Matting and Framing - DPChallenge Forums

Sigma 28-300mm f/3.5-6.3 DL Aspherical IF Hyperzoom for Canon

08/02/2003 03:01:13 PM · #1

I just bought my first mat cutter two hours ago. Already cut two mats. Why haven't I done this sooner? This is incredibly simple. Now I'm on my way to Home Depot to get a mitre saw, glass cutter and router. Gonna make barnwood frames!

rickhd13

Canon EOS-20D

08/02/2003 03:40:46 PM · #2

I would be interested in seeing a photo of your frames when you complete a few of them

kiwiness

Canon Canon 1d x Mark II

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

08/02/2003 03:46:01 PM · #3

What's your matte cutter called?

Sony 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 E-mount

08/02/2003 05:35:29 PM · #4

I got the Logan 4000 Deluxe Pull Style (insert your own grunting here). It was about $35US. Just returned from the Home Depot with all the right tools for framing. Now, where am I going to find barnwood in Detroit? Nevermind, I'll get it in Marquette while we are on vacation.

jmsetzler

Sony Alpha a6000

08/02/2003 06:05:13 PM · #5

I wanna try this sometime also but I haven't bothered to look into it yet. I'm not as interested in building my own frames as cutting mattes tho...

irockstars

Canon PowerShot A70

08/02/2003 06:35:11 PM · #6

Originally posted by conceptgraphics:

Now, where am I going to find barnwood in Detroit? Nevermind, I'll get it in Marquette while we are on vacation.

I think its funny how most people in Michigan come up here to vacation... while I go down there. I don't appreciate my tourist town =P

Sigma 50-500mm f/4.0-6.3 EX APO RF HSM for Olympus

08/02/2003 09:28:24 PM · #7

Originally posted by irockstars:

Originally posted by conceptgraphics:
Now, where am I going to find barnwood in Detroit? Nevermind, I'll get it in Marquette while we are on vacation.

I think its funny how most people in Michigan come up here to vacation... while I go down there. I don't appreciate my tourist town =P

Didn't realize you were from Marquette. We are hoping to move there by the end of September. Know anybody who could use a graphic artist/offset printer?

hortopth

Canon EOS-D60

08/02/2003 10:11:54 PM · #8

you can get barnwood in the Detroit area... just a lot harder in the last decade.

I was looking at a Logan Mat cutter... strangely, they are hard to find here in AUstralia, and 3 times the price... I'll wait till I'm back in Detroit at Christmas.

Do take a photo of your finished product and put it on here for us to see.

I've just had a go at making frames for the first time (two), and the mitre saw I was using was no cheap one... but still, the 45 degrees is not 45.000 exactly, so it has required a bit of sanding on the corners. So what I mean to say is, be careful, and check on their return policy, because if its not spot on, its just not on. You would think that you could then just adjust the saw to a slightly different setting, but usually, they POP into place at 45 degrees, so if you try to set, say 44.9, it will POP back into 45 when it starts running.
I'm now trying to find a better way.

If you come up with any tips, let me know

Message edited by author 2003-08-02 22:57:18.

inspzil

Olympus E-510

08/02/2003 11:26:50 PM · #9

Originally posted by conceptgraphics:

I bought the same mat cutter Tuesday. I wasn't going to buy it, I was just going to look. The frame store that I went to had scrap mat for sale. Pieces big enough for 2 16x20 mats for like $.50. I was compelled to buy it. There were tons of different mats, anywhere from normal $7 a sheet mats to some that were 20-25 bucks a sheet stuff, all scraps being sold for somewhere between a quarter and a dollar. The ones for $1 are about 2/3 of a whole sheet.

I'm going in there probably Monday and getting 25-30 dollars worth of scraps for my Mother in law. She has about a billion little jobs to do with portraits of the kids and grandkids and such and 25 bucks will buy enough mat board to do a ton of pics. If you're going up north I'll get you the name of the place. Its in Saginaw not far off the freeway. If you aren't going soon, it might be worth your while to make the journey up anyway. They are practically giving the stuff away.

Thought you might like to know - Bob

08/03/2003 07:17:04 AM · #10

I'd definitely be interested in knowing where the place is. The community we live in is a little artsy/bohemian so sometimes it's hard to even find the stuff you want because it's sold out.

Message edited by author 2003-08-03 16:13:17.

Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II

08/03/2003 04:15:34 PM · #11

Here's a look at the progress on my test frame. I'm only using deck lumber for the first frame. I built the frame clamp according to the instructions posted in another thread, with a few minor changes in the hardware department. This is the link to the instructions.

The clamp seems to work fine.

dacrazyrn

Nikon D300

08/04/2003 07:06:57 AM · #12

Thom,
Do you already own a table saw? Is that why you went for a router? I am still trying to decide whether to get a small (portable)table saw vs the router and router table. I have found both for around $99 at Home Depot.
I have alot of experience in woodworking and a bit in frames. I want the table saw for ripping stock wood, cutting rabbits, etc to create frames from whatever type of wood I find (ie size,etc.). Also, capable of doing the 45 degrees (not as reliable as the miter though).
The plus for the router and table is being able to profile the wood to many different styles, can do rabbits, etc. I just have not found a solution to the cutting down large stock with a router.
so, I guess the only difference is one can do shapes and the other can make big wood to thinner wood.
anyone have an idea with a router bit that "cuts" like a saw to rip stock? Any other ideas?

08/04/2003 07:30:54 AM · #13

I don't own a table saw. The only tools I have are basic: Hand-held router for rabbeting, circular saw for basic cuts, table-top power mitre saw for fine cuts, the clamp I made and of course squares, c-clamps, etc. I have to admit that a tablesaw is next on the list.