I've just finished a couple more frames, and held the pics/glass in with a better method than I used before. I've been backing my pictures with 1/8" hardboard and dong a sort of toe nail with a pinner to hold them in. This looks half arse, but worse it makes getting things out after the fact a lot harder. So I'm doing this now. I'm pretty sure I didn't think of it, it was probably a tip I saw somewhere in the past and then remembered it when I saw the fenders washers in my hardware box. Anyway, it just a fender washer (these are 7/8" with a 5/32" hole) and a 3/8" screw. I used a forstner bit to cut a relief in the back of the frame to contain the washer. It overlaps probably 3/16" onto the hardboard backing. This allows easy access should I need to get it apart for some reason. Anyway, though I'd mention it in case it's of use to anyone else. Sorry, I just noticed how fuzzy the pic is...but you get the idea.)

Edited February 12, 20215 yr by Fred W. Hargis Jr

That's a sweet idea and a lot cheaper than those specialized framing point staplers.

That works great.   Another option is to grind off part of the washer so all you have to do is loosen the screw a bit and rotate it around.  

 

I have some metal thingies that work similarly.   For the life of me, I cannot remember when or how i got them.   They are much thinner than the z-clips for table tops.  But similar in shape.

 

The difference between a trick and a technique is that a technique is simply a trick used more than once.

 

 

Edited February 12, 20215 yr by kmealy

Fred we use the sawtooth hanger style. Its way faster than anything else. 

 Also when I cut out the size frame I need  and before I  cut the miters on each end I cut the insert for the glass or 

pictures I save the thin pieces and this is what I staple back in to hold the picture in .

  This way I can save lots of time in the whole process..

7 minutes ago, Smallpatch said:

Fred we use the sawtooth hanger style. Its way faster than anything else. 

 Also when I cut out the size frame I need  and before I  cut the miters on each end I cut the insert for the glass or 

pictures I save the thin pieces and this is what I staple back in to hold the picture in .

  This way I can save lots of time in the whole process..

This works, but is more difficult to remove.  I had to re-make some picture frames for my daughter that get updated annually on birthdays or school years.

Thanks, Fred.  Brilliant idea and I will incorporate it modified as per Keith.  Thank you to both of you.  

The thing I've ran into with sawtooth hangers (and why I don't use them that often) is that I can never seem to get them centered enough to have the pic hang level. It seems like I'm always off enough that one tooth gives me a lean to the right, and the adjacent tooth gives a lean to the left. That seem to happen unless it's a very small frame..which is where I use them anymore.

30 minutes ago, Fred W. Hargis Jr said:

The thing I've ran into with sawtooth hangers (and why I don't use them that often) is that I can never seem to get them centered enough to have the pic hang level. It seems like I'm always off enough that one tooth gives me a lean to the right, and the adjacent tooth gives a lean to the left. That seem to happen unless it's a very small frame..which is where I use them anymore.

I cheat. I use a small piece of double stick tape on the bottom of the frame. 

16 hours ago, Smallpatch said:

Also if a person can cut perfect 45's you can always have perfect glued up corners...with using one little trick.

 

Inquiring minds would like to know what this little trick is Jess...

I meant to post pics of the 2 frames I had just built with the above and didn't. Here they are. The on on the left is a collage of a dog we had 30+ years ago, Marie had it made as a Christmas gift. The other is that print that Keith had posted a few weeks back and generously shared the source. I had it printed and made the frame. I don't care for the wood I used, it was more of an experiment. The light streaky wood is actually spalted elm, I had bout 60 bd. ft. or so at my supplier for $1/bd ft., then couldn't figure out what to do with it. I made this frame thinking the wood had an aged look that might go well with the print. So even though I'm not crazy about it, Marie thought it was great...so I guess I won't remake it. Anyway, one thing that did happen was with the finish. It's varnish, but I didn't have any satin in my stash...so I got to try a new-to-me product. I went to SW and bought a can of Min-wax Fast Dry Varnish. This is an alkyd resin/linseed oil (I think) formula. At first I thought it was the old SW fast dry with a new label. Now I'm not so sure. It's a wonderful product, something I've never said about anything with a Min-Wax label. But I don't think it's as dark as the old SW product, it's actually very light much like the soya oil varnish I usually use. Anyway, if any of you need an oil based finish for something I recommend giving this a try.

