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I was looking through some old photo's on the world wide web and came across a shot from your friend Rick Glawson's shop. In this photo you can clearly see the old style copper framing I have seen before on the Rawson & Evans pieces.
Does anybody know more about these frames and if they still can be made?
Erik
Last edited by erik winkler on Sun Feb 28, 2010 1:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Erik.
Probably something you could make your self with the help of a metal working shop.
I think there must be various copper pipe sizes out there. You would be able to slice them in half and work out a way of putting a frame together.
The corners also to give it all the hand finished look. I'm sure Rick put these types of frames together himself as he was able to build almost anything.
I remember his piveted door on the counter at one end, you could tell he was a cabinet maker as well as a glass man. I wonder if any one got a pick of that door?
Dave
Dave's right, Rick made the frame. To my knowledge, he didn't make too many as they take time an a lot of care. It's a dangerous operation to split the tubbing unless you're set up right, and take a lot of care.
While there are various size copper tubes, I think one size was used, as I've made some myself. The tubbing is all the same size.
Copper tubbing used is 1" in dia. Figure out the total length you'll need, insert a wood dowel in the tube, set up a table saw to split the tube down the center. Do not cut this by hand, ie, clamp a hold down to keep the pipe against the fence, and a hold down from the top, to keep it firm on the table, then use a push stick to feed it through.
The reason for this is cutting copper tubing, or any thin wall metal has a tendency to kick back which will pull your fingers into the blade or kick the material back into you, or both. Either way, if that happens, you've got a good chance of a trip. To the hospital room.
The corner pieces present problems too, unless your very careful, or have a machine shop. Using some of the split tube, mitre 8 pieces per frame. The length of the corners is 1 1/2" outside, inside leg 1/4". Rick silver soldered the corners, and are attached on the corners.
Parts were also uneven: the outer portion dimension was half the dia of the pipe less the saw kerf, the inside leg had more material cut off to accommodate the thickness of the glass used. Once the tubbing was prepared and corners made, a matching frame of the wood dowel was attached to a wood backing and the copper attached with screws over that.
In an issue of a Spanger catalogue was a cross section of the frames, which they sold. At the time, they went for approximately 25 cents an inch.
Dave, Rick apparently wrote an article in Fine Woodworking, unfortunately I never did find the issue. From what I heard, the article may have been about making that gate, as I believe everything about it was from scratch, the spindles and frame. Don't know where that ended up.
Erik, Here are those pages from the Spanjer catalog that Danny Baronian was referring to about the copper clad framing.
I have some modern day info on this type of molding and who sells it, but at the moment I can not find it. Will keep looking and let you know what I find. Until then look for Copper Clad Picture Frame Moulding on the internet. I tried, but could find nothing...you might have better luck.
Or... you could go to an old established Frame Shop in your town and show them the pictures and see what they say.
Copper Clad Moulding Frame Construction - low rez.jpg (132.96 KiB) Viewed 4587 times
Copper Clad Moulding Frame Construction 2 - low rez.jpg (164.55 KiB) Viewed 4575 times
Denver Chapter of the Letterheads