Business Development Week, April 2017: Don't Miss Out

Now is the ideal time to be booking places on our April, Business Development Week.  The first two days are our Art & Photography Framing Weekend, 22nd & 23rd April

After that, the sessions start to take your practical skills much further as well as developing your understanding of how a framing business can work (large or small).  And because all sessions are run by trainers who are owners of their own framing businesses, at the heart of a successful framing warehouse and commercial workshop, you will just absorb the knowledge.

Follow the links and discover how far you can take your framing skills this year.

Organising & Planning a Framing Business (April 24th High Wycombe): understand the work of a framer, workshop organisation, pricing system development and the process from taking an order, through sourcing supplies to return of the finished frame.

3D Box Framing (April 25th, High Wycombe): for items too large to fit in deep rebate mouldings, discover how to build a box, line it, attach in the item and then add a frame – simple!

Conservation Framing (April 26th, High Wycombe): discover when to use a conservation approach to framing, what products are needed and the specific skills required to take your framing to a higher level.

Framing Fabrics (April 27th, High Wycombe): as well as the additional practical needs of framed fabrics, this will bring out the creative side to your framing.

Creating Business Success (April 28th High Wycombe): now you have the skills, how do you develop the order book, discover new markets and develop your own framing products? Duncan McDonald, owner of DIYframing, takes a day out to explain.

Of course, if you want to pick out just one or two of the training modules then that is ok as each one is also bookable as a separate entity.  But do book soon to avoid disappointment!

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Mount Cutting: What Cutter to Choose and Special Offer in March

Special promotion for March 2017:  buy any board system and get 10pk of blades free and lucky dip mount board pack for just £26.10*

But what should you go for? There are so many choices when it comes to choosing a mount cutting system, from simple rule and bevel cutting head to the widely used range of “all-in-one” systems.  The problem is, which one is best for you?

When choosing a mount cutter, consider the type, size and quantity of work you plan to do.  The most important factor is anticipating the largest board you plan to cut: you cannot cut mounts bigger than the cutter is designed for: that means the length of rule / rail the cutter is running on. 

After that, the choice is based on affordability and the volume of work expected. The more sophisticated the machine, the more consistent, accurate and speedier your mount cutting will be, and you can achieve more complex and creative cutting styles on the pro-machines. Take time to set up and fine-tune your mount cutter, and you will work without any annoying niggles. Whatever you decide on, the end result should be clean-cut mounts with no visible overcuts in corners.

For comparative guidance on the various board mounted, cutting systems have a look at: Which Mount Cutter Do I Need? (PDF summary / comparison sheet)

To help you further have a look at these downloadable PDFs*:

• Cutting A Single Mount (Rule & Cutter)
• Making a Hinge Mount
• Cutting a Mount With a Board Mounted Cutter

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Top Tips For 2017: Nobex Promaster Framing Kit

Having worked with the Nobex Saw system (alongside a mitre trimmer) when starting a framing business,  you become quick to spot a whole range of little skill tweaks and adjustments which help you achieve the quality you’re after.

Coming back to the Nobex and its great, new addition of the measure system,  when leading training workshops, those cunning ideas are quick to resurface:

• Make sure the thumb-screw  at the end of the silver bar on the saw head is as tight as you can get it to keep the saw blade rigid for better vertical cuts
• Use several light flicks upwards on the red clamp levers – AVOID pulling hard upwards to try to engage the clamp more firmly (it breaks the clamp).

These you soon discover for yourself – one way or another!

One new thing I have noticed however, and it occurred when, on our training sessions, we switched moulding types to a more contemporary, square-cut, lime moulding.  This moulding is quite deep and has a narrow back to it (15 mm).  If you position the clamps with the rubber pads toward the sight-edge of the moulding and / or you engage the clamps too firmly, the front (rebate side) of the moulding dips forward: when you cut, the cut line is no longer vertical making the joins “gappy”.

So here’s a tip for using the Nobex saw (especially when working with narrower backed mouldings):

• Swing the foot of each clamp (rubber pad) towards the cutting point, and the back of the moulding (fence side);
• Push the clamp metal bar down firmly by hand, checking that the back of the moulding is still in contact with the “fence”
• Two light flicks up with the red clamp lever just to make sure the foot of the clamp is engaged;

We used this method on my last training session and the quality of cutting / joining was definitely first class.

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Reading Contemporary Art Fair

We are delighted to announce that DIYframing will be at the Contemporary Art Fair with our picture frame manufacturing business, which supports a number of galleries in the South East. We will be offering framing advice with our custom built online bespoke frame system.  Professional framing at your fingertips. Pay us a visit for first class framing solutions.

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Project Library: More on The Way

In November 2016 and February 2017 we ran two highly successful Open Days with the usual seminars.  These were very well received and we have had a number of request asking for some of the ideas to be documented in our Projects Library.

It is not always easy to make this sort of follow up immediately after the events, as there are other items (mainly training weekends) on the immediate "to do" list.  However, we are hoping that two of the projects will soon be available.  The first is the use of invisible spacers to create depth in a frame, also featuring a “floating” papyrus painting.  The second is the combined medals, badge and images presentation from the more recent seminar in February 2017, looking at how to plan and attach a variety of pieces, level by level.

We will put out an update on the website if these go live before the next newsletter.

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Dates

Some beautiful places to visit in spring 2017.

Art & Photography Framing Training Weekends:

• BRISTOL - 1st & 2nd April

• DORCHESTER - 8th & 9th April

• HEREFORD - 29th & 30th April

• GUILDFORD - 6th & 7th May

• YORK - 13th & 14th May

• GLASGOW - 27th & 28th May

• NORWICH - 3rd & 4th June

• EXETER - 10th & 11th  June

• SALISBURY - 17th & 18th June 

Specialised Training Days

FRAMING SPORTS SHIRTS - 21st April 2017, High Wycombe

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT WEEK -  22nd - 28th April High Wycombe. (Remember days can also be booked individually or in any combination)

ADDING DECORATIVE FINISHES TO FRAMES - 23rd June, High Wycombe

For hard copy of all courses click: Training List. To view details of events at our main centre (High Wycombe) click: ALL COURSES.     

Reserve places NOW, to avoid disappointment

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