Picture-Framing's Final Touches
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Picture-Framing’s Final Touches Install a matt ed photo or art work like a pro. By Mark Miller Mat Board Matt ers You’ve succeeded at making an impressive picture frame, Mat board breaks down into When choosing a color, match a but to give it a professional look, museum board, made from color and shade in the photo or you need to dress it up with cott on rags (and someti mes art work. If you made a frame for matting, glass, a back, and dust called rag board) and a standard size photo or art work cover. Following that, you need conservati on board, made from (see the Cut List and Sizing Chart a means to hang your work. I’ll wood pulp. While the former is on page XX), look for a precut cover all of these applications costlier, the latt er, more common mat board that eliminates the and introduce a tool that will product off ers good archival need for a mat cutt er. Also note guarantee spot-on precision with protecti on at a lower price. That’s that standard conservati on mat because a buff ering agent is board comes in a 4-ply thickness, cutting the mat board and glass. added to the pulp, making it acid which works well for a full variety the fussier final touches, namely, free like the museum board. of frames. Sheet size measures Size and cut the materials Colors and textures 32 × 40". Use the thicker 1 Choose a mat board that can vary. museum board, which is compliments the photo or art 8-ply, for valuable work you intend to frame. See art work. the sidebar “Mat Board Matters.” 2 Measure the rabbet opening in the back of your frame and 1 subtract 8" in each direction for sizing ⁄your mat board. This provides installation clearance. Photos: Lee Thomes Feb/Mar 2012 woodcraftmagazine.com 43 Brass hanger with screw. Figure 1: Exploded View of a Finished Frame Install last and over dust cover. Braided Acid-free tape hanging wire Glazing points 1 ⁄4" rabbet, Glass 3 Mat ⁄8" deep Kraft paper board dust cover Photo or art work applied Back with glue or double- faced tape. A Wiring Detail Slize the mat board to size on the mat board cutter by pulling the Bumper straight cutter tool along the rail. 3 Set up the mat board cutter’s 4 Determine the size border you against stop, and make the second stop and rail to cut at the desired want and set up the mat cutter cut. Proceed in this manner location and slip the mat board to cut the needed width, locking until you cut out the opening. in place. Using a mat board the stop in place. (While I chose 5 Working with the mat board 3 straight cutter tool that makes 1 4", this particular cutter lets dimensions, mark a pane of 90° cuts, slice the mat board to you⁄ cut borders up to 6" wide.) glass, and score it with a single length and width as shown in Here, you’ll use the pivoting bevel moderate-pressure pass with Photo A. See Logan’s video of the cutter to slice out the mat board either a glazier’s glass cutter mat cutter in action at youtube. opening, leaving a clean bevel cut and straightedge, or the special com/watch?v=pOBnO-9Lw5g. at corners and around the edges. glass cutter used with the mat Lay out the opening on the back cutter system (Photo C). Wear side of the mat board using the gloves when handling glass. After Tip Alert adjusted mat board cutter rails scoring , place the waste portion Frame shops rely on single- and stop. Fit a slip sheet (a piece of the pane over the edge on 3 strength glass (2.38 mm or ⁄32" of scrap mat board) beneath the your workbench and snap it off. thick). To prevent photos or art mat board’s good face to achieve a 6 Using the same dimensions, work from fading, opt for clear, clean, non-ragged edge, and make cut a piece of mat board or 1 non-glare, UV-blocking glass. Photo thin ( 8") foam core to serve B as the⁄ back for the frame. the first cut as shown in . Turn the mat board 90°, fit it B C With the mat board face down, align the start/stop With the glass pane in position, pivot the cutter mark on the bevel cutter with the layout line (Inset), down and, using moderate pressure, pull it along and then pull the bevel cutter along the rail to the stop. the rail to score the glass on the cut line. 44 woodcraftmagazine.com Feb/Mar 2012 E D Press in a pair of glazing points along the rabbet Cut pieces of acid-free tape and use them to hinge the with a screwdriver to hold the glass, mat board, photo or art work to the back face of the mat board. photo or art work, and back in place. Install the layers Trim off the paper waste with Photo G. Add braided wire for and prep for hanging a sharp utility or Xacto knife. hanging, noting the Wiring 1 Center your photo or art 4 Finally, locate the picture- Detail in Figure 1. Stick a couple piece in the mat board opening, hanging hardware one-fourth of adhesive-backed plastic and attach it to the mat board to one-third down from the bumpers onto the lower back as shown in Photo D. You’ll frame’s top edge and install corners of the frame to space want to cut four pieces of tape: the hardware as shown in it away from the wall. n two that attach the photo or art work to the mat board and serve as hinges, and two that cross the hinging tape at 90°. These secure the hinging pieces to the mat board, forming what’s called a T-hinge. 2 Referring to Figure 1, install the layers in the frame’s rabbet in the order shown. Check to see if your photo or art work is centered from the front of F G the frame, and then press in Lay the dust cover paper over the Measure down from the frame’s glazing points to hold in the back of the frame and press it in top edge, drill pilot holes into the layers (Photo E). In the buying place all around. Slice off the excess. back, and screw in the hangers. guide I include a tool that Convenience-PLUS BUYING GUIDE Apply a roll-on adhesive 3 1 9 orinserts strips rigid of double-faced and flex points. tape 1. 1 ⁄16" × ⁄16" brass wall hangers, 10/ pkg. #27K04 $3.99 around the perimeter of the 2. Door and Drawer Bumpers, clear, ½" dia., 25/pkg. #153560 $3.49 frame’s back face, and then Above items are available at Woodcraft stores, woodcraft.com or by calling (800) 225-1153. cover the frame with kraft Prices subject to change without notice. paper to create a dust cover. 3. Logan Elite 40" Mat Cutter, Model 450-1 #828312 $259.99 4. Logan 32" Mat Cutter, Model 301-S #828311 $124.99 Tip Alert 5. Logan Glass Cutter Elite #704-1 $29.99 To remove wrinkles from the 6. Logan Dual Drive Elite #F500-2 $59.99 installed kraft paper, spray it with (for inserting rigid and flex points) water. It will tighten as it dries. Above items are available at [email protected]; call (888-231-8885.) Prices subject to change without notice. Illustration: Frank Rohrbach III Feb/Mar 2012 woodcraftmagazine.com 45.