While on vacation I bought some prints and now that I’m home I would like to make some frames for them. I’ll all about craftsman so I’m going to make some oak frames, about one inch thick with a rabbet in the back. I was going to screw some thin plywood across the back to hold everything in and keep the picture flat. Will 1/4 inch thick be adequately strong?
jeremy
Replies
Jeremy,
I assume that you plan on using glass in front of the picture as well. I would say that 1/4" ply is overkill, unless your prints are bordering on poster size. 1/8" ply would be adequate, as would stiff cardboard.
Chris @ www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com
- Success is not the key to happines. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer
Edited 4/20/2008 2:11 am by flairwoodworks
Jeremy,
Unless you lay your pictures flat on the floor to look at, the backing needn't be super-strong as there are only small forces on it when hung on a wall. More important is hanging the picture on a backboard that won't warp with moisture or other environmental changes. Some thin plywoods will so-warp, I have found.
I construct a lot of pictures as I like to take landscape photos as well as working wood. I've now "evolved" down to a relatively simple system which hangs the picture from the top-only onto foam board, using double-sided tape of the non-acidic variety (so it won't discolour and show through the picture). Foam board can be got in various thicknesses although I find 6mm (1/4") adequate for pictures up to A3+. It's very light (won't add to the strain on your picture hook) stiff and inert.
The stuff is made for the purpose so stays stable and isn't inclined to warp. The better quality stuff is also guaranteed ph-neutral so shouldn't affect the colours or integrity of the print hanging on it. I pin it in to the frame with a one o' them spring guns that shoot thin slivers of bendy metal into the inside edge of the rebate. These allow you to extract the picture on its back board if ever you want to change or renew it. To keep the air out (which may have pollutants in it that will also fade your pic) I tape around the frame / back board joint, again with tape made for the purpose.
Art shops and similar sell all this picture-mounting gubbins over here in Blighty. Perrhaps it's the same in the US? There are also probably Internet retailers these days. In Britain Arqadia sell many wonderful framing materials and issue a thick, colour catalogue of their stuff. Perhaps there is an equivalent over there?
Lataxe
My wife uses a picture backing board she buys at Hobby Lobby or Michael's craft stores. In Mobile, Alabama, there's a Hobby Lobby right next door to Woodcraft :-)
You really don't need much more than foamcore. Also, keep in mind it's best to leave a gap between the glass and the picture / painting.
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