assembling frames

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mickey simpson

Grumbler in Training
Joined
Dec 7, 2004
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Loc
wisconsin
what do you use (corner clamps,under pinner or whatever)and why to assemble your frames? i am a photographer and have my matt cutter and moulding cutter. not a high production frame shop here. just looking for suggestions.thank you.
 
pneumatic vnailer
 
I use a foot powered v-nailer. Pop in a couple nails at each corner and your done. It works for most moldings. I plan to, err, I'd like to open a store one day so I'm gearing up on the tools. Even if that deam is never realized, $5,000 in good tools can be paid for in as little as 15-20 frame jobs and I can use some of the tools for other wood projects.
John
 
Oops deam should be dream
 
mickey,

Welcome to the Grumble!

Have you checked into the prices of underpinners (v-nailers)?? If you are operating for your own framing needs and not a full time frameshop taking in customer work on a regular basis, you may be able to use a miter vise and nails, the old way of joining frames. If time isn't an issue this would be your cheapest route to follow.

I see this question so many times by new framers who haven't checked out their needs for equipment before opening a shop and by people like yourself who are depending on another business for their livlihood and want to support that business by doing framing as a side business or to eliminate the need for outsourcing that part of their business to an outside frameshop.

As has been said on this forum so often, framing isn't all that easy. It isn't cheap to buy equipment that will operate a fulltime business or support another related business if you want to have dedicated professional equipment that will last for many years. You need to assess your requirements for equipment based on how many pieces you will be building in a given period and calculate an amortization plan to have that equipment paid off efficiently. Otherwise you will be paying for expensive equipment that really isn't needed for your business requirements and you could get by so much cheaper with simpler equipment.

Framerguy
 
Thank you for your responses. I have been looking into this for sometime. I attended the vegas show (jan 2005) and also have help from an experience framer (10yrs exp). this framer only has used the corner type clamps, so this is an area i have questions about. thanks again for your suggestions and advice.
 
Sorry, I'm a bit late but Welcome Mickey! I agree with Framerguy on this... we use the mitervises and a v-nailer, but you should probably just invest in some vises and learn how to do some bradding for the corners.
 
I agree with Angie and others. If you learn the "old fashioned way" first, then by the time you get a v-nailer, or something else, you will have a back-up method...the drill and brad way. Some moulding profiles are difficult to v-nail, or need the extra support of the brads.
We have 6 vises and glue first, then v-nail. It takes a bit more time, but the corners are tighter and the v-nailer is less likely to tweak the miters if they're glued first. That's how I do it, not necessarily the best way, but works for me.
 
I still cut, drill, glue, brad and putty...don't own any joining system. Have no plans to purchase one either.

If I have a production run, I have my suppliers assemble the frames as they do it for free in quantity.

Dave Makielski
 
Welcome to the Grumble, Mickey. I am a 'newbie' as well, having just recently registered. You'll find out soon enough that this is a terrific site with loads of information.

Like "artist", I also have a "Benchmaster" v-nailer and purchased it a few years ago. As I am a fairly small framing business, it has served my needs quite well. I glue and clamp using a Veritas 4-way speed clamp that I purchased at Lee Valley Tools (I have a few of these clamps). Once the glue is dry, I then v-nail using the BenchMaster. I know this is probably more time consuming than other methods, but it seems to work for me.
 
Thank you all very much.ok i think i will use corner clamps to start with. now which ones do you recommend?Thank you again your great!
 
I admit to having 'blonde moments' all too often, but my guess is that Benchmaster would crush a car, much less moulding. Surely that must be the wrong URL for the V-nailer others are talking about(?).
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