£50 to frame a painting worth much less

[AmritS]

Hi all, I'm new to art and all and after 9 months of practise I'm starting to come up with some pieces which would look good in a frame. Only problem is my paintings are on quite large frames. I had a quote from a framing shop and they wanted £50 for a 16 x 20 frame (nice border and mount).

So my question is am I not able to frame myself? I've looked around this forum for a lot of framing ideas but nowhere I can see a step by step guide on framing.

Any advise? Some people are advising to go to a professional framer, however at £50 a frame surely there has to be a cheaper way?

I've looked in shops for second hand frames but the issue is I'd often need a custom made frame.

oh, and here's what I'm looking to frame. It was painted by my 9 year old who seems to like his new found hobby.

[FramerDave]

The short answer is that the frame doesn't know how much the artwork is worth.

[beetee]

You can pick up cheap ready-mades in standard sizes like 16 x 20 Armit.(IKEA and cetain supermarkets).
But you wont frame one to the same standard as a framer,first time round without good kit(cost plenty more than £50 )

All the best

Brian the framer

[AmritS]

Thanks Beetee, I do agree with you on the cheap ikea frames. They don't really do what I want. You say get a good kit, but where do I get this good kit from? And how much would it cost?

FramerDave, I'm not disputing putting a frame on, but rather that paying somebody else £50 for a job which hopefully I can do myself is not business sense, especially if nobody is willing to spend even £50 on the painting. I agree, the frame can make the painting. My question is how can I frame myself?

Update:

So I googled framing kits and this came up:
http://www.diyframing.com/store_view...?CategoryID=21
They start from £180 all the way up to £3,500 for professional kits, although the professional business kits start from £1370 enabling you to start a business in this area.

[beetee]

Armit you would still struggle with DIY kit(a lot of wasted mountcard,frame etc.)
To frame your own art .you need,frame(moulding),mountcard,glass and backing-then the proper tools to assemble frame ,cut glass etc)
Unless you are planning to frame a lot of art,pictures I would advise a framer or ready made frames.Frames are available on ebay.
It seems you are between a rock and a ....etc.
Framer too expensive -Ikea etc.not good enough...
I started some years ago with some hobby DIY kit and soon found it wasnt up to doing the job.

All the best
Brian

[AmritS]

Hi Beetee, all I need is a frame, no glass or mount since I'm framing a canvas oil painting.
My son plans to paint one painting every two weeks. I will probably paint 12 a year. The frame does make them. That's a lot of paintings to frame and a lot of money.

This link seems to be good at explaining the process step by step.
http://gillthepainter.blogspot.co.uk...ing-frame.html

[Aires]

I've always found it quite easy to scour flea markets, auctions and yard sales for standard size frames like 16X20. One needs to search for solid wood frames rather than resin or plastic as wood can easily be repaired or re-painted/varnished to enhance the painting. I've found some elaborate ornate frames in large sizes for ten dollars or so, ones which easily run $100 new. Besides, one can cut a large one down to size with a miter saw. Last summer I hit a yard sale held to send kids to summer camp and came home with stacks of picture frames, most at $1 each but none more than $5. All you really need is some glue, a miter saw for cutting them to size, maybe some wood putty, small nails or brads, and you are ready to go. If you become experienced cutting frames down then it would be an easy step to building your own from moulding, just more expensive. Many frames found at thrift stores and yard sales are of uneven measurements so they don't work with pre-stretched canvas - again, they can either be cut down to fit or the easier way is to cut a substrate to fit the frame out of hardboard, luan, gesso board, etc. They are every bit as attractive as ones I've purchased new, some even more so. The key is solid wood frames and looking them over to see how much repair, if any, is needed to restore them....many need only be cleaned for use. I no longer take uneven sizes unless the frames are exceptional in some way that makes it worth the extra trouble. Just one way of handling the cost of framing pictures.

