Art Frames for a friend.

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A buddy did some favors for me so I decided to pay him back.  He got his artwork featured in a local shop and was looking for some frames, so I decided to make him some.  The main frame is 2x2 16 gauge, with 1/2 x 1/2 16 gauge inset.  The accents are copper with aluminum rivets.  Just decorative.  He wanted an industrial look and this is what I came up with.  I like the old riveted aeronautical look, so I tried a little twist on that.  Should have taken more closeups, but I was rushed to take photos.  I was thinking I might do something similar for mirrors.Last edited by kazlx; 11-07-2011 at 08:16 PM.
Reply:Frames are a work of art themselves.  Very nice. MM200 w/Spoolmatic 1Syncrowave 180SDBobcat 225G Plus - LP/NGMUTT Suitcase WirefeederWC-1S/Spoolmatic 1HF-251D-1PakMaster 100XL '68 Red Face Code #6633 projectStar Jet 21-110Save Second Base!
Reply:Very cool.  Steampunk... sorta.(Retired) Professional firefighter, amateur everything else I try to do...Oh yeah:  Go Big Red!   (You know: one of the 12 members of the Big 10 cuz we left the 10 members of the Big 12...)
Reply:Beautiful!!!
Reply:I like them a lot. The other thing to maybe look at in the future for that industrial look. is gun blueing with that copper accent I think it would look great! I also think ill have to do something like that for Xmas presents.
Reply:Well Done!...I make frames also and have made a couple of large ones out of angle for Bathroom and Living Room Mirrors...  Flame painting is Waaay too much fun too!Cheers,Miller Diversion 165120 amp Buzz BoxVictor Oxy/Ace Oxy/LPGSmith "Little" Oxy/LPGHypertherm Powermax 30Lot's of Misc. tools n' crap....
Reply:Thanks guys.  I like the way they came out.  I think I might try the gun bluing and quenching with motor oil.
Reply:You did good. A lot of the visual impact of a picture depends on the frame surrounding it and those compliment each other perfectly. I especially like the first one.
Reply:duaneb55 nailed it. Very  coolDave ReberWadsworth Ohio
Reply:That is awesome!  Great jobwww.somethingdifferentftw.blogspot.com
Reply:Awesome!!! The art work is great too.200amp Air Liquide MIG, Hypertherm Plasma, Harris torches, Optrel helmet, Makita angle grinders, Pre-China Delta chop saw and belt sander, Miller leathers, shop made jigs etc, North- welders backpack.
Reply:Originally Posted by 7A749You'll find that cold gun blue works well on little parts. Brownell's Oxpho Blue is very good, although you can buy cold blue solution or paste just about anywhere guns are sold.Hot bluing is a chemical process using bluing salts (industrial black oxide) in a bath of hot boiling water with precisely controlled temperatures. I am very interested in getting some & doing a little experimenting myself.I would clear coat anything with exposed metal "in the white" or unfinished. Any automotive grade single stage clear does a good job with a hardener. You can get some excellent effects with heat alone. Here's a link to one I did recently. http://weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=61477Again, nice job!
Reply:Thanks.  I like the look you got with the motor oil too.  I would probably need to make a shallow tray big enough to quench the whole frame.  The artwork is 24" x 36".
Reply:Originally Posted by 7A749I would clear coat anything with exposed metal "in the white" or unfinished. Any automotive grade single stage clear does a good job with a hardener.
Reply:Originally Posted by dhemAlso don't forget about Penetrol for coating bare metal.  A clear coat would be better for outdoor stuff but for indoor only I've been using Penetrol lately since it's very easy to work with and re-apply.
Reply:Originally Posted by kazlx??http://www.flood.com/paint-additive-...p?productId=11
Reply:Originally Posted by 7A749A sheet pan works great. You can pour it over too. You could do a simple trough long enough to accommodate the longest dimension of the frame & do it a side at a time.One thing I have found however, is that the excess oil should be removed before further heat is applied, or it tends to burn on the surface & leave blotchy marks. More trial & error than anything else. I thoroughly cleaned the frame with Mean Green before each additional heat & quench.Gonna go buy some of that Penetrol this week. I left the frame I did bare (just hit it with a light coat of oil), didn't want to clear coat it. I sure wrestled with the idea tho. Just had a gut feeling I would botch it & have to start all over. I tend to get carried away with being a perfectionist & have ruined a few things by trying to get that one thing just perfect. That rose dhem linked to is fantastic. Maybe one day, I'll get that good.Thanks again for posting your frames. I really like the riveted copper. Please post up more when you get to them!!  I love stuff like this.
Reply:In the month I've been using it Penetrol has worked great for me.  Just clean the metal with acetone, saturate surface with Penetrol, let dry for 24 hours then buff it a bit.  I've heard it's used a lot on handrails since you can just wipe more on when you need to in high wear areas.  I can tell you that it works well with gun blued steel also.I learned about using it as a metal protectant while volunteering at the Crucible.  When I went to go buy some I couldn't find it in stock at any of the local hardware stores even though they all said they used to have it.  Turns out since it's high in VOC it's no longer available here in California.  Luckily a local Sherwin-Williams had 6 quarts in stock still so a friend and I cleaned them out. Miller Dynasty 200 DXBuildPro TMA52238 (38" x 22")Miller MP-10 & Jackson Nexgen EQC20 Ton Press & Swag HD Press Brake
Reply:In my Opinion, The Frames are better than the art!!Some Blue , Some Red & Some GreyProverbs 16:2-3.2 "All a person’s ways seem pure to them, but motives are weighed by the Lord. 3 Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans."