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Museum Glass Shadowboxes Available

Jim Miller MCPF GCF

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Master Certified Picture Framer®
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Location
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Company
ARTFRAME, Inc.
The feature article, "Celebration Shadowboxes" on page 32 of PFM January 2012, has attracted more attention than usual, and there were some interesting discussions in Las Vegas, too.

This is the most economical way to provide a transparent box, and by far the least-cost technique for a shadowbox that is optically-coated, anti-reflection, and 99% UV filtering, because it can be built in any frame shop. Using FrameSpace on the glass edges, the shadowbox can be securely installed in any standard frame moulding of typical rabbet depth. No need for an expensive deep-rabbet moulding.

A similar shadowbox made out of acrylic would have to be Museum Optium. There are only a handful of acrylic fabricators who can even build one of those, and the cost would be several times more than a shadowbox made of standard acrylic. If you want to offer your customer a shadowbox made out of glass, especially Musuem Glass, the basic instructions are in the article.

Or if you like, I will build it to your specifications and send it to you. All I need is height, width, and depth. Inquiries welcome, email artframe@att.net.
 
Jim, thank you for sharing your information and expertise. I enjoyed seeing them at the show in Louisville and I thought it was the most innovative thing I've seen in a while for framers. Well done! I may need to order one for a display...
 
A good suggestion came at the Frame Specialties Open House last weekend, where I presented my class, "Glass Enclosures for 3-dimensional framing": Len Lastuck suggested I offer glass shadowbox kits - what a great idea. Why didn't I think of that?

As noted in this thread's original post a year ago, you can probably build these in your own shop, with instructions and some practice. Or, if you don't stock the Museum glass, or don't want to bother developing the expertise and making the fixtures to build your own, I will do it for you, but careful packing and costly shipping would be required.

Thanks to Len's suggestion, detailed, illustrated instructions for glass shadowbox kits will soon be ready. I will cut the glass pieces to your specified dimensions, pre-apply the edge tape and strips to attach the glass box in the frame, and provide the trim tape and illustrated instructions. Packing and shipping for a flat package of glass pieces would be inexpensive and low-risk, making this a more practical alternative.

This way, you can assemble the box on your bench from the prepared pieces, apply the trim tape to the outside edges, and fit as usual. It will be easy, and the results will "wow" your customers. let me know if you're interested.
 
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The feature article, "Celebration Shadowboxes" on page 32 of PFM January 2012, has attracted more attention than usual, and there were some interesting discussions in Las Vegas, too.

This is the most economical way to provide a transparent box, and by far the least-cost technique for a shadowbox that is optically-coated, anti-reflection, and 99% UV filtering, because it can be built in any frame shop. Using FrameSpace on the glass edges, the shadowbox can be securely installed in any standard frame moulding of typical rabbet depth. No need for an expensive deep-rabbet moulding.

A similar shadowbox made out of acrylic would have to be Museum Optium. There are only a handful of acrylic fabricators who can even build one of those, and the cost would be several times more than a shadowbox made of standard acrylic. If you want to offer your customer a shadowbox made out of glass, especially Musuem Glass, the basic instructions are in the article.

Or if you like, I will build it to your specifications and send it to you. All I need is height, width, and depth. Inquiries welcome, email artframe@att.net.

Thank you Jim for this offer from 2012.

How does one go about getting one of these if possible?
 
Mo, shipping a finished glass shadowbox is a problem. About half of the ones I have built for other framers arrived broken. It would be better for you to build your own, and it's not difficult. I can send you the illustrated instructions that come with the lecture/demo class.
 
Mo, shipping a finished glass shadowbox is a problem. About half of the ones I have built for other framers arrived broken. It would be better for you to build your own, and it's not difficult. I can send you the illustrated instructions that come with the lecture/demo class.

Thank you Jim.


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