Assembling a Watercolor into its Frame

by Elizabeth Kincaid


1 Clean the glass -- use Windex and/or rubber cement thinner (Heptane, don't use Hexane--it's a neurotoxin).
2 Lay glass on a black non-lint surface (vinyl will work, or even terrycloth).
3 Keep getting lint off.
4 May need to shim glass into frame to fit, if the glass is a little small. We sometimes put a piece of matboard under the bottom edge of the glass.
5 Put hinged mat and foamcore board in (Picture has already been mounted in the mat).
6 Turn over and check for lint/hair/smears.
7 Tack lightly with framing points or (better) 1 inch x17 wire brads. A tool for inserting either of these is available from United Mfrs. Supplies.
8 Check again for lint -- drafting tape can be useful in picking it up.
9 Finish tacking about five inches apart.
10 Check again for lint.
11 Acid-free backing paper: cut larger than the frame. Wet it down, and let it sit a moment while you do the next step.
12 Put Elmer's glue onto the back of the frame, and smear it out well to the edge. I moisten my fingers and use them.
13 Place the backing paper over the glue; carefully tamp/press down the edges, and let dry.
14 Sand off the edges when dry, to remove excess paper cleanly; sand away from the center.
15 Drill holes in the back of the frame about 1/4 of the way from the top.
16 You can thread a soft, clear plastic (tygon/nalgene/whatever from OSH or other hardware store) tube over the wire for ease of carrying so the wire doesn't hurt your hand. Make the piece about four inches long.
17 Thread stainless-steel twisted wire into the metal hanging bracket and make a square knot; then wind the loose end around the main wire and trim the wire.
18 Screw the wire onto the frame.
19 Supplies: United Mfrs. Supplies 800-645-7260.


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