 

Edited February 13, 20215 yr by Fred W. Hargis Jr

 Great tip Fred. I like both frames but I favor the look of the one on the right.

S-W used to have a branded "Fast Dry" varnish that was NOT poly.   Maybe with their re-branding and owning Minwax now, they just swapped the label names.   Thanks for the info.   And Menuisier looks good!

I think the general rule is that if "polyurethane", "urethane", or "poly" is not plastered all over the label, it might be an alkyd (or phenolic) resin.  Sadly, McCloskey's, Cabot 8000, and P&L have all gone away.   Waterlox is still around.

21 minutes ago, kmealy said:

I think the general rule is that if "polyurethane", "urethane", or "poly" is not plastered all over the label, it might be an alkyd (or phenolic) resin.  Sadly, McCloskey's, Cabot 8000, and P&L have all gone away.   Waterlox is still around.

That's what I think, if it's not labeled "poly" it's almost certainly alkyd resin. Seems like at one time the Watco Danish Oil was made with an alkyd resin varnish. Not sure where I picked that up, I've never used the stuff... and even if it were true, they may have changed things.

Fred, those are great frames and I particularly like the coloration of the one on the right.  I like the shape and colors.  You done good.  

6 hours ago, Fred W. Hargis Jr said:

That's what I think, if it's not labeled "poly" it's almost certainly alkyd resin. Seems like at one time the Watco Danish Oil was made with an alkyd resin varnish. Not sure where I picked that up, I've never used the stuff... and even if it were true, they may have changed things.

Fred you are not far off. All the "Tung Oil Finshes" have some type of "varnish" in them and not Tung Oil.

Those are great frames Fred.

Another method you could try is small brass wood screws. Easy to remove later but secure and they don’t hold the frame away from the wall. 
Paul

On 2/13/2021 at 1:58 PM, Fred W. Hargis Jr said:

That's what I think, if it's not labeled "poly" it's almost certainly alkyd resin. Seems like at one time the Watco Danish Oil was made with an alkyd resin varnish. Not sure where I picked that up, I've never used the stuff... and even if it were true, they may have changed things.

Watco Danish Oil has gone thru at least 3 owners (maybe more with mergers and acquisitions) since I started using it.   Watco-Dennis, the original owners quit making it after getting sued because some moron burned his house down after he threw the rags in the trash and they spontaneously combusted.  Some other company picked it up and started making something called that again.  Last I decoded its SDS, it's 2/3 thinner, 2/9 oil (probably linseed) and 1/9 "resin" (varnish).  Now it appears to be about 75% thinners. When I was a newbie, a friend told me to add some varnish to use it to beef up the proportions.   Which I did regularly until I got a little more knowledge in finishing.  Watco is now a line of finishes including a brushing lacquer.

My general rule on Tung Oils is that if says "Tung Oil Finish"  or contain petroleum distillates, it's most likely not tung oil.   Flexner's article on tung oil finishes breaks down a bunch of common products and they are all over the place in their actual composition.  Some are wiping (thinned) varnishes, some are oil-varnish blends, and some are just thinned linseed oil, maybe with a splash of real tung oil (or not).

Is this topic now too far off-track???

Waterlox is a fine product (a varnish made from tung oil and phenolic resins, cooked to make a new thing called varnish).   But if you look at their web site, almost everywhere, they talk about their Tung Oil this and that.   Only in one obscure spot to the say, "What we make is a varnish"    Homer Formsby I think started this snake oil promotion back when he was selling his product off the back of a wagon (figuratively).

Waterlox is what I would have used on my frames if it was readily available locally. I wanted a darker finish on the spalted elm. Without Waterlox, I then wanted a linseed oil varnish (also needed a satin sheen) which lead me to what I thought was re labeled SW Fast Dry. But like I said, I'm not sure about that, the MinWax is lighter in color than I remember the SW product, but it's been a while since I've used the old SW product.