Hey Mike -

I know you don't have a ton of money. so here's what I did.....head to Target, or wherever, buy some cheap framed 8 x 10" "art", remove the "art" and use the frame, mat and glass for YOUR 8 x 10"

Or SAA with whatever size works.

Thanks Mike and Mike.

I have aso done what Rob suggests. It is a easy way to do it for sure.

The way I did it is also pretty easy if you just take your time to plan it out before you cut anything. I will measure and draw it out on scrap paper before cutting and the draw the cut lines on the mat board fully before cutting out any holes. It's a little time consuming, but I found it relaxing. Most of my frames were purchased at Ollie's bargain outlet and Kmart. All the ones like the Johnson are 14x18 and were purchased at Kmart at $17 per.

I posted this in the pickup section, but juat did a quick frame job on it. Went with an old looking frame and a simple single mat. I am considering changing to a red/blue double mat at some point, but do like this so far.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...41cf099cc8.jpg

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Looks great Mark, good job!
The Rangers were referred to as "The Blueshirts" after all, so your choice of just solid blue works perfectly. If you did want to add red, maybe just some thin piping around the image or frame?
Great piece!

Brent

Looks awesome!

Thank you both.

Here are a few of mines

Jackie

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4598/...2b88f0cfa7.jpgIMG_0548 (1) by Guy Bourque, on Flickr

1st Expos home opener 1969

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1862/...1680f794c3.jpgIMG_1055 by Guy Bourque, on Flickr

Expos wall

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7822/...d9f84bd104.jpgthumbnail_IMG_1342 by Guy Bourque, on Flickr

Crossroads 2013 with my tickets

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4727/...61755849b5.jpgIMG_0570 by Guy Bourque, on Flickr

Nice job on these Guy.
I really like the color on the Expos piece. Really makes it pop.

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My newest frame job. Thanks to Tony for the Collins that was just too beautiful to pass uphttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...223dd591e7.jpg

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Nice job, Mark!

Really nice!!

Thanks Scott.

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Thanks Bruce

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Love Collins' sweeping sig, and beautiful framing/matting.

Magnificent display piece!

Thanks Mark

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Beautiful Collins (both framing and autograph) Mark! I was soooooo close to pulling the trigger on that one, but hopefully another nice one will come up later in the year.

Wow, that looks awesome!


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Thanks Mike and Lou. I appreciate it.

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Wow those look great! What’s your secret to framing encapsulated autographs?


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Thanks for reviving this thread!
About 15 years ago I framed a couple of TV western stars and their autographs. FYI they are Gail Davis (Annie Oakley) and Will Hutchins (Sugar Foot). I liked the results so much that last fall I bought several baseball magazine ads, framing them, without autographs. I do have a small page from a sports magazine depicting Chas Gahringer. I picked up his autograph a couple of weeks ago. I can't wait until I mat and frame them.
I'll try to remember to post them when I finish.

Thanks.
there really is no secret.
You need to decide if you want to reveal the whole slab or just the auto and cut the mat to the needed size opening. Behind the mat you can either tape the slab to the mat or cut out a piece of foam board to hold the slab in the correct position. try it and see what works best for the situation.

You're welcome.
I like framing things. I am running out of wall space.
He found a good spot on the wall, but now I need 2 more to hand below him for symmetry.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...e2e29e11_b.jpg

Please post up what you did. I'd love to see it

Wall space = the real rarity in autograph collecting. LOL

so true

Yes, although most of mine are in file cabinet drawers.
Will do Mark.

Has anyone used Hobby Lobby or others to matt and frame your items ? Do you only take the item in for sizing or do you ever leave an item at the framing place ? I need to frame and have never had anything framed before. Like Perez-Steele postcards in PSA holders etc. Thanks

I have used Hobby Lobby. Whether or not you need to leave your item depends on what you are having them do. If you are having them just cut a mat so you can frame it yourself, you probably don't need to leave your item. If they are creating the entire thing, you will need to leave the items with them. I have never left anything super rare or expensive with them and have never had an issue. I did work with a private frame shop for my Kreindler painting. I did to leave it there and it went well.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...3ae39fb252.jpg

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At one time Michaels was reasonable. The one near us had a heat vacuum press and they mounted some posters on foam core for us.

I have framed well over 100 pieces, ranging in size from 8" X 10" to 50" X 30". I have never left anything with Hobby Lobby, Michaels or Aaron Brothers (back when they existed). I do it all myself... just could never bring myself to leave anything rare or irreplaceable with them for a prolonged period.

I'm afraid if one doesn't have access to a chopper, mat cutter, underpinner, tools and materials a frame shop is their only option.

The matting itself is pretty easy. The supplies can be bought anywhere. I used Dick Blick a lot for mats, tape, etc. Bought the mat cutter from a local store a little over $100. Definitely got my money out of it.
Putting together the frame itself should really not be that hard either.

I think whether or not the investment in tools is worrh to you depends on how many items you need to frame. The more frames you are going to, the more the cost is justified and the more one should be willing to invest in them.

