Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with frame

Photos + mats = holiday cheer

asuprenant — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 13:57:01 -0800

Where can I buy mats for 13 x 19" photos in Chicago? Lastminuteholidaycraftfilter: where can I buy these mats in Chicago?

http://www.dickblick.com/products/savage-value-priced-pre-cut-single-mats/

I'm looking for white 18 x 24" mats with 13 x 19" openings. The Blick stores in Chicago don't carry them in stock, though. Where can I find them?

I want ready-made hardware that makes my picture look like it's floating off the wall

Opal — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:32:13 -0800

I want to hang this picture on the wall, but in a way that makes it look like it's an inch away from the wall. I know how to make that happen with a piece of wood wood and a sawtooth hanger, but are there any ready-made hardware or system that will achieve that? The picture is not framed, it's actually printed on a sheet of metal - think one of those old fashioned tin signs. I want it on the wall, but in a way that, when you're in front of it, it looks like it's floating off the wall, detached from it by about an inch.

Here's how I've done this before: I take a wood block, cut smaller than the object I want to hang, and attach it (usually with glue) to the back of it. Then I take a simple sawtooth hanger and nail/screw it to the wood and voila. So I'm actually hanging the wood block on the wall, and the picture is attached to the wood block. The final distance from my picture to the wall is the thickness of the wood block. This is how it looks.

Tell me someone came up with a picture hanging system that does exactly that and I can buy at Ace Hardware and not have to deal with cutting and painting and gluing wood blocks?

As for some of the existing solutions out there, this won't work because I need to sell each object individually and ready to hang; and this won't work because, even if I didn't mind the edges showing in front, they're too flat and the picture doesn't hang far enough from the wall.

So, what's ready-made and cheap and will solve my problem?

What malleable substance can be shaped like clay for craft projects but turns out lighter like styrofoam once hardened and dried?

kookoobirdz — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:39:10 -0800

Does this substance exist? Arts & crafts people or hardware store people: for a craft project, I want a material that is malleable like clay but winds up lighter-weight like styrofoam/polystyrene once it has set and hardened. Maybe it it's dispensed from a tube or can? I want to make some creative and whimsical frames for some irregularly sized/shaped art, which is too fun for regular frames. I'm looking for a material that is malleable like clay that I can form into fun shapes, which then dries and hardens and is lightweight like something approaching styrofoam, or at least a lot lighter than clay.

Have you ever seen somebody make a frame out of clay spirals? They roll the clay into long thin tubes or strips and then roll those up in to sweetroll spirals. Then they glue those spirals to a backing and/or to each other so that a border of those spirals squished tightly side by side goes all the way around whatever they're framing. Often they paint them and glue on other stuff.

I want to do that, but I don't want something as heavy as clay. I want something that is maybe sprayed out of a can or probably something thicker that is squeezed out of a tube like toothpaste or like caulk from a caulk gun. I want to aim and twist and prod and shape that stuff into various shapes and designs, the spirals are one example, maybe with some wavy tentacles to go along with them, and then leave it to set or dry. At the end of it I want something that is rigid and lightweight and holds its shape. Ideally the finished product would be lightweight like styrofoam and have a smooth surface that accepts paint nicely. A bit heavier than styrofoam is fine, particularly if it's stronger than styrofoam.

I understand that thanks to silly old physics, I may have to give up one or more of those qualities to get the others, but just shoot for the closest thing you can think of. It doesn't have to squirt out of a can or tube, that's just how I was thinking I might get a material that's lightweight.

I've found Versi-Foam, but it's more like spray insulation and requires a framework and special equipment and then sculpting and sanding. I'm looking more for something that can be dispensed in a more limited and controlled way that will stay in its toothpaste-like tube shape if I do nothing else to it. It's hard to imagine, but if it could be not so sticky like caulk, that would allow me to do other things with it than leave it in the tube shape. Basically I want something with the malleable properties of clay that winds up very lightweight.

Arts and crafts people in the house, or even hardware store materials people, what substance am I looking for?

I'm looking for metal brackets / architectural frames / sign holders by the end of the day Monday, in NYC

Optimus Chyme — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:26:14 -0800

I'm looking for some metal brackets / architectural frames / sign holders by the end of the day Monday, in NYC. These are fairly simple metal pieces, either polished or chromed steel or aluminum, much like an L-bracket. They are 4 inches wide, with or without mounting holes. I need 23 sets (46 pieces total) by the end of the day Monday. I don't care if they're retail, wholesale, or custom - I need these ASAP. Do you know a store or fabricator I can get a hold of?

