As part of project, we are aiming towards
our final exhibition and need to print, and display our work
appropriately. At this point I do not know how I want to display my work,
whether that is in a frame, or not. But we were given the opportunity to go
down to the workshop and and work with the tutors. They were able to help us
create our own wooden frames. We were able to choose own pieces of wood and
decide on the size, and shape, either square or rectangular. We were restricted
to a size smaller than A3 as this was a practice frame. After a safety
briefing, we were shown around the workshop, and we were shown how to use the
different tools and equipment safely.
I was very happy to take up the opportunity
to try and make a frame. I am always interested in learning new skills, and
maybe make my own frames in the future. Each step was clearly explained, and I was
able to follow these to my own work, and chose my own style.
We were able to chose the colour, and size of wood we wanted to use for our frames, we used different machinery to cut and shape. As I didn't know what image I wanted to use, it was difficult to decide which one to chose. In the end I chose oak (not pictured) as it was a neutral, and the wood was a thinner piece than others. I didn't want the frame to over face the image, so this is why I chose it.
Some of the equipment was for staff use only, this is a machine that smooths out the wood so there aren't splinters left in the wood, but others such as the band saw we could use ourselves. After all the pieces were cut to size, and the edges were alined, it was time to glue it together.
We used glue to hold together the corners after they were checked, I then added clamp, using the string and rubber blocks, all around the frame. This had to be held together for over an hour to make sure it was totally secure. Next we needed to create the clear acrylic piece to go into the front of the frame.
We used a program on the computer, after we measured out the right size for our individual frames. This sent the information to the later cutter, and we were able to cut out the plastic front, and a wooden back to the frame using this method. The process was fast, and the material was usable straight away.
We then had to seal the frame with sealer, we just needed to paint on one thin coat all around the frame, this protects the wood and gives it a nice finish.
I chose to create a cardboard border for my image. Once I had chosen my images, I was able to calculate the size of the border, and create it using this cutter. This took a lot longer than I thought, and I needed to make sure it was accurate. I felt this finished off the frame, and looked good with my image.
I chose to print on glossy paper, as it was going behind glass, matte paper would have lost its finish. I am very happy with my finished frame and image. I feel everything works together well. I am happy I leant new skills, and now feel confident in going down the work shop for any needs I may have. I am happy with the wood I chose, and found it easy to work with.
I now understand the work that goes into created the frame, as well as thinking about the image, the size of the frame, the style and wood, Also by creating a boarder, I feel my frame had the last finishing touch it needed.