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Also, i found that the cost for putting these together is far far less doing it yourself unless you have a friend or cantact that can get you a deal

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The other option is just measuring it yourself, and then going to the framer, picking out the mat color, and telling them the proper cut dimensions. My local place (Ben Franklin) cuts the mats on the spot, and always gets them done in less than 20 minutes.

Once you have the finished mat, frame, glass, foamcore backing and wire, you can simply take the materials home and go to town. Most are very easy to assemble and you'll save tons of money doing so.

All of these were DIY jobs which saved thousands of dollars, cumulatively...

Correct, very satisfying when you finish one.
Many framing supply offer cut service or even will assemble a frame.
It's all about priorities.

That's exactly what I do. I have a small framing shop nearby and they can whip out several of my 8x10's in just a couple of hours. On the larger pieces with tons of openings, I draw up the openings using graph paper and then they go to work. I never leave anything with them...just paranoid I guess.

I love all your Philadelphia A’s memorabilia! Is that an actual Connie Mack hat? My signatures I just used the stick on matting corners to a matt board with ironically Perez postcards. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...4dd9a95a51.jpg


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Good way to go, and I have done the same on multiple occasions. When using the mounting corners, you can also hide them under the mat (if you don't need the entire piece to be visible, or want to mount out flaws like water stains and edge tears). Mounting corners are far better than simply taping the back of the piece to the matting.

No, the straw hat cannot be tied to Connie Mack, although it is the exact type that he wore. I had won the 1910 Athletics Hat Band in a Hunt Auction. I just couldn't find the right way to display it that would do it justice. Those Hat Bands are expensive in the rare event one surfaces, so I wanted to do it right.

I started searching for straw hats, and had to weed through a few hundred before finally finding that one. Junky kitsch souvenir hats and others in tattered condition were all I could find until this one popped up. The quality is off the charts, the all-silk inner lining is like new, it's in near-perfect condition, and the White Elephant Hat Band fits it to perfection. Sorry to ramble, but it was a big score at the time!

Ok, back to the topic of framing.... Mike, great minds think alike! I usually draw out a template for them to emulate as well. I guess I should have invested in a mat cutter like Mark, but never took the plunge. It probably would've paid for itself after 5 uses!

They ruined a poster trying that for us Crummy way to do things anyway.
We never got much more than "sorry, sometimes that hapens"

Done with

Utility knife
frame kit and museum glass from a framing store. Since closed.
Some thread to hang the medals
Acid free photo corners for the paper stuff, and a mylar sheet to stiffen the tissue paper poster from falling out of the corners
two colors of matboard from A.C. Moore - now closed.

All the supplies are still available, just not at retail.

https://www.net54baseball.com/pictur...pictureid=3871


How do you do the crafts you can buy at Michaels?
Open box, display "craft"

Great stuff guys, love seeing your framed pieces! Over the last year I went the custom framing route and the results were awesome but quite expensive (had to move a few cards to help pay for this venture!) I had 10 pieces custom framed with the same frame and museum glass by a great framer just down the street from my house. Price wise in Canadian dollars they range anywhere from $250 to $400 each. The Barkley was another story, that piece was $800 because it was so labour intensive, but it's my pride and joy so it was worth it to me. I wanted my office to be my own little art gallery!

About 10 years ago we had Michaels heat vacuum mount 5 Shrimp Festival posters onto foam core. These aren't something "rare or scarce". All 5 turned out great and it was much easier mounting them in a frame than it would have been otherwise.

Very nice!!

I dislike photo mounting corners. I did use them on the Aaron Braves ticket but my self-diagnosed OCD makes me unhappy with the outcome.
:D
Attachment 441824
Lineco sells several alternatives.

Attachment 441825

Framing
 

Here are the two that go me started with framing pics with autographs.
I'll probably start my Chas Gehringer project later this week.
My apologies for the non-baseball pics.
One more thing, if anyone lives near me and needs mats cut or molding cut I would be willing to help.
Attachment 441826

Attachment 441827

Great job Bruce.
Not sure if you have an Ollie's outlet near you, but i have found them to have great deals on frames from time to time. Its kind of hit or miss depending on their stick, but can be great. I've gotten some really quality frames cheap there. It's not ness a good option if you everything to match, though.


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Thanks Bruce! I don't know if any of you have had a jersey framed before but that's a process best left to a professional with years of experience. I saw some of the framing process for my Barkley and it is was real interesting. Jersey has a stiff template that was cut to size and inserted inside the jersey that keeps it real flat and stops the front logos from showing through. Then the jersey is stitched through the small holes in the jersey through to the black background. Same process for the plaque, but the plaque also has two screws in the bottom that don't go through the jersey. Frame is a shadowbox, my framer cut six layers of black foam core to put under the matting to raise it up. Took almost two months to get it back from him!
Jeff

I've only framed one jersey, about 12 yrs ago. It was a Nolan Ryan jersey that a friend had but had damaged the frame. It turned out nice. It was a shallow shadow box.

Ok, I started on my Gehringer earlier today and finally finished the double mat.
Maybe I'll cut the frame tonight.

Attachment 442771

very nicely done

finished!
 

Thanks Mark, here's the finished project.
Attachment 442794