TABLE OF CONTENTS - Picture Framing Magazine

Figure 8
staples must be aligned on opposite
sides of the joint to perform properly.
Cross and corner braces can further
enhance the performance of the strainer.
Corner braces need not be very long to
add to the rigidity of the corners and can
be cut from the scrap left from cutting
the strainer itself. Cross braces are
needed when the size of the frame grows
and even the stiffening effect of the
width of the strainer may be challenged
by the length of the sides of the frame.
These should be glued and stapled in the
same manner as the rest of the strainer.
The strainer must be screwed to the
frame to complete its installation.
Nailing the two together will deliver
blows to the frame which will be unacceptable
for the art inside.
The two commonly used techniques
for screwing the strainer to the frame
involve countersinking the scre w s
through the side of the frame into the
side of the strainer [FIGURE 8], or
countersinking the screws in the back of
the strainer so that they angle forward
and out into the inside of the frame [FIG-
URE 9]. Setting the screws in the side of
the frame raises aesthetic and physical
problems. If the frame is made of wood
which has been given a clear finish,
brass screws are usually employed.
Silver metal frames are usually attached
with stainless steel or other silver colored
screws, while painted frames are
usually secured with screws which have
been painted to match the frame.
S c rews placed in the sides of the
frame can only enter the strainer if it is
set in a part of the frame which is adjacent
to them. If the frame is re f u r b i s h e d
to provide more spacing between the
glazing and the art, the strainer may be
too far back to accept the scre w s .
Putting the screws in from the sides
leads to a further problem if the frame is
l a rge, since such frames should not be
laid on their backs or turned on their
sides, and putting in or taking out the
s c rews on the bottom of the frame will
involve placing it on blocks off the floor
and working under it as an auto
mechanic might.
If the screws are angled toward the
frame from the back of the strainer, any
color screws can be used since they will
not be seen. The creation of the holes in
the back of the strainer can pose some
difficulties. It is easiest to hold a drill
with a good countersinking bit in it so
that the drill is initially perpendicular to
the surface of the strainer and the point
of the bit is at a spot which will become
the opening of the hole. Once the hole
has been started, the drill can be angled
and the boring can proceed to a point at
which the head of the screw will be
beneath the surface of the wood. The bit
shouldcome through the side of the
Figure 9
strainer but care must be exercised to
avoid overdrilling.
The strainer should have the same
outside dimensions as the mat package.
This means that the strainer will be
smaller than the frame by the customary
allowance. This will result in some loss
of support in the corners, but it will allow
the strainer to pull the sides of the frame
in to fit the glazing/matting/backing
board package. This clearance is especially
important when using metal
frames, since the wood may expand as it
ages and the frame can not.
If a strainer is found to be too tight
when it is removed from an old frame, it
can be planed or cut down at the corners
only and refitted. The centers of the
sides of the frame will flex out to accommodate
the size to the strainer, and
unless the spacer or glazing is in peril of
becoming dislodged, this extra space
will permit greater expansion of the matting
materials inside of the frame.