DELIVERY just £12.50
Not familiar with Chop + Routing Service? Start here! Choose one of the general topics or select the style of profile you're ordering and see how to calculate the size - our customer service team can't do this for you.
Ordering moulding on our Chop Service means you gives us the measurements of your frames and we cut the mitred pieces ready to join on your underpinner - or you can choose the option to 'Add Routing Service' and receive them with routed slots to join with the supplied dovetail keys.
We've been offering Chop Service for nearly fifty years so you can trust us to carefully select and check your mouldings before cutting it on our digital mitre saws.
With Chop Service you can offer your customers unlimited choice from our full range without holding stock. Depending on the circumstances, it might also be the best thing for your cashflow and work schedule:
When it's a one-off: You've helped your client choose one of our more creative mouldings and it pairs perfectly with their artwork… but are you likely to get another order for it in the next few months? If the answer is no, any offcuts are just going to tie up your cash. Ordering on chop is great for your cashflow - and having it routed will save you time setting your underpinner up to join an unfamiliar moulding.
When it's borderline whether you'll need one length or two: It's a 500mm x 400mm frame - you might get away with one length but you don't want to end up without enough so will probably order two to be on the safe side… Even if it turns out you did need the second length, you'll probably have a large offcut which will sit on your rack, locking up cash until you have time to turn it into a sellable frame. Ordering an exact amount on Chop Service removes the guesswork and looks after your cash.
When you only need one length: It's a smallish frame and you'll only need one length - so it just makes sense to order securely packaged on Chop Service.
When you're on a tight deadline: When you order frames on Chop + Rout you can open them and join them in seconds - no measuring, no setting up your underpinner. You can even delegate the job to someone with less experience - if they can use a hammer, they can join a frame!
When you want to reduce waste: Paying your waste contractor to take away moulding costs you twice over. Even though the up-front cost of Chop is higher, you turn all the moulding into cash the minute your client pays for the frame, with no hidden costs of disposal and nothing going to waste.
How do I work out what size to order?
We cut the frame to the ‘glass size’. We can’t work out your frame size for you. If you’re not an experienced framer, have a read of our blog for information on where to find training.
Can you join the frame for me?
No, we don’t offer a frame joining service. To join the four pieces into a frame, you will need an underpinner to insert v-nails. You can’t just bang them in with a hammer! Some hand-operated underpinners will also require a band clamp or vice to hold the pieces together while you insert the v-nails.
If you’ll be joining the frame with a hand-operated underpinner, avoid harder woods such as oak and ash, and also more ornate / shaped mouldings – you’ll need commercial framing equipment to work with these.
Can you cut the glass and backing board for me?
No, we don’t cut glass and backing board to size. You can order 1200mm x 800mm sheets of styrene glazing and backing board on our Mixed Sheet Despatch service and cut them to size.
Do you sell glass?
We sell high quality acrylic glazing, which is visually colourless, unlike traditional glass, easy to cut, lightweight and safe. It's available in standard, UV protection, anti-reflective and museum grades. You can order it in full sheets on our Mixed Sheet Despatch Service, or in pre-cut photographic sizes.
Why is the chop price higher than the length price?
The chop price includes a labour element for cutting the frame, and also the wastage.
How long does delivery take?
Read our FAQs for information relating to our delivery service and other frequently asked questions.
There are two key terms to understand when it comes to ordering moulding on our Chop Service:
Glass Size
This is the inner measurement you give us when ordering. It’s the dimensions of the piece of acrylic/glass that will eventually drop into the frame. This will be smaller than the outside dimensions of the finished frame.
Fitting Tolerance
To allow a little wriggle room for the glass, mount and backing board, we automatically add 2mm Fitting Tolerance to the Glass Size you give us. This allows 1mm all round between glazing and frame.
If for some reason you don’t want us to add fitting tolerance, just check the box for ‘Do not add 2mm fitting tolerance’.
We can’t vary the amount of tolerance we add - if you want more or less than 2mm select ‘Do not add fitting tolerance’ and then add your preferred tolerance to the glass size.
When you order a frame on our Chop Service you'll see the option to 'Add Routing Service'.
This means you'll receive the frame with routed slots in each mitred face - they allow you to join the frame with the supplied dovetail keys, instead of on your underpinner. It's also handy if you don't have an underpinner in your workshop or studio.
