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5. JOINING THE FRAME

Three things distinguish the well-made frame from the careless job. First, the sides are cut exactly the same length so that after the frame is joined, each corner will make a true square. Second, the miters must be cut at a perfect angle of 450 and be absolutely vertical or 900 to the length and thirdly, there must be perfect joining; the miters must meet with no projecting edges. With constant attention to these three requirements the beginner will find it easier to produce good frames.

At the same time that Moldings are being cut and joined, sample corners should be made from waste pieces. It will be apparent that these corners will be extremely useful for testing various styles of Moldings and finishes with pictures before deciding on frames. Very often only a slight variation in decoration or finish will make a particular molding suitable for a number of totally different pictures. Narrow Moldings made up into sample corners will be found useful as inserts for wider Moldings to make the latter more interesting and important or to test contrasts in finishes.

Nailing is usually the operation which gives the beginner the most trouble. The secret lies in drilling the hole in the first piece large enough for a sliding fit and in not making the hole too deep in the adjoin­ing length. Long nails are apt to bend when driving, so extra care should be used with them. Never strike too heavy a blow with the hammer because it may loosen the glued joint and drive it out of square. The beginner who has not practiced woodworking will find some difficulty at first as is to be expected. This is more the result of lack of care and accuracy than an inability to handle tools.

Remember that the work will be facilitated and made more accurate if the miter box, miter vise and similar tools can be attached permanently to the work bench. If the bench is needed for other purposes, however, they should be firmly clamped when in use.

After the molding has been cut and the lengths checked, the frame is ready to be joined. All mitered corners are given a very thin coat of glue which is allowed to sink into the wood and become quite dry. Take one short length and one long one (being care­ful not to join the two short or the two long sides together) and give one piece a second and substantial coat of glue, being careful not to spread the glue too near the top of the molding. Now bring the comers together and either clamp them along the edges of the bench or place them in a miter vise or cramping tool. See that the corner meets perfectly and test for square ness with the try-square.
The correct size nails should then be selected by holding them across the corner to see whether they are long enough. Decide at what points they should be driven in by spacing them so that one is driven close to the rabbet, one near the top outside edge and another, from the opposite side, near the bottom out­side or between the first two. Place the proper size drill in the hand drill and bore holes just deep enough to penetrate one side. Practice will soon enable one to gauge just how deep the holes should be. Insert the nails in position and drive them almost home from both sides. Then, using the nail set, sink the heads of the nails just below the surface. The depth to which they should be sunk depends on the thickness of the frame, but even on very heavy moldings, ⅛" is deep enough. With a damp cloth, wipe off any excess glue which may have been squeezed out. It is difficult to remove after it has dried.

A common error made by beginners when joining is to bore the hole so that when nails are driven in from opposite sides, they strike each other. Try to place the nails to give the maximum holding power and always at an angle; the first and longest nail as close to the inside of the rabbet as possible. It is usu­ally necessary to use two or more different sizes of nails for each molding.

After the two sides of the frame are joined, repeat with the other two pieces. The next operation requires careful handling since the joints which have been made must hold by themselves while the last two are completed. With the exception of small frames or rather heavy molding it is necessary in most cases to support the joined corners until the frame is com­pleted. Different thicknesses of wood or tapered blocks made especially for the purpose should be used so that there is no danger of sagging or of joining the frame while it is out of true. These precautions are not necessary if the frame is resting on a perfectly flat surface while it is being joined. After the support­ing pieces have raised the frame to the proper height, sight across it, first from one corner and then another to make sure one side is not higher than another. Pro­ceed to finish the joining carefully, wiping off any excess glue as before. Lay the frame on a flat surface and allow the glue to set for a few hours before doing any more work on it. If several frames are being made at once, it will be found that the first frame completed will be ready for more work by the time they have all been joined.

In spite of care being exercised to avoid joining the frame while all sides are not level, it may occasionally not lie flat. This may be caused by an imperceptible twist or warp in the molding itself. Should it occur, lay the frame face down before the glue has set and drive in wooden wedges to spread the back of two of the joints until the frame lies flat and does not rock. After the glue has dried, cut off the excess wedges and smooth down.

The method described is a standard, simple way of joining frames. There are many others involving the use of spline joints, dowels, etc., which deserve con­sideration, although their use is largely unnecessary except in the case of very wide, flat Moldings or ex­ceptionally heavy frames for mirrors.

The first and easiest is the veneer joint. The frame is first cramped together with glue using one or an­other of the cramping tools described and allowed to set, preferably from four to six hours. One or more saw cuts are then made across each of the corners and thin strips of veneer as thick as the kerf of the saw with the grain running at right angles to that of the frame are inserted after being given a coat of glue. After dry­ing, the projecting edges are carefully cut off and the corners smoothed with sandpaper. Holes can then be bored and nails or screws inserted for added strength.