[beetee]

Yes Armit that link gives you one process of making a frame.
Making your own frames is a satisfying process(that is why I started).
You can essentially make a frame,with four pieces of wood,a hammer and nails.
You will still need to source your raw material(wood)whether it be from car-boot sales or a DIY store or a frame supplier.And it will take time to make the frame(time = money).If it takes you 2-3 hours to make the frame then the cost of raw materials,.. the cost soon adds up and the £50 or £20 frame
soon looks a lot less hassle.
But if it is a hobby you are after - then I say go for it - buy a good vice,straplamp,mitre saw,etc. get some secondhand frames and make them to the size you require.
You will never know until you give it a go.

All the best

Brian

[AmritS]

Thank Brian, to be honest, it is more of a hobby for me. It's adding to the whole process of painting and making it more fun and wholesome. Much more satisfying than just producing a piece of art. The frame is a piece of art in it's own right. Plus it will give me total control of my frames and make things affordable.

Is there a good mitre saw you can recommend? They seem to not give exact 45 degree angles.

I saw (no pun intended) the following which looks very good to get the 45 degree angle.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQhkt...eature=related
http://www.lionmitertrimmer.com/demo.htm

And they sell all the tools here:
http://www.diyframing.com/user/custo...gue_231009.pdf

[beetee]

I have no experience of the kit you have shown..(looks to do the job)Although it seems the process needs a mitre saw and then the trimmer.
I am guessing the trimmer and a good mitre saw would cost about £300 all in.and you would need to be very accurate with your measuring.
My honest advice would be to keep on the lookout for a secondhand MORSO
guillotine(I got mine for £350 about 10 years ago and could sell it now for at least double that)and it will still be cutting mitres when I am long gone.)
With a Morso there is no need for a mitre saw and it cuts to the correct length and with perfect mitres everytime.(well 99% of the time).
They sometimes come up on ebay/gumtree etc.the extra £100-£150 you would spend on a morso rather than a mitre trimmer /mitre saw would soon be made back in time quality of frame finish

Brian

[beetee]

Armit
I dont know where you live,but this is the type of thing that is streets ahead of the trimmer?mitre saw set up.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Morso-F-fo... tem2a1ebd2e8f

Brian

[AmritS]

I'm from the UK Brian.

Here's one

The thing about the large morso is the fact that it is large. The smaller tools will fit nicely in my shed. For £135 I can purchase a mitre trimmer and measurer from http://www.diyframing.com/user/custo...gue_231009.pdf on page 3.
Then for another £23 I can buy a cheap mitre saw from homebase. It won't be great, but I'll just need it for rough trimming, and then use the actual mitre trimmer for more accuracy.

I'm guessing you're from the UK too? Just out of interest where is a good cheap place to buy wholesale mouldings from?

[AmritS]

I've done the maths here. If I were to frame a 16 x 20" canvas with a simple frame that is say this mould to get it framed by the shop it would cost approx £47 (standard frame cost).
This shop also provides a diy framing chop service whereby they mitre and you just glue on at home. This option will cost £32.77.
The 3rd route is to invest in the tools and do self framing.
A 6m pack costs £6.71 per metre = £13.42 per frame.

10 x (16 x 20") frames would normally therefore cost £470
10 x self framing option = £134.20

cost of the tools:
£135 for a mitre trimmer and measuring tool
£23 for a cheap mitre saw (could opt for a better saw)
Total £158

Even with initial wastage from practising, you can see it will pay for itself.

Plus you have the satisfaction of knowing you have done it all yourself, and who knows, you could even help an art friend and frame their work at a reduced price.

The next question is how to get mouldings at a cheap price wholesale.

[beetee]

Armit if your painting is 20 x16 your calculations are out and you wont get exactly "x" number of frames from "y" amount of moulding.
But for wholesale moulding you could try LION in Birmingham,Arqadia,or possibly Simons in London, there are plenty more ,but I dont know what there procedure is with non-business accounts.

All the best
Brian

[Mares Rex]

Have you considered using quality gallery wrapped canvas and simply sticking them on the wall without a frame? I'm sure you have, but still, just saying... it can look pretty awesome.