Framar
WOW Framer
I thought y'all might be interested in my latest method for the repair of compo frames with missing ornamentation. Notice that I ain't talkin' about the restoration of hand-carved water gilded frames here - just the repair of customers' beloved old cheap family frames.
Over the years I have read of every method of ornament replacement and tried most of 'em. This is what I have come up with:
Being a miniaturist, I have long been a fan of the Micromark catalog which sells tools and materials for model makers. It is within their wonderful pages that I found this two part SILICONE mold material. This stuff is like slippery clay - it comes in two parts and you grab two globs and mix them together to create the mold material. They say it cures in 5 minutes. Don't believe that, however - I usually leave it on the frame overnight.
First I dust the frame with talc - apply the mold material, let stand.
I have always in the past used Durham's Rock Hard Water Putty for filling these molds. However - it is messy and for deep replacements - not very reliable. Plus it can be breakable. So now I use two part epoxy moldable putty - this stuff comes in a variety of types. Some are stiffer than others - depending on the amount and the detail - the stiffer ones are obviously better for larger ornaments.
What I have just come up with as a refinement of my technique is this: I mix up enough of the epoxy putty - press it into place JUST WHERE I NEED IT - and THEN, after dusting the mold with talc, press it over the putty - peel it off, see if I have enough putty (if not, add more) and the results are instantaneous! No overlap! No MESS!
An old favorite epoxy material (also from Micromark) is called Milleput (superfine white). This stuff is AMAZING!!! It is smoothable with WATER!!! Which makes it very easy to blend in to the existing frame. It cures in a couple of hours (has a much longer working time than the "tube" epoxy putties) and it hard as a rock and sticks like the devil to the substrate. Easily finished with leaf, paint, whatever.
Easy as one, two, three!!!
Over the years I have read of every method of ornament replacement and tried most of 'em. This is what I have come up with:
Being a miniaturist, I have long been a fan of the Micromark catalog which sells tools and materials for model makers. It is within their wonderful pages that I found this two part SILICONE mold material. This stuff is like slippery clay - it comes in two parts and you grab two globs and mix them together to create the mold material. They say it cures in 5 minutes. Don't believe that, however - I usually leave it on the frame overnight.
First I dust the frame with talc - apply the mold material, let stand.
I have always in the past used Durham's Rock Hard Water Putty for filling these molds. However - it is messy and for deep replacements - not very reliable. Plus it can be breakable. So now I use two part epoxy moldable putty - this stuff comes in a variety of types. Some are stiffer than others - depending on the amount and the detail - the stiffer ones are obviously better for larger ornaments.
What I have just come up with as a refinement of my technique is this: I mix up enough of the epoxy putty - press it into place JUST WHERE I NEED IT - and THEN, after dusting the mold with talc, press it over the putty - peel it off, see if I have enough putty (if not, add more) and the results are instantaneous! No overlap! No MESS!
An old favorite epoxy material (also from Micromark) is called Milleput (superfine white). This stuff is AMAZING!!! It is smoothable with WATER!!! Which makes it very easy to blend in to the existing frame. It cures in a couple of hours (has a much longer working time than the "tube" epoxy putties) and it hard as a rock and sticks like the devil to the substrate. Easily finished with leaf, paint, whatever.






Easy as one, two, three!!!