Gothic Arch Frame?

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Bruce Papier

SGF, Supreme Grumble Framer
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Apr 25, 2011
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I have a customer with an oil painting that is about 40 x 80, but is gothic arch shaped. The canvas is trimmed right to the image and is somewhat fragile. I can get it relined for her, but I have no idea where to get a frame ( or strainer bars) that shape. She is also open to the idea of a rectangular frame with some sort of insert at the top to fill the gap left by the arch.

Any ideas?
 
Wow, I thought HUGE painting.... then realized you are in England.

Stretch it square and use a spandral filler with the window cut to
the arch. It is the easiest and cheapest way.

If you can't cut a ply-wood spandral, an 8-ply rag mat can be
gold leafed...
 
It is a huge painting. I'm in Indiana. Thanks for the idea.

The painting was originally pasted to the wall with a plaster of wood trim around it (I think).
 
So thats 40cm by 80cm (15.748 inches x 31.4961 inches to us colonials) ?

[Edit] Oops. I guess that its 40 inches x 80 inches since the OP is from Indiana (which is still one of the colonies). I thought he was from across the pond on first reading (Baer got me confused).
 
bruce papier said:
It is a huge painting. I'm in Indiana. Thanks for the idea.

The painting was originally pasted to the wall with a plaster of wood trim around it (I think).
Click to expand...

We made a frame as shown. email me and I can send more photos of how we did it. We used a profile we mill here in house, cut notches along the area we needed to bend to an arch, bent it, joined it and filled in the notches with wood epoxy. We gilded it in gold metal leaf, and the church wanted it glazed as well, so we did the same for the offset stripping, cut the acrylic to fit. the painting was lined on a panel to fit the frame.

Sue Davis, CPF
Master Framers
St. Paul, MN
 

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Another way to make a frame like gadgetgal's is through the wonderful world of steam bending. Just google "steam bending" for a lot of info in this.

I never used it for framing but I built a curved sofit over a bar for recessed lighting. I bent two pieces both about 10 long of 1x6 cherry. The pieces were bent 90 degrees. The inner one was bent over about a 6 foot radius and the other over about an 8 foot radius. Building the steaming box and the jigs to bend and support the cherry took about 10 times longer the actual assemble once it was done.

Sofit isn't the correct word for this but I can't think of the correct one. I couldn't find a good picture either but using the picture below, image...

- that this is over a 20 foot long bar that bends 90 degrees around a corner with an outside radius of about 8 feet.
- that the width is the exact width of the bar below.
- that instead of drywall, the inner and outer sides are the bent cherry.
- that the surface isn't flush with the cherry but recessed about an inch.


kitchenlights.jpg


I know I digress, but I had so much fun building this, I had to reminisce.
 
What Baer said. Rectangular stretchers, and frame, with an arched insert ... oh, excuse, spandrelle, plywood being the material of choice. Needs to be hand cut, though, unless you own a CNC machine.

I'm always available for PITA-no-profit jobs, by the way.

Larry, you built a steambox just for one job of wood; wouldn't bentwood lamination have been easier? No criticism, just interest in others solutions to problems, the why and wherefore.

Nice job, Sue!
 
I have seen many old fragile panels mounted to aluminum panels. I don't know the process, but I would think this would be a good concept for your particular job. As to the frame, I like the spandrel.
 
Not sure the subject matter or style of the artwork, but you need something custom. There are people out there that do things like that, and Bron is one of them. And close to you. Hint hint.
 
I once had a mad idea of heating up poly moulding and bending it. :icon11: You would have to make a jig which could be nothing more complex than a board with nails knocked in at interval along a curved line. Heat up with a hot air gun and gently persuade the moulding to conform to the jig. Bit of clamping would be probably be called for. I tried it on a 1" wide bit and it does work..... never actually produced a finished frame. The theory is fairly sound though.

I'm thinking it would only work on fairly narrow mouldings, but on a gentle curve you should be able to bend 2" stuff - maybe wider. Cutting the miter at the top might require some skill and luck, but overlapping two ends and putting a handsaw across is one way. The heat may damage the finish, but something like this I would be looking at refinished the whole frame. Poly moulding is quite easy to repaint though and this would also allow you to make good any niggly bits in the top joint. Poly moulding is very floppy, but screwing the frame to a wooden backing (plywood?) would make everything rigid.

Well it's an idea. :smiley:
 
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