantage that I can see is that you can make sure they're all uniformly styled, same wood, same paint etc (if painted).

I wouldn't recess anything, though. I would get some thin pieces of wood like they show here:

http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-Custom-Picture-Frames/?ALLSTEPS#step10

Then I'm thinking I'll need glass or acrylic, so it does become rather tedious.

 

[SamuraiTortoise]

I make my own frames but with the exception of the clamps, I had everything I needed already such as a mitre saw, router etc so cost is fairly cheap for me. One thing I tend to do is buy cheap second hand frames in sizes I want from charity shops etc and this gets me the glass really cheap as even pretty large frames can be bought for £1-£5 and then I just make a new frame for the glass and you also have the old frame to make measurements from almost like a template. Failing that you can get glass cut quite cheap but often, when you look at places like Ikea, it's hard to do it for less money. Then you have the mounting boards, cutting this to look nice and sharp can be difficult and again, I had to buy a special knife to help here although that only cost a fiver.

 

[A.N.Other]

Hi there,

Thanks very much for your reply. I wish it were only one picture, but it's at least ten and the majority are strange sizes! But I take the point, I don't necessarily have all the tools etc.

The major advantage that I can see is that you can make sure they're all uniformly styled, same wood, same paint etc (if painted).

I wouldn't recess anything, though. I would get some thin pieces of wood like they show here:

http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-Custom-Picture-Frames/?ALLSTEPS#step10

Then I'm thinking I'll need glass or acrylic, so it does become rather tedious.

Yeah, don't get me wrong - the control is a great benefit and is the main factor really in choosing to do it yourself ... other than the cost, obviously. If you're buying moulded section anyway, then for the cost of a mitre setup you can certainly have a go. As with all of these things, you get what you pay for ... a plastic mitre box (like in the instructable) isn't great for long-term consistent results, but it might be a start.

It depends what you're framing (paper / board / canvas / etc), but you don't necessarily need glass on the front, as that adds a reasonable amount of complexity and cost. For canvasses and boards, float frames can be very effective by themselves. This also removes the need for mount board, as otherwise a mount board cutter is essential for getting a good finish (again, you get what you pay for), and mount board itself is surprisingly expensive.

My partner is a painter, so I make a lot of canvas stretchers and frames for her work. Even though I do this fairly regularly, if she's selling small pieces for small amounts, then we do just use IKEA frames, as they really can't be beaten price-wise ... far cheaper than me making something equivalent.