The spine joint requires the use of a power bench saw or a sawing jig to insure accuracy of the saw cut. The cut to receive the strip of wood called a spine is made in each corner before the frame is joined. The spines must be made the exact thickness of the saw kerf and must have the grain running at right angles to the wood of the molding.

After the miter has been glued, the spine is also coated heavily and inserted in one side. The corners are then brought together and joined with nails as described previously. The edges which project are smoothed off after drying.

Dowel joints for frames are not too difficult to ac­complish if the dowel is permitted to run directly through at least one side of the frame and smoothed off later. However, common practice is to drill two or more holes in one piece to a certain depth, insert dowel points to locate the holes on the other piece and then drill them at the same angle. Needless to say, this method requires some cabinet-making skill, and it seems doubtful whether enough additional strength is gained to warrant the work involved. As an alternative, it suggested that the holes for the dowels be bored in either of two ways; through one side or through both. A dowel of the correct size is then given a liberal coat of glue and driven home.

After the glue has set, cut off the dowel ends and smooth flush with the molding. The dowels will be invisible after painting or gilding the frame. Nails or screws are usually not necessary.

Still another method is to join the frame in the regular way and then to cut a groove across the back. A strip of wood, well glued, is then inserted and nailed down. It is obvious that this type of joint will not add much additional reinforcement because the strip has only three bearing surfaces.

At times, on very wide frames, it is the practice to attach a triangular piece of wood across the back of each corner after the frame has been assembled, ¼plywood is the best wood for the purpose and after it has been attached, the edges are planed down to a sharp angle.

Unless the reinforcement of the mitered corner joint occurs near the front or top of the frame (where the real stress takes place) little is to be gained by the additional work involved.

Because wood can never be worked to the precision of metal, it will be discovered that no matter how high the quality of molding purchased nor the amount of care used in cutting the miters, there will be slight variations when the parts are joined. Either the inside, the outside or some other part will not be absolutely flush, that is, the two pieces will never meet perfectly at every spot. Some of this tendency can be overcome by allowing the irregularity to occur at the back of the frame by raising or lowering one piece in the vise until the joint appears as perfect as possible from the front. After the frame has been joined, examine each corner carefully and carve or sandpaper the differences away until the joint is smooth. After sanding the whole frame, fill all dents, flaws, cracks and nail-holes with "crack-filler". The use of this ma­terial is recommended instead of the various "plastic" wood compounds because it is easier to work; it is also cheaper because only enough need be mixed for each project and it is better because it will not shrink when dry. For natural wood finishes or on pre-finished molding, the crack-filler can be colored with casein colors to the desired shade.

In spite of using the very best of well-seasoned molding and the utmost care in making joints, after varying lengths of time tiny cracks will appear at the miters through the finish of the frame. Sometimes the cracks will not appear for many years, but steam-heated apartments usually hasten the process. This is not due to any fault in the making or finishing of the frame but occurs because all wood keeps oxidizing or drying out and shrinking. In time, even the filling of the nail holes will be forced loose. If any antique frame is examined, it will be seen that the filling of the nail or screw holes protrudes above the level of the wood.

Occasionally one has a frame on hand which is too large for a particular picture but otherwise suitable. While it is usually more satisfactory to refinish all frames which have been cut down, sometimes for the sake of saving time, the frame can be so cut that it can be reassembled without spoiling all four corners. Let us assume that we have a frame measuring 24" x 30" to be cut down to 20" x 22".

First measure along the inside of the rabbet of the 30" side and mark it at 22". Using a 450 angle, draw a miter to the outside edge of the frame and mark it where the angle intersects. Repeat the process on the 24" side, marking it at 20". Clamp the frame in the vise at a point where the saw will cut at the mark and sever the frame after making an adjustment on the gauge for the opposite side. Be sure supports are under the forms at all times so that the side not held in the vise will be prevented from falling down sud­denly and thus break the corner that is to be saved. Lift the frame out carefully, holding the cut part to­gether and repeat with the shorter side. Next replace the part still retaining the waste pieces, check the gauge, and cut off the part to be discarded. Only two corners need to be put together, the joints smoothed and touched up to match the finish. This method will be found particularly useful when cutting down second-hand frames, especially those with heavy orna­mentation.

If all the corners show signs of being loose, it is advisable gently to separate the entire frame, even if nails must be cut through. Cut all the miters fresh (avoiding nails) and reassemble. Keep the scrap pieces as samples if the finish is to be duplicated exactly, but consider the frame as raw. Clean it by washing and sand it down to give it tooth. It is not necessary to remove the old finish completely provided it is not waxed or greasy.

