Question Frame building

Create a Post
T

t_lewis

Grumbler in Training
Joined
Sep 12, 2006
Posts
14
Loc
Amarillo, TX
I haven't been in the business very long, but when I came in there was a frame builder here with 30 yrs experience. He retired and I hired someone else. The experienced framer used markers on the ends of the frames before gluing - new guy says it's not necessary. New guy also states as a cabinet builder that if a corner isn't tight glue and putty will fix it. I bout fell over when I discovered he was rewriting the rules....so my question is this. What are the standards for coloring the ends on the frames - tight corners?
 
In general, staining the ends of mouldings will save you time.

Yes, if every corner was tight and perfect and the profile consistent, you'd not have a problem.

But with moulding variation and minute deviations when cutting, staining the end can easily disguise small flaws.

You can cure it all by corner putty...but in the end...that'll take more time than staining.
 
I predict you're going to get lots of differing opinions. :)

Here's mine: If you stain every frame and don't find that you're wasting effort then you're doing something else wrong or have maintenance needs on your equipment. I prestain the ends on some and not on others. I tend to stain them if I can hear springback putting pressure on the blade as it comes back up. On lots of frames it's not needed unless the carving up top doesn't match up. If you're staining/puttying them because the back edges are flaring out then it's time for some maintenance.
 
I use to run a marker on the miters but no more. Markers will fade over time.

I make sure I have a liberal amount of glue to fill even the smallest gaps and wipe off any excess. If any touch up is required I use oil colors and generally do some type of touch up on most frames... but then I'm pretty picky.
 
I use wood markets or wood stain pens on every corner before I glue.
Just makes the joints look less noticable even if they go together perfect.
 
Along with all of the reasons why you may and may not do something and the reasons for it, the bottom line is you are the boss.

Once you determine a procedure that you wanted used in your shop, that should be the final word. Now if an employee has a suggestion as to why it makes since to change a procedure, let them know you are willing to listen, but the buck stops with you.
 
Try Kiwi Scuff Cover. You can do the corners after it is joined and wipe the excess away. Don't use the Shoe Polish but the Scuff Cover. It won't change the finish on the frame and evaporates off of the rottenstone toners that are used.
 
I stain the edges of all but the lightest colored frames.

I used to have around twelve colors (padded “Dauber” jars of stain), but now I only use two – black and a medium walnut for everything.

I’ve found that it is only necessary to darken the edge to about the same intensity as the frame itself so a white sliver of wood doesn’t show its ugly head at the join.
 
I agree with j paul: this is *your* shop and you are the one who decides on the procedures. That said, a good boss keeps an open mind and will take employee suggestions under consideration, but you have the final say.

That said, I too will often darken the ends of my rails (really, just a little line along the miter and the back, anything that shows). I typically use either archival markers or Minwax stain pens for this purpose, though I'll give the shoe polish a try :) In a perfect world one would not have to do this, but ours is not a perfect world. Even if you cut the miter with perfect precision, I've found that small variations between sticks of moulding can make for a less-than-perfect join (and it doesn't take much... as little as .005" can be noticeable if there's enough contrast between the finish and interior of the moulding).

Oh, and the idea to darken the ends came from my first employee :)
 
Take a framing class, learn the craft for yourself. You will never be able to hire a framer who respects you if they are convinced you don't know squat about picture framing. So you solve the problem with the corners, so what? That is just one thing out of many.

John
 
I could be wrong BUT I'm thinking the bigger problem is not whether or not "you" should stain but what you have discussed with the framer as to the dos/donts of his job--it's YOUR biz, you get to decide what happens(whether you are right OR wrong). That being said it is your responsibility to get smart/educated enough to be able to make informed descisions about things.

Staining will take a little more time(perhaps as much a 5 seconds/cut???) but it will definitely help hide the less than perfect joins--especially when they show out 20 shades lighter than the surrounding finish. Even if it does fade over time(sometimes within the same day) it will still help cover up the non-finished/bare wood. Using putty(necessary at times no matter what you do/dont do) certainly takes considerably more time/effort to mix/apply/clean up from.

You are doing the right thing by polling the populace and then, making your own decisions about things based on what you read and your own gut feelings. There is, also, something to be said about deciding on something and then trying something else(or more than 1 somethings) to see if the results are any better/worse and then going with the best solution......

I infer that you are uncomfortable with things as they are, and as you don't know enough about his job to make sound/informed decisions, then you'd best become educated really quickly so that you do know(attend a framing school-or 2?-and attempt to sweet talk a competitor into letting you hang out in the back room for a day-not an easy task!, join local PPFA and attend meeetings where you can talk shop-read that bleed 'em dry of info!, wade thru F.A.C.T.S. for info, pour thru TG history[there is a lifetime of info in the archives-you just have to figure out what works and what will work for YOU]), & get you framer to teach you everything HE knows about the craft.

Your work is cut out for you....:thumbsup:
 
Much easier to stain first than find you have to correct a slight defect later.
 
Old thread. Just thought I would point it out before everybody thought it was new.
 
Create a Post
Back
Top