Help 2-Sided Framing Problem

[Pangolin]

I have a customer (somewhat irate and upset) that had placed a framing order here a couple months before I bought the shop (17 months ago). The last owner did the job - and it is a DISASTER! The customer has called to complain, and finally brought the piece back in. (I'm inclined to fix it for him since he likes museum glass, and he's come here to get it. Plus, he's the kind of customer to bad-mouth anyone that's ticked him off. I don't need that.)

The piece is a half sheet of uncut dollar bills. He wanted them floated between two sheets of glass. That part looks fine. The problem is he wants to be able to hang it either side showing out. I'm having trouble coming up with a solution that doesn't include screws or brackets showing on the outside. And then there's the problem with a gap of some sort on one side or another unless I put spacers between the glass and the frame.

I did suggest a metal frame, but he's really committed to a 2-sided reversable piece.

Any suggestions?




(When this piece was put together by the last owner, he put two wood frames back to back with the hangers coming out of the top sandwiched between the frames. The frames were supposedly glued (& ATGed) together. And of course, it all fell apart.)

 

[Dave]

I've done a number like this.

It appears you have two problems.

#1 Making it attractive on both sides

#2 Having the ability to hang it either way

Since you indicated the presentation was acceptable why not just glue the two frames together with wood glue and do a couple toe nails with brads from the side and fill them. Should hold together fine.

You might consider a decorative ring hook on the top which would allow hanging from either side.

The two frames together could be awkward depending on the profiles. What I've done in the past is take quarter round moulding and use it to hold the package together with one frame. You can finish the back of the frame with either a wood lathing strip finished by either toning or leafing.

 

[TGFU]

One option is to float (hinge) it between 2 back to back mats, then glass on each side, then place the package in a stained glass frame.

 

[Jill]

Have you considered a stained glass moulding.

or having a local cabinet maker custom make a moulding for you?

I agree with a decorative ring hanging system similar to a bell pull ring.

 

[Jeff Rodier]

For the spacing issue you can often get away with using 2 lites of glass in one of the 2 sides or thicker glass if it warrants the expense.

 

[Jim Miller]

A few thoughts...

If you glue, nail, or otherwise permanently attach two frames back-to-back, what happens when the assembly needs to be disassembled for, say, glass replacement? Screws or magnets might work better for the assembly.

Back-to-back reversible framing is tricky, costly, and usually unnecessary. If it were a new customer I'm sure you'd make all of that clear by quoting a higher price than Joe charged him for that fall-apart frame. But now that it's done and he's back to you for a fix, the situtation is harder to control.

Why does the customer really want a reversible frame? If he wants to occasionally look at the back of the sheet, then you can make the back of a single frame look pretty good with a window.

Or, if he wants to actually display the back of the sheet by hanging it on the wall, you could use turnbuttons to make an easy-open frame. Then the customer could open it, flip the entire frame package, and reclose it.

There's always the possibility that he asked for a back-to-back frame simply because he once saw a double-glass-see-through frame with fitting provisions on the back that looked awful from the front, and perhaps thought that ugliness could be avoided by the call for reverse-hanging.