Hanging a large plate

[Hobbes03]

A customer brought in a rather large plate that they would like to hang on their wall. I was wondering if any of you would have some suggestions on how to do this.

The plate is not going to be framed at all, just hung on the wall.

The plate measures 22" in diameter. It has a raised lip on the underside that is 10" in diameter and is 5/8" high. The plate seems to be made of a plastic-type material.

Can anyone offer some suggestions?

Thank you!

-Mike.

 

[Bob Doyle]

Wall buddies?

 

[Bob Doyle]

OK for a semi-serious answer how about getting a plate shelf built for the wall and set it on that.

That way they can take it down when they want, and be able to admire it.

 

[Jerry Ervin]

Mike

I have seen plate hangers that large before. It was the metal-spring loaded kind. In fact, I have a plate about that size hanging in my kitchen at home. I think I got the hanger from Home Depot.

If this is not a 'conservation' job, you can take the long saw tooth hangers and bend the barbed ends down to make them 'Z' shaped, then use liquid nails to attach to the back of plate. Make sure the liquid nails is completely cured before hanging.

I have an artist friend that uses this technique to hang hand painted river rocks. Some of them are quite heavy. The heavy ones will get more than one saw tooth.

 

[Jim Miller]

I suggest making your own custom-sized plate hangers. Go to the hobby shop and buy some .032 or .055 diameter spring-steel "piano wire". And stop at an electrical distributor and pick up some shrink tubing of slightly largter diameter.

Using two pairs of pliers, bend three rods into the desired shape to span the plate's diameter and hook over the lip on both ends. That makes six contact points.

Next, fashion two supports that span from one rod to the next, all the way around, about 1/3 out and 2/3 out from the center. That doesn't make sense, does it? Imagine a spider web with two circular strands -- that's as close to clear as I can be today.

Wrap the intersections tightly with fine-gauge wire. For more stability, solder the intersection wraps.

Finally, attach a custom-bent hanging point or two.

I know this sounds like a lot of work, but if you have the materials at hand, it's a one hour job. At my shop's $60/hour labor rate, plus materials, I'd charge roughly $100 for it.

And if I could work that profitably all day long, I'd retire next year.

 

[Hobbes03]

Thanks for all the ideas, everyone.

Jim, I'm going to try to work out your method.

Thanks again!

-Mike.