I have attached a drawing here.

glasses for big nose

Anonymous — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 08:58:48 -0800

Where can I buy glasses that complement a large nose? Preferably something similar in style to this. Los Angeles area or online.

Frame is distracting from content

Eicats — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 21:44:35 -0800

Is there an easy fix for a faint scratch on an pure black picture frame? I have artwork finished and framed and only just now noticed a faint scratch on the frame. The frame is the basic all-black style that is very common now. I do think the frame is wood, but it is completely smooth--no wood grain shows so that the black looks like a lacquer or enamel. The scratch is very faint; it only mars the topmost finish.

Has anyone had any luck with those touch-up pens for wood scratches? Any other suggestions? (not an option to repaint or refinish: the piece is out of my hands in a couple of days so it's either an easy fix or leave it as is) But now that I know the scratch is there, I can't look at anything else!

Simple bed frame or alternative to frame altogether?

bradly — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 17:17:43 -0800

I'm looking for a minimalist/possibly nontraditional bed frame that won't throw off the zen of my bedroom. What options do I have? So I just redesigned my room, and the bed frame is the final battle to be fought.

I'm looking for something simple that draws as little attention as possible while raising the mattress off of the ground.

I can buy materials, or even a manufactured bed frame (If so, budget is preferably <$100).

More details: The bed is twin sized and the mattress is of questionable quality (read: the 'frame' doesn't need to promote long term mattress health). Paint is light blue and I am male.

Thanks!

Help me matt my meat boy!

arnicae — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 22:42:26 -0800

How to matt/frame a large piece of paper with a small graphic on it (Mark Ryden's Meat Boy) on a budget? My boyfriend loves Mark Ryden's picture of a little boy coyly clutching a raw steak in a field...and I finally found a copy of it for him! Unfortunately, the image is about 3" square on a white page that is approximately 12" by 10".

I've been having difficulty figuring out how to most attractively frame it without cutting it down, or if I should just cut it down (It is torn out of a book, but still a pretty rare copy- it took me a year to track one down on ebay.)

Any suggestions on what I should matt it with? I'm on a budget. Thanks!

How can I figure out what size this Cannondale R600 frame is?

mbatch — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 16:19:09 -0800

How can I figure out what size bike frame this is, and is it a good choice for me? I have a line on a Cannondale R600 (yr 2000 model). It is in very good near mint condition given the pictures, but the seller doesn't know what the frame size is. He measured 32" from the ground to the top of the middle bar.. I'm suprised the frame didn't have its size stamped on it somewhere, but this is the information I'm stuck with.. I'm looking for what size it is in cm (officially). Without driving the ~30min out to look at it, is there a way I can guess at what size this is?

Additionally, I'm looking for a good weekend warrior / commuter. A lot of around the town sort of stuff. Is this a good choice for me? I'm in Maine and our roads aren't exactly stellar, even in the downtown (Portland). I've read that this bike can be a bit stiff. Am I going to regret it if I get this?

I had been looking at the new Synapse 5 series (aluminum - hard to justify the price of carbon). I like the slightly more upright position, but as the R600 is a great price, I'm considering it.

I'm 5'8" with a ~30.5" inseam.. I understand that the best way to size a bike is to ride it and see how it feels, but I'm trying to save myself a wasted trip if I can rule it out ahead of time.

I'm welcome to any and all recommendations and advice (other brands, different models)? Thoughts?

Inexpensive Picture Framing in DC

fancypants — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 20:00:30 -0800

Inexpensive, quality picture framing shops in the DC metro area? I have a variety of items (mostly campaign memorabilia) with extremely high sentimental value that I would like to have framed for preservation and display. This includes traditional items, such as posters and newspaper front pages, as well as some slightly non-traditional stuff like ticket stubs and vinyl yard signs. I'm hoping not to spend a fortune getting these items framed, but I want it to look good and I want it to last. Is there any place in DC or the surrounding area that fits the bill? I'm willing to drive out to the far reaches of suburbia to accomplish this mission, but I'd prefer something in the District.

Measure twice, buy once? Now you tell me.

Sweetie Darling — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 07:59:40 -0800

How much vertical clearance is needed to frame a window opening? I'm pretty sure I did something dumb. I bought an awning window for my bathroom, armed with only a rough estimate of the size of the space. I want the window to go above the tile shower surround, on an exterior wall.

