Question Making Floater Frames for Gallery Wrapped Canvas

  • Thread starter Thread starter ccoppola
  • Start date Start date
Create a Post
C

ccoppola

Guest
I currently print for 30+ artist and specializing in fine art prints and gallery wrapped canvas. I have had numerous artist ask me about floater frames. So I have recently looked into buying floater frame molding from Roma and buying a new Amp VN2 + 1 underpinner and creating my own. I was told by a local frame store that Floater frames were some of the most difficult frames to make and that I would be better off buying precut and assembled frames.

I currently have a miter saw with a fine tooth sawblade that i cut my stretcher bars to size and have cut a few floater frames with it and it cuts them perfect. I already have a few color Chartpak markers for the 3 colors I am going to offer as well as the backing glue, tape, paper and hanging accessories.

I realize there is a learning curve but to me it doesn't seem to much more difficult to cut the floater frames and then underpin them together, obviously using the different size Vnails accordingly.

Am I missing something?

Any and all input would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance...Craig
 
Hi a Welcome Craig. :smiley:

It's maybe true that floater frames can be problematic to join, but it's not rocket surgery. They are no more difficult than certain comventional mouldings.
The main thing to consider is that you have to place wedges into a high, narrow section near the outside. This involves stacking v-nails. As one v-nail pushes the previous one and wood can have strange grain structure depending on which part of the log it is from, you can get a situation where the v-nails take a diversion and the first one emerges on the side. This is particularly relevant with softwood (pine). So best not try to stack too many. And don't place them along the center of the back - more toward the inside. In some cases, pinning singles across the bottom and putting a couple of brads across the top of the sticky-up bit will work better. You do have holes to fill though. But more than 30+years ago most frames were done like this.
When you are placing v-nails in the flat bottom part you need a wood block or something to support it. Otherwise the top pressure pad bears on the high part which is offset from the v-nail position. This can cause the joint to tip. It's important to get the pressure in the right place to get a sound join.

The biggest problem with floating canvases is maybe the squareness, or possible lack of. If you frame a canvas 'snug' up to the floater the canvas needs to be dead square and equal all sides. A canvas on it's own will look perfectly fine with a 1/8" run-off on a side, but put it in a floater frame and that 1/8" will be very apparent.
 
If you are using an underpinner you have to be observant and very careful in setting the vertical hold-down clamp so that when clamping and nailing the horz part of the moulding, that the clamp does not come down and hit and break off a section of the vertical moulding. No that has never happened to me, I just heard that it was possible. :icon19:
 
From what I have observed is that the VN2 +1's vertical clamp is a 90degree pad that can fit in the corner of the floater 90 or on the inner flat thin part of the frame so that you can put the small vnails in with pressure coming down from the vertical clamp to avoid seperation when pinnning.

I did a few with a cheap little hand underpinnner and it turned out ok for my first few.
 
I say go for it, and here's why:

- with framers leaving the business in droves, equipment will never be cheaper
- you can ask The G for help, and there are great people here with the best support anywhere, shortening your learning curve. Prospero's advice is bang-on.
- combining printing and framing is a logical expansion of your business
- you will profit more
- you will expand to providing regular framing, and make even more profit.
 
The Hoffmann Dovetail system is perfect for floaters, as long as the stem part is at least 5/16" wide. For softwoods it would be better at a minimum of 3/8" wide. You can hold the joint tight up to about 2-3/8" high (there's no way you are going to get v-nails stacked that far!) so it's good for at least 3" tall floaters with no additional cross-nailing.
 
When you get confident joining floaters contact that other framer and offer to do them for jim ;)

Beware the upper clamp, it will crush the tops of your floater. Happens all the time when I rush. Also be sure to support the stretchers with a fomecore padding. Too often when screwing them down they twist inward and the canvas gets slack. Or push the frame open.
 
Thank you everyone for the input.

I am getting a few sticks of a floater frame that I plan on using, going to cut it up and bring it to a local company that sells Underpinners. They are nice enough to allow me to come up and assemble the frame. Really nice of them.

Which leads me to my next question, cassese or Amp?
Cassese, there new CS 20
Amp would be the VN2+1/minigraf3

I here so many good things about Amp but a Cassese dealer is 1hr away from me. Since I am a newbie it makes me feel better knowing if I have any issues they are close by.

They are both about the same price.

I value your guys opinions and would really appreciate any and all input or recommendations.

Thanks again
 
In your shoes I would buy the Cassese. Both are good machines but there is nothing like having practical help close by, especially while you are learning.

On the subject of floaters, though, why not try and sell them real frames? Easier for you, probably cheaper for them and a wider range to choose from. In my humble opinion most galleries and artists get too hung up on "minimalism" and need to be shown that you can frame something without the framing "taking away" from the artwork.
 
I've seen picture's of floater frames and for some reason it just doesn't look that hard to make. I've made a number of shadow box's and I hang the photo's out off the back of the frame. Looks like that would work with those floaters also. I'm missing something here I suspect.

Here's a shadow box I did.

4mSn19Dh.jpg


From what I've seen, remove my glass and make the frame closer to the edges all the way around and the sides of the frame not as tall and seems like you'd have a floater frame? matter of fact the back you hang the photo on could be nothing more than 1/2 a grade plywood and build the frame around it. The one's I have seen all seem to have a piece of 3/4" stuff around the inside of the frame that looks like it holds the picture and with cloth it just can't be to hard to make a frame to wrap the cloth around. In my shadow box I used foam core attached to the back of the frame that is not as wide or tall as the picture. That back board is simply cut into the frame with a grove like the glass grove in front. That grove hides the joint really well.
 
Create a Post
Back
Top