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Murphy’s Law of making frames
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Dec 16, 2023 17:03:42   #
dustie Loc: Nose to the grindstone
 
zarathu wrote:
I have been a personal friend of Murphy since I was born. We are on a first name. basis(his first name is Ed by the way). I should tell you how Ed and I get along every time I went out on my sailboat----every damn time. Some of the events are funny now. They sure weren’t funny at the time.


Murphy is first name basis friends with people everywhere.............whether they like it or not.
Good to hear you at least have some Murphy events that are funny in the rearview mirror.

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Dec 16, 2023 17:05:33   #
Bohica Loc: SE Coast of NC
 
zarathu wrote:
OK.... I’m a reasonable woodworker with a wood shop. Normally I don’t sell photos but the MDI Photo Club had a show at Birch Bay(retirement community), and at the show somebody wanted to buy one of my 13 x 19 inch photos.

And so, since it was for someone else, Murphy got involved.

First thing I discovered was that my router would not do the job, too much wood to remove.

Then, I discovered that simple cutting the inside with my table saw did not work. I need a dado blade.

Then I discovered that my old table would break the RSV fence off when the bolt glued itself on by rust.

Then I discovered that I needed to cut to the new blade insert.

Then I discovered that I could not glue up the frame without putting a template on the inside where the glass goes to glue the frame against against or it becomes a RHOMBUS, and one side will not be parallel.

And then I discovered that the hardware store will not cut the glass if it's not square.

And then I discovered that if you use gel stain on the wood instead of strictly water based or oil based, it will form a thick solid top if its not sealed tightly (which is hard to do with gel anyhow)and you can’t get the stain out.

And then, I discovered that if you fall on the ice and need six stitches in your head, you will also break the glass and damage the print and get blood over everything.

And then I discovered that the device that puts the little slips of metal to hold the backing on will break the glass AGAIN if you use it wrong.

And then I discovered that mat board is horribly expensive on Amazon, and that I could cut plastic decking to fit, but that it was almost as expensive as mat board.

And then i discovered mat board for 7.50 each.

And then after ordering 15 pieces for $112, that I HAD GIVEN them the wrong inside diameter, and of course thye would not take them back since it was my error.

And then I order new mat board, with a coupon for $101.

And then I discovered that I COULD NOT FIND a way to put the paper backing on, and so the inside of the frame now needs to be stained when it was not before. Along with this I discovered that it's not a good idea to use a staple gun because unless each one is perpendicular and in the middle it will spit the wood on the outside.

I DID DISCO0VER the nice lady who has been waiting at least a week so far longer than I agreed, is not upset, but does need it by Xmas.

She paid $150. But I have already spent close to $300 to make this one frame.

Of course now I know what not to do.
OK.... I’m a reasonable woodworker with a wood sho... (show quote)


Welcome to the world of woodworking! Murphy's law prevails.

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Dec 16, 2023 17:08:04   #
dustie Loc: Nose to the grindstone
 
bikinkawboy wrote:
You sure that “quiet dark room” wasn’t a coffin they were sizing you up for?


Maybe they respectfully called it a frame?

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Dec 16, 2023 17:09:10   #
goofybruce
 
zarathu wrote:
We have a woodworking section? Who knew?


...or should it be put into the "Murphy's Law" section, y'know.... "anything that can go wrong, will go wrong."

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Dec 16, 2023 18:03:14   #
RodeoMan Loc: St Joseph, Missouri
 
Zaranthu, this post is worthy of being sent a woodworker's magazine, but not one of the snooty ones because when those guys walk on the ice today; it will be water tomorrow. As far as frames, I haunt the thrift and used furniture stores and pick up solid wood, often oak, frames. When I have something I want to to frame, I scrounge up one of the appropriate size, and cut a mat or two for a double mat. I put the glass in, the item, the mat or mats, the backing, tape around the edges, write the provenance in pencil on the back, attach the wire if necessary. I never have had anyone come by with a tape measure and a calculator to tell me that the width of my mat does not fall with in the allowable tolerances relative to the width of the frame. I am satisfied with my results and didn't have to get my bloody head fixed after spending four hours in the emergency room to obtain those results. Also when I spend north of a hundred dollars to get something framed, whatever it is better be worth a whole lot more than than or have substantial sentimental value. Still your post was one of the more humorous I have read in a long time.

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Dec 16, 2023 18:39:14   #
dennis2146 Loc: Eastern Idaho
 
Have you considered selling the photo itself and then let the customer take care of framing the photo with a frame of her choosing? There seem to be an infinite number of techniques, frame styles, types of wood, colors and then the matting around the photo it might be beneficial to you and the customer to simply have your photos in a frame bought from Hobby Lobby or Michael's, (my choice) just for display. Then the customer gets to choose.

