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Insufficient attention is often paid to the raw material which makes a frame, as one tends to speak more easily about the decorative elements of the frame, such as the design and the finishing that are and remain key-elements in the creation of an artistic frame.
Nevertheless, here we want to describe the origins and the characteristics of the raw material that constitutes a frame and to analyze the various types of wood, which are needed for the creation and processing of the frame.
The need to use a wood, which is suitable for the geometric processing of the frame and could preserve at the same time its natural features, pushed the craftsmen to look for a raw material that could meet these requirements.
The research and tests made in this direction led the producers to use three main types of wood: the Ramin, exceptional for its compactness, has its origins in the Far East, in Borneo and Sumatra, the Obece, low compactness and low durability, has its origins in the equatorial belt of Africa, and is used for the production of low cost and poor quality frames; last but not least, the Jelutong, an essence of high quality wood used in the manufacture of high quality carved frames, has its origins in Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. The Jelutong wood is very easy to work. It is, in particular, to be sliced and peeled. When varnished and painted, the results are perfect.
Nails, screws and generally all the joints, even the ones that are stuck, offer a good resistance to all mechanical tensions. This is a variety of wood that is widely spreading in our wood craftsmen, which use it for packaging, canvases, furniture, as well as in the manufacturing of doors. It also finds a wide use for foundry patterns and in the manufacturing of pencils. But it is mainly in the production of high quality carved frames that it finds a remarkable use, as a valid alternative to other types of wood, such as lime and "cirmolo" of European origin.
The cut in the forest is still done with hand saws and hatchets. The skidding takes place by opening channels where the logs are placed and then trained or rolled. Their transportation to the places of shipment is done through the only mean of communication: the river. This primary system requires that, in order to avoid any obstacles, the logs are no more than five and a half meters long.
Close to the main ports sawmills turn the logs into boards through little mechanized, but very good-quality processes. Cut tables go through a first treatment made of preservatives and antiseptics. Since then the precious material travels on cargo ships and it is directed to the various producers in the world.
As we know, the wood, before being transformed, needs a perfect drying, in order to bring it to a minimum percentage of moisture and to arrive at a finished product of good quality. In the past an economical, but not practical, system was used to dry the wood, letting it dry naturally. So it took months and often years, depending on the quality of the wood, to reach good results.
Nowadays modern technologies allow to significantly reducing the drying time through two main methods: drying by hot air ventilation and steam drying. The difference between the two methods is that the steam-drying is superior in quality and very low time consuming compared to the ventilation one.
The steam ovens spread moisture evenly across the wood substance. The steam penetrates and opens the pores of the wood thus facilitating the subsequent drying process. The operation develops in a uniform and consistent way both outside and inside the wood so that it allows a more effective and faster result. The jelutong wood, in particular, can be dried with no problems apart from the risk of a color change, it could veer to blue.
After drying the wood needs to be stabilized. This procedure is necessary to bring the tensions of wood to a steady state. This process requires that the wood is kept in storage where the humidity is constantly monitored for a period ranging from 50 to 60 days.
Once stabilized, the wood is ready to move on to the next process, which will create the different shapes of frames. The first stage is the cutting. During this process the raw wood is cut in several strips of different sizes. This transformation is carried out with a high precision multi-saw machine.
From the strips we must now obtain the needed shapes of frames. During this phase that is known as "scorniciatura", the strips slide under special steel mills, which turn at high speed and create the desired shape. This is the most delicate phase of the whole process. The shaped strips are carefully controlled in order to eliminate even the slightest defect.
At this point, the shapes are cut to size and assembled as needed to create the rough frame, which will be carved, decorated, painted or gold/silver leaf finished according to the customer's request.
As we saw in this article, the raw material is essential for the making of the frame, from the choice of the type of wood, to the various stages of production until the final strip, and must follow a long and complicated procedure; this process, together with the following stages of the frame's making, determine the unique value and impeccable quality of the finished frames and make each craft work a piece of art.
About the Author:
Maselli Frames
is an artisan workshop in Florence, Italy
