Antique Veneered Frames

An 18th/19th C rosewood veneer frame with lovely variegated grain pattern.

Stock of antique bird's eye maple veneer frames.

Wooden Antique Frames

I love to see the great variation of frame designs, ornament, and surfaces. These are all examples of wooden antique frames; a birds eye maple veneer, carved hardwood cassetta frame, and a carved (lime?) Louis XIII style frame.

Rosewood antique frames

Here is a selection of just some of the 18th and 19th Century rosewood veneer frames that I have available. One of the most beautiful woods used in frame and furniture making, these rosewood frames can be used for period framing of antique prints or make fine looking mirrors.

More routering

The rebate extending continues, this time on the outer veneer frame that will surround the gilt slip from a few posts ago. The rebate on the outer frame was made bigger for a few reasons, firstly the gilded slip was quite wide and would have looked a little unbalanced, secondly there was some damage/chips around the edges that needed covering up, and thirdly and most importantly the frame was a little small so by extending the rebate it also increased the size. In the top photo you can just see the router I use, a Trend T4, it is quite light weight compared to some of the larger routers you can get but I find it fine for this type of work. You can also see safety glasses and ear defenders which are important.
I would like to get a little palm router or laminate trimmer for when you need to nibble a small amount of wood from a rebate, often just at the corners.

So after the rebate was made bigger the frame was broken apart, the nails were removed from the corners and it was cut to size on the mitre saw, glued, pinned, and then clamped.

Double sided illuminated manuscript

This very old manuscript page has writing on both sides. Usually if there is something on the back of a picture a piece of acrylic can be used instead of a backing, but in this case the customer wanted to be able to hang it both ways round. The back of the veneer frame was cut down on a table saw. On each side of the page there is a museum board undermount, then a double mount in gold and ivory, and each side is glazed with museum glass. These components are taped together, then the rebate of each frame is lined with cushioning foam tape so that when the frames are put back to back the sealed package is held in place and does not move around. The two frames are held in place with four strong magnets, which have been secured with Araldite adhesive in recesses made with a router. Four small dots of reversible adhesive at each corner add extra security. Finally the frames are finished at the top with antique brass ring hangers. 

1829 sampler

This sampler from 1829 was in very poor condition when it was brought to me, crudely nailed to a wooden support with numerous areas missing around the edges and just generally very dirty and in need of immediate work to preserve it, for the future generations of the family of the relative who made it all those years ago. The sampler was sent to the Textile Conservation Ltd studio in Bristol for treatment, where it was cleaned, stabilised, conserved, and supported on a museum quality board. It was then framed in its original veneered frame, with a spacer, Correx backing, and glazed with museum glass.