how to...extend a ready made shadowbox?

rocksbreakglass

Grumbler in Training
Joined
Jan 17, 2006
Posts
8
Loc
Georgia
First things first...Hello, everyone!!

I have a customer that has brought in a 11x14x2 rdy made shadowbox, one that comes with a sheath thing instead of mats attached to foam core to hold the glass in place.

Okay, her object is 2.5" deep, so where do I get the other half an inch?

I'm trying blackfoam core cut perfectly to fit as very oversized spacers and am currently leaving out that sheath glassholdy thing (if anyone knows the technical term for this ingenius device, please, share). And then to keep my mounted object on white mat on foamcore in place, I have secured with preservation frame lining tape; yeah, instead of using framer's points. I have put a dustcover all the way around the excessive half inch but it's blue craft paper and the frame is black and you can imagine what this is going to look like hangin on the wall. I have yet to put on a hanging device. I was thinking screw eyes with loose wire and bumpons on the four corners that stick out .5" past the protection of the wood. (btw, the frame of course is one of those cheap ones that's moulding legs are ~.5" wide)

Does anyone have a better solution other than going with another frame, 'cause this is due basically yesterday and no more money to spend on another frame
help.gif
?

Thanks in advance.
 
Welcome to the Grumble - I'd paint the blue paper edge black - either with black acrylic paint or black gesso or black spray paint - whatever you have around - and I'd attach the screw eyes and wire about the same as you plan to - I mean you are between a rock and a hard place - not too many choices left to you especially with a customer's RM frame.

Your customer had just better consider you a bloody genius! Good luck!
 
Ah, you fell for the old "Can't you just...?" trick.
You made no money on the frame. You have to spend too much time on the construction. You have spent too much time thinking about this. You can't 'just..."
Someone much wiser than I said "If I could 'just', I would 'just', so I 'just' won't". All framers must commit this to memory before opening their doors. My sympathies, because I, too, have gotten suckered into these projects, usually by Little Old Ladies (I am a pushover for LOLs) And I usually live to regret it...
 
You should call and tell the customer that you won't be responsible if it falls and breaks the object or anything else or if it falls apart in anyway. I sure wouldn't put a label on it.
 
This thread is a prime example of how the Grumble is a classroom for me! My personality would also be to try to 'make this work', but in the end it is best to do it right the first time. 'Making do' will always leave a feeling of dread - that the piece will fail, and create a reputation for inferior quality 'patchwork craftsmanship'.
 
And sometimes we all have those "LOLs" (or "LOMs") that we fall for - guess that makes us human! Sometimes it is REALLY hard to "Just say NO" to jobs like that!
 
Originally posted by EllenAtHowards:
My sympathies, because I, too, have gotten suckered into these projects, usually by Little Old Ladies (I am a pushover for LOLs) And I usually live to regret it...
I think we all get suckered into these now and then. I know I have. And to top it off, the customer usually wants you to do all this for $10 or less.

You really need to stick to an hourly labor rate. Then for projects like these, double the time you 'think' it will take. You can literally spend hours on stuff like this. I know I have.
 
First, welcome to the Grumble and the REAL picture framing world.

One, you can't make that 1/2" from air.

The only way is to flip a moulding on it's back and stack the frames. I would choose a wider body [say 3/4"] with a 1/2" deep rabit that fits the offending SB.

Once this is stacked and glued, you now have the room you need, and then some.

Just remember to quote this new frame along with one shop hours time.

That should put a quick stop to this order.

You can't make a closed-corner Louie XIII, from a $10 frame from WalMart with out a whole lot of expensive time and know-how.
 
just for the record,
this isn't just any customer...I mean I usually have no problem saying "nope, can't do it"
She spent a total of lots of money on several jobs that went smoothly this past week, two times over...well, when WE were taking this jackedup shadowbox order, the other girl, nonframer by the way, says "sure we can do this--no problem!" I must have been on the phone or something...needless to say, look who's doing the patchwork.

I like the idea of stacking another frame to the back...thanks, Baer Charlton, I can work with this.

and Jim, I'm not familiar with this product, I appreciate the new direction. thx

Thanks everyone! Lots o' weight lifted from this framer's shoulders.
 
Originally posted by rocksbreakglass:
...Jim, I'm not familiar with this product, I appreciate the new direction...
Rabbetspace is a black plastic extrusion, shaped sort of like a "Z", which may be screwed to the back of the frame, and retains the frame's contents. You can probably buy it from any distributor that sells FrameTek products, such as Nori paste, Framespace, Econospace, etc.
 
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