Custom finishes for special occasions, pt 2

Wherein we address another age old dilemma for custom picture framers:

Moulding Discontinued; No Stock Available

You’ve got the corner sample, but you can’t make the frame. Enter The Frame Maker’s custom finishing services under the direction of scenic artist John Hiemstra.

This blue patina picture frame moulding was perfect for one of our client’s pieces in 2008, except for the fact that it had been officially discontinued since 2006! We found a basic matte white moulding of approximately the same profile and scuffed it up before glazing it in multiple layers of blue (full frame in picture below) to match the patina effect of the original commercially produced picture frame moulding (corner sample below).

custom faux painted picture frame

End result: another satisfied client!

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Custom frame finishes for special occasions, pt. 1

Sometimes even we can’t get what you want, or maybe not in in time. That’s when our assembled custom milling & custom finishing services come into play at The Frame Maker.

Sorting through photos over the weekend reminded us of two small custom framing projects from 2008 that deserve mention for their timely problem solving performances. Here’s number one.

Out of Stock Until Way Too Late

Most picture framers have had this challenge before them. For this job, we could get the same profile as the intended moulding, but not the right finish until well after the client’s installation deadline.

painted faux wood grain finish on commercial picture frame moulding

The corner sample in the photo above is the desired moulding, with a clear chestnut colored finish. The moulding length in front are a painted wood grain faux finish created to match the corner sample. Their original color was the popular “espresso” finish, which is not quite black.

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Custom moulding prototypes: finished pictures

Here are pictures of the finished prototype frames utilizing resawn & scrap pieces of fine hardwoods. We published progress pictures of these mouldings in last post, and now here you can see some of the best looking recycling projects around today.

custom wenge picture frame

resawn cocobolo custom picture frame

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Custom moulding/ custom frame prototypes

The Frame Maker has always greatly appreciated and recommended fine hardwood picture frame mouldings when the piece calls for this kind of classic picture frame.

Obviously, many premium hardwoods have today grown scarce from the rapid growth of industry, trade and commerce. For framers and their clients, this scarcity drives three challenges:

• higher prices for fine materials
• lower quality of material, generally speaking
• issues with availability in a timely fashion

The Frame Maker has developed some different responses to these challenges recently that embrace “green”, sustainable design principles to find solutions.

Here are a few pictures that show one such solution, which emerges from a woodworker’s understanding of the problem as well as a framer’s.

scrap & resawn hardwood picture frames

The overall profile of each of the two picture frame mouldings shown above is only a few inches square, but the chunks of wood required to mill them in the traditional manner are harder to find, harder to work, and make it far more challenging to produce a premium product in the end.

These mouldings are made by laminating two lengths of lumber together. Each has a fine hardwood face glued to a poplar “backframe”. All of this lumber is essentially scrap, leftover from the woodworking operations of other business and our own. The 1/4″ resawn cocobolo and 3/4″ wenge stock are remnants from a San Diego furniture designer; the poplar base mouldings are leftovers a large wholesale hospitality custom framing job we completed at The Frame Maker this February.

You can see more detail of the cocobolo in this picture of the mitred chops about to be joined. I will post finished frame pictures next.

resawn cocobolo picture frame prototype

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Custom maple mouldings for Xu Bing

Here are some pics of the maple picture frame moulding we had custom milled for Xu Bing’s 135″ paper piece from the Artist’s Respond! show at MCASD.

custom maple picture frame moulding for Xu Bing

There is no commercial picture frame moulding made at these lengths, which we had milled from 14 foot raw stock to ensure clean lengths at the final outside frame dimensions of 140″ x 50″.

custom color for maple picture frame

We mixed the custom color to match the color of frames previously used on similar large scale pieces by the artist. We milled the stock to a solid 1.75″ x 2.75″ block to approximate the earlier frames as well.

1.75 inch x 2.75 inch maple frame moulding profile

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