Your story was humorous but I am sure there was a chunk of time when you were not smiling.

Dennis

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Dec 16, 2023 20:31:58   #
srg
 
zarathu wrote:
I have been a personal friend of Murphy since I was born. We are on a first name. basis(his first name is Ed by the way). I should tell you how Ed and I get along every time I went out on my sailboat----every damn time. Some of the events are funny now. They sure weren’t funny at the time.


Is your last name "Stra"?
Or did I thusly misspeak.

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Dec 16, 2023 20:48:06   #
zarathu Loc: Bar Harbor, MDI, Maine
 
srg wrote:
Is your last name "Stra"?
Or did I thusly misspeak.


NO... There is a story as to why I use Zarathu. I was told to use it during a meditation in 1994, so I would be recognized”.

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Dec 16, 2023 20:52:03   #
zarathu Loc: Bar Harbor, MDI, Maine
 
dennis2146 wrote:
Have you considered selling the photo itself and then let the customer take care of framing the photo with a frame of her choosing?



Nope. I do my own photography. I do my own printing. And I do my own framing. It's about being able to do the whole thing. I have don’t a lot of things like that in the past 74+ years. The sale was the first in 50 years. I co very nice work, I’ve just never been particularly interested in selling it.

Its the third photo: Measuring Spoons in Salt:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/185049347@N05/

I had a friend try to buy "Milkweed seeds in Pod”, the 20th down, but I just gave her the print.

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Dec 16, 2023 22:31:21   #
Bill_de Loc: US
 
zarathu wrote:
Nope. I do my own photography. I do my own printing. And I do my own framing. It's about being able to do the whole thing. I have don’t a lot of things like that in the past 74+ years. The sale was the first in 50 years. I co very nice work, I’ve just never been particularly interested in selling it.

Its the third photo: Measuring Spoons in Salt:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/185049347@N05/

I had a friend try to buy "Milkweed seeds in Pod”, the 20th down, but I just gave her the print.
Nope. I do my own photography. I do my own print... (show quote)


Very nice images!!!

---

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Dec 16, 2023 23:39:46   #
wrangler5 Loc: Missouri
 
dustie wrote:
You may have even surpassed Christopher Columbus in the sheer number of discoveries made.
Now if you could just escape the tyrannical grip of Murphy and be knighted by a considerate benefactor.


Edison is reported to have said that he never had a failure when he was inventing the incandescent light bulb, he just found a thousand (or several thousand - whatever the number, it was a lot) ways that didn't work.

I've regularly had not-failures like that over my lifetime, so I just try to think of myself as being in good company.

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Dec 17, 2023 00:06:42   #
bikinkawboy Loc: north central Missouri
 
I just watched a video “America, The Story of Us.” According to it Edison had tried 6,000 different materials until he found that charred cardboard stayed lit for 300 hours.

As for the tribulations suffered by the original poster, too bad he didn’t have someone photographing all that. Turn it into a photo essay and it would be worth a mint.

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Dec 17, 2023 03:35:53   #
dustie Loc: Nose to the grindstone
 
wrangler5 wrote:
Edison is reported to have said that he never had a failure when he was inventing the incandescent light bulb, he just found a thousand (or several thousand - whatever the number, it was a lot) ways that didn't work.

I've regularly had not-failures like that over my lifetime, so I just try to think of myself as being in good company.


Was Murphy already active all over the place in Edison's day? 😊
I wish for times that Murphy did not consider me such good company. 😁

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Dec 17, 2023 05:49:07   #
jcboy3
 
Curmudgeon wrote:
When I had a shop I made frames from various molding profiles. A quick pass over the (home made) router table, 45s cut on a miter box (couldn't afford a chop saw), corner clamps and white glue with a brad at each corner. MinWax stain to finish the project.


I prefer to stain before I glue.

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Dec 17, 2023 06:47:31   #
dpullum Loc: Tampa Florida
 
Being a DIY person, when building a house back in the late 1970, I decided to do my plumbing to save money... Wrong!!! The plumber buys a thousand elbows from the manufacturer, I buy 10 from a local building store. A costly lesson.

Your post would be funny if it were not so real in many ways with what we are faced with in life. But a 3D printer to the rescue ... modern tech is a wonder. Don't believe me ask your lovely fully functional Japanese Female Robot.

Who or what at the MDI Photo Club, came up with 13x19"????

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