The window is 18 inches high, and the space between the tile and the ceiling is 22 1/2 inches. Is there enough clearance to properly frame out the window? (I've got plenty of horizontal space.)

Possible additional complication? The exterior wall is on the side of the house, which has a Dutch hip roof with a gable on the front.

If I need to buy a new window, what size should I be aiming for? What other information would be helpful to know, for both me and the carpenter (besides "don't be impulsive at Lowe's," which I think I've figured out)?

[If I've messed up and can't use the window here, I'll save it for when we renovate another bathroom, in which we'll be retiling the shower and doing more demo.]

Thanks for the help!

digital photos scan resize resolution freeware frame

cuddles.mcsnuggy — Sat, 30 May 2009 11:01:07 -0800

Seeking software for scanning old paper photos into digital format. I'm hoping to find something that will automatically crop to borders of the photo so I don't need to manually crop every one in Photoshop. Bonus points if it will automatically resize all the scanned images into a specific resolution size. Mom's birthday is Wednesday and I have a digital photo frame. I'm planning to spend part of the weekend scanning old family photos from albums and saving onto an SD card to use in the frame. There are dozens, possibly a couple hundred, photos. I don't have nearly enough time to manually crop and resize every single digital pic so I turn to you, o' wise MeFites for guidance! My scanner is a Canon MP600, the frame is an 8" Matsunichi PF800M with 800x600 pixel resolution, and I have Photoshop CS4, but I'd rather not use Photoshop since it's much too slow and complicated for the simple stuff I need to do. I just want something quick and easy that'll let me hit "scan," and tah-dah! I'll have frame-ready photos in a flash. I prefer something free (or very cheap) that I can download from online since I need it right now. Does such a beast exist?

Mat and frame pros in Toronto?

iona — Sun, 17 May 2009 14:35:41 -0800

Where in Toronto should I take a 19th century print to be matted and framed? Just what it says on the tin really - I have a 19th century print on heavy paper (maybe rag paper? I'm not sure) that needs to be matted and framed - possibly cleaned as well. I want it done properly, but I'd sort of like to avoid paying a fortune (the print itself cost less than £100). Any recommendations? Thanks!

cant find the right photo frame in a flooded market

jak68 — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 07:06:28 -0800

7" Digital photo frame with random playback and with simultaneous audio playback? For less than $80? Recommendations? Having amazingly hard time finding one. I'm finding this incredibly frustratingly hard to find. All I want is two features for under $80: ability to randomly sequence the photos, and ability to play audio in the background. On a 7" screen.

Presumably these exist. I've seen 10" photo frames that do both features but for over $100.

I dont want a 10" one. I want a 7" one. And for under $80.

There are a TON, DOZENS, of photo frames for under $80. So far every single one i've looked at either does random but does not play simultaneous audio (some even play mp3's WITHOUT pics displaying but not during pics displaying!). Others will play audio but NOT have the random-slide feature.

Its just incredible how hard to find this has been, given how flooded the digital photo frame market is right now.

Hanging a frame with two hooks?

mattsweaters — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 16:44:10 -0800

Hanging a frame with two hooks? I have a frame with a hook on its right and left side. No matter what I do I can't seem to hang it straight. There must be a trick to figuring out where to put the second hook so its aligned.

I'm awful at this stuff so thank you!

Old picture stuck to frame - how can I lift if off?

bristolcat — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 07:35:58 -0800

I have a really old, treasured picture. I need to scan copies of it to give to relatives, but it is stuck to the glass in it's frame. Ideas? This is a large picture in one of those antique oval frames with the domed glass. It's about 19 inches long, so quite large. Seeing as how it's my great grandparents' wedding picture, I estimate it to be dated to about 1900-1905. One of the sides of the picture has experienced some water damage at some point and while it didn't show up on the picture side, it's fairly visible on the back.

We took the backing off and saw that the picture is actually printed onto a rather thick cardstock of some kind. The thick paper is really, really brittle and my mom already took a hunk out of it. When I carefully pried it up, however, I did even worse damage and some of the picture coating lifted from the cardstock and stuck to the glass.

I am afraid to go any further!

So, my questions are these:
-What is the best method to lift this picture from the glass without destroying it? I have found sites that tell you to use scrapbooking knives or other tools and I don't really trust them because I assume they are referring to glossy Kodak-style photos. This definitely has a paper texture on the picture side. Steam, perhaps?

-What would be the best way to ensure that no further damage occurs to this picture? It's pretty darn special and I want it to last for quite a while. I know this probably involves getting professional assistance, but what kind? We live in a small town, so resources are limited.

