Big order and rack

These cut lengths waiting to be joined are a part of a big frame order, this was the encouragement for building a large drying rack, which is now finished. This order will keeps us busy for the rest of April...

Rack construction

I've finally got round to starting to build a big drying rack. It will be used for holding frames in between coats of gesso, bole, paint and various other processes. There are some big orders coming up in the next couple of months, and we will need every single area of flat shelf space to put frames while they are drying, so it seems like a good time to get this built.

Drying rack

The strange wooden storage rack in the photo at the top was bodged together from scrap wood when we first moved into the workshop, (2 1/2 years ago now) and for a while it was used to store short lengths of moulding. To be honest it was rather useless and has not been used for over a year, it has been taking up space under a work bench since then. Instead of breaking it up for rubbish or firewood I decided to make it into a storage/drying rack for small frames. I have fitted some supports made from scrap wood, and then some MDF and plywood shelves which are also scrap and of not much use.
One 6mm MDF shelf can be seen with lots of 1" drilled holes, this is because it was used as a drilling support when air holes were cut in styrene, used for the protective backings on canvases. This gave me the idea to add some air holes to the other shelves, to allow some air flow for drying. Metal grilles would be more suitable, but these will do for now. I will add another 7 shelves, so in all it will have 14 racks for storing frames in between stages of gilding and painting.

Mounting bench Mk.II

Phil and Mark have near enough finished the mount cutting bench today. There are still a couple of last minute things to be done, like carpeting the large MDF surface, a cutting mat or some other smooth surface on the little flat area on the end, and putting some reference numbers and sample swatches above each mountboard storage rack to make it easy to find the board you need.

New mountcutter bench

Mark has been busy making a new mount cutting bench for the last couple of days, its a great improvement over the last set-up, the mount cutter is held securely in place and there is a large area to support the mountboard as it is being cut. Underneath will be racks for storing mountboards.

Big rack and under bench storage

I knocked together the framework for the big storage rack today, it will hold frames up to 6ft long, it still needs some uprights fitted, similar to the under bench racks in the photo above. This will allow 2 or 3 frames in each rack, so it should be able to comfortably fit 12 to 16 large frames. 

Once this rack is finished, that will be it for frame storage in the workshop, next job on the list is a display shelf unit for the ready made frames in the reception room.

More storage space!

Today has been really busy at the workshop, with customers coming and going non-stop. I have just about managed to finish rack number 3 this afternoon, it just needs a bench top on the part beneath the window, and a few bits of carpet, but its basically ready to go. I have managed to use up and recycle lots of offcuts, scrap wood, and timber to make the racks and other fittings in the workshop. Next up is a basic rack for really, really big frames, the base for this will be an old and rather useless door! I may try and get this started tomorrow...

Work on third storage rack

Storage rack No. 2

The second frame storage rack is now finished, I also did some more work on the third rack, which I plan to finish in the next week or so...

Moulding racks

I put up some more moulding racks today, just in time for a delivery of moulding for a large exhibition order. In the top photo, all the moulding against the the right hand wall is for Duncan MacGregor paintings, that's alot of frames! The second photo shows some storage for offcuts of moulding.