Shadow Box

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Chris Mallow

Grumbler in Training
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Oct 5, 2007
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I am working on an order for a local hospital. They want me to frame a coffee mug and an etched glass block of the hospital. These items will be framed seperatley.

I have done numerous shadow boxes but nothing that is substanial in weight. Does anyone have any suggestions on anchoring the two seperate pieces in 4 1/4 shadow box frames? (The shadow box frames are already built, but I am not sure how to anchor the two pieces).

Chris
 
I would use the bottom of the shadowbox for the support of the coffee mug and the glass block. You could sit the mug and block on the bottom rail or build a platform up from the bottom rail to support both in their respective framings.

As far as what to use to hold them in place, all you need, if you do a "sit on the bottom" type of presentation is something to help keep it from tipping over in an extreme case of dropping or turning the framing upside down. I know what I would use but you'll get many suggestions for how to do this.

Good luck.
 
We do a lot of these. On most we use a sink mat of suede mat board that barely covers the edge of the glass. It is a very deep sink mat, so the sides and back are lined with the same suede. Amazingly the light reflects on the edges of the glass and the etching and you can plainly see it is a block of glass.

Some of the ones we have done have been concave, so, the same sink mat was use, but it only covers the ends a bit.

In addition to what Tom said, you might want to do a shallow sink mat on the bottom rail to nestle it in, and a shallow sink mat (say 1/8 to 1/4 deep, depending on whether or not the corners of the glass have been bevelled) on the mat board to hold the back of the glass sort of like perfume in a nice box. Make the cuts in the sink mats reverse and very tight. Melinex 516 can be used for additional support and is truly almost invisible.
 
thank you for your input. Your process is what I was considering but I wasn't exactly sure if that was the wisest choice.

thanks again
Mallow's Custom Framing
 
For the cup, a clear film strap as wide as you can make it and still get it through the handle.

For the glass block, a clear film wrap. That is, trim the clear film to cover the face of the glass and slice the film so all four sides wrap under & through a carefully-sized hole the size of the glass block, cut in the mounting board.

Plenty of support for such heavy items.
 
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