Concrete Picture Frame

[tertius]

Rapid set, glass fiber, #4 blast sand and sp700 (with a couple of other things) will work wonders. GFRC as long as you don't want exposed aggregate and you want a very even finish.

Also a foam core will reduce your weight significantly.

 

[ConcretePicture]

Thanks for your comments. I do use fiber reinforcement for crack control and shrinkage issues. The fibers that I use are only 1/2" long. I have not tried foam core just because of the thin cross-section of any of my frames. The concrete tables that I make could possibly use some voids/foam.

Just wondering, where do some of you concrete enthusiasts work?

My intention in posting my question was not necessarily about the concrete itself, but of the concept of framing art in it. Do they come across as too industrial? Is there a niche in the art world for such a frame?

Thanks again.

 

[Phranquey]

Just wondering, where do some of you concrete enthusiasts work?

Concrete enthusiast....:scratch: Not sure about that, but I have been working with it for 22 years.

My current employer... (most of the pics on the site are mine)

Ernst Concrete

 

[Rita]

Hi, I have been a passive reader for a long time, but I just wanted to say that this is a very neat idea. I want one. I also perused through your site - very interesting.

 

[ConcretePicture]

Rita, I am glad to hear that your frame arrived. I hope you enjoy it and that it lasts forever. Just curious, what do you plan on putting in it? I recently sold 4 frames to a lady who framed Banksy prints.

 

[AlGordon]

Interesting idea, would work well in very minimalist homes/bars etc.

You must have to be careful over which kind of walls to choose to hang them though! I've got a mixture of hollow partitions and 100 year old brick...I think the brick would win!

 

[c.cloudwalker]

Just wondering, where do some of you concrete enthusiasts work?

My intention in posting my question was not necessarily about the concrete itself, but of the concept of framing art in it. Do they come across as too industrial? Is there a niche in the art world for such a frame?

I'm an artist/photographer so my work doesn't have much to do with concrete but I've also done a lot of work myself on my houses and since I have a friend who manages a concrete plant, I went and visited it one day. Fascinating stuff.

I do believe there is a niche market for those but maybe not with artists. I would go after decorators and home owners myself. There are very modern houses out there where those frames could look good. Also could look good in industrial buildings converted to residential.

Now, I don't remember exactly what my friend said when I asked about this idea but it seems he thought you could use just about any mix since the frames are not going to be under a lot of stress. He suggested using fiber in the mix but he thought yours was a bit short. Again, I don't remember exactly but he used 2 different types of fibers both being about 2-3 inches.

One thing I know he suggested was the use of a rubber "gasket" type thing between the concrete and the artwork because concrete actually takes years to fully dry and you wouldn't want any humidity getting into your mat or artwork...

This made me wonder about the chemicals involved in concrete mixes and how they would interact with the artwork. That would be something to study before framing valuable art in such a manner.

 

[Neil S.]

Big deal...

I made a picture frame out of aluminium foil once, and it was way better!

The heavy cooking variety mind you, not the cheap stuff.

Can't be cheap when dealing with picture frames.

Oh wait lol...

 

[ConcretePicture]

I appreciate the advice c.cloudwalker. I agree about the modern house look. I have some of these concrete frames at work. As for the moisture issue: concrete never stops curing, but that doesn't mean that it will ooze onto the artwork. It is a very good absorber of moisture and will not increase the humidity in a typical room/gallery.
I recently wrote a short article about photo preservation and covered some of these topics in Ezine. You can check it out here.
The stresses in the concrete frames are minimal except when it comes to grinding and shipping them. That is why I go with a higher strength mix.
Thanks again for your comments.