"Last Supper" needed a frame.

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Location
Houston, Texas
A good client from the past called needing a frame for a cast piece she bought for a small church they (she and her husband) support. The color of the wood they have there is medium pecan.

These are photos of the front and the back of the casting. She called it pewter, I'm not sure, it doesn't matter.

back.jpg

front.jpg
Shaz :)
 
Are these see thru frames?:D


SSSSShhhhh!!! ;)

"The emperor has no clothes on!" :rofl:


...art

ps: I see the standoff posts, Shaz, so I'd go for something "floating" mysefl. Maybe a large panel. Hmm, or maybe an open frame that intersects at each post, so you just get the ends sticking out beyond the piece. That might be interesting also. Looking forward to see what you picked.
 
Are these see thru frames?:D
Hi Al :wave:,
Evidently you can't see it:huh::rofl::rofl::rofl:...S
SSSSShhhhh!!! ;)

"The emperor has no clothes on!" :rofl:
Hi Art :wave:,
Shhhhhhhh, share that with no one!!!!!!!:rolleyes:.....S


...art

ps: I see the standoff posts, Shaz, so I'd go for something "floating" mysefl. Maybe a large panel. Hmm, or maybe an open frame that intersects at each post, so you just get the ends sticking out beyond the piece. That might be interesting also. Looking forward to see what you picked.
Thanks Art for you ideas. It is stimulating to consider your options knowing..... there will be an answer, Let it be.:doh::rofl::rofl::rofl:

How long are the pin/post? Is there any chance of cutting them down to where they can help hold the casting into a frame.
Al,
The posts are standing out approximately 1 3/8" from the back of the casting. Before you read on consider how you might handle them and still wrap the casting with a frame.... S :huh::D
 
It was suggested that the piece would be hung on a wall, however we know, We have several options! :rolleyes: We know,.......They don't, as of yet!;)

It is already heavy.:eek: !!!!!! What do you think some options are for presenting the piece, for viewing by the congregation?
Shaz:huh::rolleyes::D:)
 
this is why they gave the piece to you to mount.(if they were my friends, and asked me, Id send them your email and tell them to hire you)


now, no laughing here:

Me, Id go out and buy myself some nice 8/4 stock, glue it all up 18 inches wider than the piece on all 4 sides..
Then, as the amateur I am, Id go buy me some heavy duty uh, dont know what they are called, heavy duty round steel clamps, like a hose clamp, but 1/2 inch thick. Use those 1.5 inch pegs in the back, holes large enough for the clamps to fit(countersink in back) and room to tighten them(allen wrench stuff, like a drill bit stop kinda clamp), put those pegs in back of the artwork, through the wood, clamp them secure, and hang it
 
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Any chance of being able to drill and tap those pegs for mounting? could mount it out from a background piece either a natural wood finish or cloth. then build out a frame with a 2-3 gap around the piece. Could even light it from underneath to create a halo effect.
 
Shadow box?
Hi Al :wave:,
That would work!:thumb:
S :)

this is why they gave the piece to you to mount.(if they were my friends, and asked me, Id send them your email and tell them to hire you)
Hi Allen :wave:,
Don't negate your ability to solve this problem.
S :)


now, no laughing here:

Me, Id go out and buy myself some nice 8/4 stock, glue it all up 18 inches wider than the piece on all 4 sides..
Then, as the amateur I am, Id go buy me some heavy duty uh, dont know what they are called, heavy duty round steel clamps, like a hose clamp, but 1/2 inch thick. Use those 1.5 inch pegs in the back, holes large enough for the clamps to fit(countersink in back) and room to tighten them(allen wrench stuff, like a drill bit stop kinda clamp), put those pegs in back of the artwork, through the wood, clamp them secure, and hang it
Very interesting idea Allen! This also has merit! .S :)

Any chance of being able to drill and tap those pegs for mounting? could mount it out from a background piece either a natural wood finish or cloth. then build out a frame with a 2-3 gap around the piece. Could even light it from underneath to create a halo effect.
Hi Darren :wave:,
I considered the drill and also the tapping, but not knowing the strength of the metal posts, and considering the weight I went a different way.
The idea of wood and/or cloth with the space behind leaving the opportunity for lighting is an interesting one. Thanks.
S :)

This is the way I went.
I measured the casting, and then the border. The border was 2 1/2" wide, I divided the border in half. That equals 1 1/4". I added 1 1/4" to the 2 1/2" and come up with 3 3/4". That is the dimension I decided to add on each side of the frame, and the top. They wanted a bit more room for a plaque at the bottom so I made it about 6". Lets say it was 39" wide, I made a 3/4" birch plywood piece 39" + 3 3/4" left side and +3 3/4" right side...= 46 1/2" wide and you can do the math for the height if it was 26" tall.
I centered the casting over the plywood and marked the position of the posts then cut 1" holes to fit the 5/8" posts due to the fact that they were crooked. Dropping the posts into the holes I centered the casting again and determined how much of the plywood needed to be cut away (due to the protrusion of metal on the back side of the cast) so that the casting would lay flat on the plywood. This determined I cut a hole in the plywood and dropped the cast in place

plywood over sized.jpg

I cut extra space for a hanger loop I thought I might use, next to the 2 upper posts.