Routing service takes the hassle out of joining moulding, and is especially useful on tall, narrow profiles, and hard woods like Ash, Oak and Black Walnut. Even the best underpinners and most skilled operators can struggle with joining dense, hard woods because the v nails can’t displace the timber fibres, causing gaps and v nail blowout.
Routing works differently – it removes timber to make a slot for a dovetail joining key. When you receive your chop frame, tap the supplied dovetail keys in with a hammer to pull the corner tightly together. The dovetail keys not only hold the mitre, they actually pull it tightly together to give an unbeatable join.
Routing Service costs £7.80 + VAT per chop frame, including dovetail joining keys. It's available on almost all our mouldings and stretcher profiles, apart from a few that are just too small.
Lay the pieces face down on a clean surface that won't scratch the face of the moulding.
Check you’re using the right size keys for each slot. Once they're in they can't be easily removed.
Apply PVA glue sparingly to the cut faces, not in the routed slot.
Use something to support the corner if the face of the moulding is not flat, such as a stack of foam centre board.
Use a lightweight hammer to tap the keys into place.
• We cut to the inside edge of the rebate.
• Calculate the Glass Size of the finished frame by working out the size of the artwork plus any window mount.
• A stacked frame is made up of two or more mouldings to add impact.
• The inner frame is measured as for a standard frame.
• The outer frame needs to fit the outside size of the inner frame. You'll need to add the width of the second moulding minus the rebate onto the dimensions for the first frame.
• Inner Frame: Order Glass Size.
• Outer Frame: Order Glass Size + 2 x (Width - Rebate). We recommend you choose to Add Fitting Tolerance to both inner and outer frame.
• For the rebate size check your chevron. If you don’t have a chevron you can work on the basis the rebate is 6 - 7mm*.
• We cannot cut frames to the outside size.
• We cut to the back edge of the profile.
• We recommend you choose to add Fitting Tolerance to both spacer and outer frame.
• We cut to the back edge of the profile.
• We recommend you choose to Add Fitting Tolerance to both slip and outer frame.
• We cut to the inside edge of the rebate.
• You can use St Ives in several ways:
• These profiles are designed to make a Tray Frame for a stretched canvas. We cut to the inside edge.
• Calculate or measure the dimensions of the stretched canvas.
• Most framers add a ‘Shadow Gap’ between the canvas and the frame as it looks better than the frame being tight to the canvas.
• A 10mm shadow gap is most popular - so add 20mm to each dimension of your canvas.
• These stepped profiles can be used to make tray frames for different depths of canvas. The stepped shape automatically creates a shadow gap.
• When ordering online you can choose whether to have the frame cut with either the tall or the short side surrounding the frame.
• We recommend choosing to Add Fitting Tolerance to allow space for the thickness of the canvas.
• We cut to the back edge of the profile.
• Order the finished size of the canvas you are stretching.
• We cut to the inside edge of the profile.
• Measure the panel.
• Panels should fit snugly into this profile but we recommend adding Fitting Tolerance to give you a bit of wiggle room.
• We cut to the inside edge of the profile.
• Measure the panel then add 2 x shadow gap – up to 7mm for L2544 and L2545, up to 10mm for L2989 and L2990.
• Do not add tolerance to ensure that your shadow gap is accurate.
• We cut to the inside edge of the profile.
• Calculate the Glass Size of the finished frame by working out the size of the artwork plus any window mount.
Aluminium Frame Hardware
• Make sure you’ve ordered your aluminium frame hardware, either as a single frame kit from the Chop Service page or separately in bulk.
• If any side of the frame is over 1000mm we recommend choosing 9772 Aluminium Frame Hardware Large.
• We cut to the inside edge of the profile.
• Add a shadow gap of up to 15mm to the size of the panel you’re framing.
Aluminium Frame Hardware
• Make sure you’ve ordered your aluminium frame hardware, either as a single frame kit from the Chop Service page or separately in bulk.
• If any side of the frame is over 1000mm we recommend choosing 9772 Aluminium Frame Hardware Large.
• We cut to the back edge of the profile.
• Subtract 2 x your desired overhang from the size of the panel you’re mounting. The overhang is usually around 25mm all round.
Sub Frame Hardware
• Sub Frame is square cut and joined with moulded push in corners. Select a hardware kit from the Chop Service page.
Find more on our YouTube channel - youtube.com/LIONPFSLtd