Thanks so much!

Best way to store framed pictures?

gottabefunky — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 10:24:57 -0800

What's an easy, convenient way to store framed pictures temporarily? (Especially when they're different sizes.) We have lots of framed photos, maps, etc. that we like to switch out every 6-12 months. We want to protect the glass and frames, of course, but ideally we'd also be able to access the pictures and switch them out relatively easily, without having to unwrap some hellish Christmas present of tape and cardboard and padding every time.

Memorable cartoon?

leigh1 — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 14:50:15 -0800

I'm having trouble deciding which of my zillion photos should I frame. So I've decided to frame a nice cartoon/comic that will make me and most people laugh. Do you have a memorable cartoon you would like to see framed?

What do I need for a bed?

lpctstr; — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 11:42:17 -0800

I'm buying a bed for the first time and just got the mattress. Should I get a boxspring and bed frame, or just a bed frame or platform bed (same as bed frame?)? I was considering this ikea frame so it looks easy to disassemble when I move.

Help! There's a hole in my computer!

brandman — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 08:30:51 -0800

I have a Dell Inspiron e1505, and a small chunk of the white plastic frame around the keyboard/cpu area has broken off. How can I fix this? I don't know how it happened...at first, I noticed some cracks in that area, then one day the piece was gone. For the past few weeks, I've had a piece of tape over the hole, but I'd like something more robust/permanent. Is there some sort of plastic/fiberglass/etc. repair solution I could use, that will be effective on a rounded surface?

Don't break the little wire?

T.D. Strange — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 08:19:23 -0800

Glasses Filter: How do I put a lens back into frames without a bottom rim? I got some new eyeglasses recently, for the first time I picked out the semi-frameless type with the metal frame only on the top part and the lenses held in place with a nylon wire that looks like fishing line.

Well, I knocked the lens out within a week, and had to take it back to Lenscrafters to have them fix it. Im afraid that I'll stretch the line or break it if I pull on it myself to make it fit around the lens.

So I dropped them and popped it out again this morning, and a trip across town to the doctor's office is not in my schedule for the next couple days. Is there an easy way to pop the lens back into the frame without messing it up? There has to be a tool or a trick to it, right?

Searched eyeglasses+repair, got nothing. Googlefu is weak as well.

Do you know of a digital frame that can play high quality video well?

austinlee — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 19:15:57 -0800

Do you know of a digital frame that can play high quality video well? I'd like to exhibit a video artwork in a show and I am trying to find a nice digital frame to use. The footage will be looped and I am shooting with a Canon HV20. It's HD footage but I'm not sure if any of these things would be able to play that back. I would be willing to compromise quality a little for convenience as long as it still looks pretty decent. Audio would be an extra bonus but not 100% necessary. Any suggestions?

Welcome to our office, we're technologically advanced.

Talia Devane — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 09:13:15 -0800

I need an electronic welcome sign for my office. Currently we are using printed signs in a frame to welcome clients and prospects to our financial services office. We would like to change that to a large digital frame that can also show some photos from client events. The large part seems to be giving me trouble. Preferably, I need wireless acess, the ability to use a picture frame, and scheduled changes rather than random. The display must be at least 14" diag, (8 1/2 x 11").

I have looked at the offerings from Digital Spectrum and I don't think the quality is up to the price on that brand from the sparse reviews I have found. I have considered using a lcd monitor or television, but don't know what software might be appropriate.

What frame and forks should I look out for?

stackhaus23 — Tue, 27 May 2008 13:01:59 -0800

Fixedgearfilter: I'd like to build a single speed bike, but I have no idea what frame and forks to buy. I recently went to San Francisco and while out there I was surrounded by Fixed Gear bikes and they were awesome. I currently ride a 1950s single speed Schwinn and would prefer that setup to an actual fixed gear. But since I've only ever ridden cruisers and bmx bikes, I don't know what frame and forks to buy.

So... I'm 6ft tall and I need to know what kind of used bicycle would make a suitable donor for a frame and what size it needs to be roughly. I'd also prefer straight forks so recommendations for those would be amazing. I won't be using lever brakes so the smoother the frame the better!

Thanks in advance...

Where can I find a loooong collage picture frame?

KateHasQuestions — Sat, 24 May 2008 21:55:28 -0800

Where can I find a looooong collage picture frame? Something like this? But longer, wouldn't mind if it was wider too, to have a 7 x 2 matrix of pictures, perhaps.