hole for peg and recess for hanging loop.jpg

Here are the loops I thought I would use for hanging.

hanging loop.jpg
DSCN0009.jpg

I decided against that and just made washers to cover the oversized holes and attached my band clamps.

band clamp over washer.jpg

Here is a picture of the back with the hole cut and the band clamps on.

back view with posts clamped.jpg
 
I never mind helping out a family member.
Feel free to email anytime in the future with any questions.
Hi Allen :wave:,
Do I need send money to retain your services?:doh: Sorry, I should just send check!:rolleyes:
S :)

Robert - you're an artisan. I knew you would figure it out.:thumb:
Rennie Rennie Rennie :wave:,
I didn't even know you had time to follow this one. :D
Thanks for being you.:)
Shaz :)

Let see now :huh:, we have the cast locked into the plywood.

Let us turn it over and add corners and some connecting wood.
I decided on mahogany corners and spalted pecan connecting strips. The corners, like most stop blocks, will be thicker than the connecting strips. As you see here the block is set with a piece of spalted pecan to it's left.

mahogany corners over sized.jpg

This next photo is one of the corner block set and the connecting strips in view. Note the connecting strip running up under the block, on the left shows a visible difference in width from the mahogany block.

corner and connecting strips.jpg
 
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Shaz, I follow all your threads.:thumb:
Thanks Rennie! :wave:...S
that spalted pecan is some nice looking wood.
Yes it is beautiful wood. I did a theater one time using a mix of the spalted pecan, spalted sycamore and spalted hackberry. They are all 3 beautiful and the spalting takes it to a different level.

Anyway let us proceed.
We have
#1 a piece of plywood larger than the casting and
#2 with the cast set into it we have covered the plywood surrounding "The Last Supper" with corner blocks and connecting strips, all attached from the back.

All the blocks and connecting strips are over sized. They all hang over the edge of the plywood. Due to the irregularity of the casting, each piece was cut to fit the casting and the result is "the over hang of the plywood differs. What is next? how do we square the frame?

cast in oversized frame.jpg

front view cast out.jpg
Shaz :)
 
Squaring

well shaz seein as how you are suffern from memory loss:D i will atempt to help you out here first take n measure the side margine at the top and the bottom of each side. lets say its 2" at the top and 2.25 at the bottom you only have one choice 2" then do the same for all four sides come up with at least one no for the top and bottom and one for the sides make decsision as to which one looks the best in your eyes.. both the same or one bigger than the other..then set your table saw fence to cut one side the measure the total distance left and make a parrel cut for the other side then go tback and do the same for the the lsat remaining sides at 90 degrees with a panel sled.. i wont charge you for this worhtless info:D:rofl: now tell us the right answer
 
Dear Larry :wave:, Thanks :), your help is quite valuable and may be use on the next frame, if that should ever occur. Seems my memory has returned!:eek::rofl:
Remembering :huh:, where were we:rolleyes:, Oh yes cutting the frame to square.
Since some of the corner blocks hang over 1/8" and some are over 1/4" and the connecting strips were scribed to fit and then cut to length, we have no regular parallel sides.

The onlay is just that, on top of the 3/4" plywood.

The overhang is no more than 5/8" at any given point.

Thus,

I ripped a board about 4" wide. I will used that up against the table saw fence.
Now we need a setting for the tablesaw fence. Turning the frame upside down and putting the 4" ripping against the plywood, I measured from the edge of the 4" ripping across the frame to the other side of the plywood. Remember, in post #11 I said that the plywood frame was 46 1/2" wide.
Add the 4" and deduct 1/4" = 50 1/4". That is where I set my fence. Using the 4" ripping against the fence, under the overlay but up against the plywood I am able to cut off approximately 1/4" of the frame on that one side.

This first photo shows the 4" board being used
#1 against the fence,
#2 under the overlayed mahogany and spalted pecan
#3 against the plywood used as the sub frame.

cutting the edge straight.jpg
The 4" piece just happens to be a piece of crosscut walnut plywood.

These next photos show a continuation of the same procedure for the other sides.

cutting the edges straight.jpg
cutting the edges straight (1).jpg
cutting the edges straight (2).jpg
cutting the edges straight (3).jpg
Shaz :)
 
Once finished with the squaring of the piece I ran apiece of 1/4" x 1" piec if pecan around the perimeter amd tacked it on.

triming the outter edge.jpg

This done I could add a clear coat, sprayed on lacquer sanding sealer and then used 220 sand paper.

clear coat.jpg
clear coat (1).jpg
clear coat (2).jpg

This is always a nice touch, you know, adding a topcoat to the raw wood.
Shaz
 
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