Ornaments or other decorations are sometimes spoiled when cutting down frames. Some of these can be glued back into place or small parts simulated with crack-filler. In case a large piece on an elaborate frame needs to be replaced however, it is better to take a casting of a duplicate section in plaster of paris and fit it in. The procedure described in the section on repairing has been found practical.

Courtesy of Associated American Artists Galleries

IN THE SOUTH by THOMAS H. BENTON

This frame shows the use of a plain linen insert. Its employment keeps the rather strong decoration from being too distracting. The frame itself is a good illus­tration of how abstract decoration, rather than tiresome naturalistic forms, aids in the presentation of a picture.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Original in The MetropolitanMuseum of Art

SAINT PAUL LIPPO MEMM1
Early 14th Century Italian
OTi3in.1l :n The MetropolitanMuseum of Art
PORTRAIT OF A MAN DIRK BOUTS
Early 15th Century Flemish

An excellent example of the period. The frame is not only part of the picture but carries out the spirit of the composition as well. Experimentation in framing con­temporary pictures along this idea might be in order.

This can hardly be called a frame for a picture. It is rather a piece of sculptured architecture with a window in it. Strangely enough, finished as it is in gold and placed in its proper setting, it is probably perfect.

Original in The Metropolitan Museum of Ail

NEEDLEPOINT PORTRAIT ARTIST UNKNOWN

17th Century

The texture of the decoration on this frame is exceptionally well suited to the picture. The gen­eral effect would be better, however, if the frame had a mat finish. So many highlights are disturb­ing and unnecessary.

1

2

WOMAN IN WHITE
by PICASSO

l. This is one solution for the problem of framing reproduc­tions inexpensively. The raw wood frame was verysimply finished by giving it a wash of white casein paint, sanding and waxing. It is interesting, when comparing these photo­graphs, to note how very much the style of a frame can help to create an illusion of different picture sizes.

2. Before remodeling, this was a very heavy, ornamented gilt frame. The ornaments on the top edge, which made the frame very deep, were knocked off. The simple decorations were then cut witha round file. It was giventhe finish de­scribed as "Antique Finish No. 1." Compare the photograph with the others also designed by the author for the same picture.

3. Unfortunately, one view of this frame cannot give the three-dimensional quality it possesses. It projects the picture from the wall and can be adapted, with modifications of width and depth, to many pictures. The author believes that there is a need for more experimentation in frame design along this line. Frames will then eventually be created which will not only harmonize withthe picture but with the architecture of the room in which it is to hang.

4. A fairly wide and deep angle frame illustrating simple texturing on the inside edge. It is a good illustration of how a frame will make a picture appear larger. It was designed by the author as a more or less standard profile, the finish harmonizing witheach picture.

Courtesy of Associated American Artists Galleries
REDHEAD WITH POODLE
by MARCEL VERTES

The shallow, abstract carving on this frame combined with the rubbed effect is an interesting method of finishing a frame. The photograph makes it appear quite heavy and overpowering, but properly finished, it is very harmonious.

Courtesy of The Museum o\ Modern Art
VIADUCT

by FEININGER

This modern frame is finished in silver leaf. It is excellent in design and proportion and enhances the picture beauti­fully. The highlights and reflections repeat the planes of the picture with perfect results. Such good framing is rare.

Courtesy of Associated American Artists

VALLEY
by FREDERIC TAUBES

An excellent example of straight combing texture on a wide and deep scoop molding. The decoration on the edge is good but perhaps would be better if it were less "busy." However, the color of the finish and the linen insert pulls the whole together.

TREE
by JOHN STEUART CURRY

This frame has many admirable qualities but it might have been even more successful if the combing texture had been next to the carved beading and the outside left plain. The edge next to the linen insert might have been left undeco-rated. The effect then would have been more unified. The practice of alternating plain and decorated parts of a frame was a bad fault of the Victorian era.

Courtesy of Abbott Laboratories Collection of Amphibious Warfare Paintings

UNDER THE HILL BUCK
by JOHN McCRADY

The use of a beveled insert painted a very light color is well illustrated in this example. The plain scoop molding has been given a coarse surface and the edge decorated with a conventionalized egg-and-dart motif. A useful treatment for small pictures.

Courtesy of The Museum of Modern Art

CATALAN LANDSCAPE
by M1RO

The frame does not "bind" the picture but does form a good boundary for its areas. It is an example of simple, con­temporary framing that should be more prevalent. The frame is not deep and is only rounded on its outside edge.

Curtsey of Associated American Artists Gal

GIRL WITH PARROT
by MARCEL VERTES

The decoration, equalized from the centers of the sides, gives this frame a handsome, crisp appearance. It is, in reality, three frames in one and a very fine treatment for this particular picture. The light color gives it a pleasing quality and while the frame is wide and relatively heavy, it does not dominate the picture.

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