Pushmaster picture framing tool

[gidon]

As I've mentioned in my other post, I've been making presents for family including a few picture frames. I usually use some sort of spline to reinforce the joint but because I had quite a few to make, I thought I'd look at getting a vee-nailer. Additionally, I needed a tool to insert those very thin bendable flexi-pins that allow you to remove the backing of the frame to replace the photo. The Pushmaster fit the bill but I was reluctant to spend £40 for such a thing. Still easy to justify to myself (and more importantly the wife) with the saving in pressies . (Got a few other things through on that one too!)

This tool holds two types of vee-nails for hardwood and softwood of differing lengths on its magnetic tip. The idea is you just mount the nail and push it close to the rebate on the backside of the mitre (plus one in the middle on wider frames). Hah!

Well since I mainly use hardwoods I've been using the hardwood nails unsurprisingly. The softwood nails are apparently sharper but would end up following the grain in hardwood which would be no good. To cut to the chase, I've tried these in Ash and Oak and there's no way I can push them in by hand, I have to resort to a nylon mallet pretty early on. To be fair the instructions do mention you may need to tap the end of the Pushmaster with a mallet with hardwoods. But this is more than a tap. [This isn't surprising to be honest - I don't usually insert nails by just pushing hard with my thumb!] And there lies the problem. You're meant to be able to add the v-nails whilst the frame is in the clamp, which would mean you could move onto the next frame nice and quickly. I'm using a Bessey vario clamp, which can apply a huge amount of pressure and has no noticable stretch, but I still find the force of inserting these v-nails aided by the nylon hammer, just opens those finely tuned mitres. Very annoying. Now Frameco - the company who makes the Pushmaster do a steel band clamp, which they recommend but it's even more than the Bessey and I would still be interested to see whether that'd do the job ... Trouble is slippery glue and whacking with hammers isn't the best combination.

So how about if you let the glue set first overnight, take the frame out of the clamp and then have a go? That should be just fine surely. NO! On three frames I tried this on, with two of them the force of inserting the vee-nail actually broke the end grain glue joint on one mitre on each! Arghh!!

I'll come to my conclusions in a minute, but first how about the Pushmaster's other much-touted abilities to insert those little flexipoints:



Well I'm afraid I didn't have much luck with this either. Again mere hand pushing wasn't quite enough, and hammering just bent the nail (this was in Bubinga to be fair). Plus the magnetic head actually damaged the back of the frame. I gave up and used nails instead to hold the backing board in place (also applied with the Pushmaster with a little more success). I need to try this with some other hardwoods.

Conclusions: Well as you can see I'm not overly impressed. I am tempted to put the thing on Ebay. But, the trouble is I'm really not sure what the alternatives there are at the price point. I mean, it does hold the vee-nails in position, and therefore allows much more accuracy on inserting those nails, even if you do need to hit it with a hammer. And as for those flexipoints well you could use a dedicated (staple-type) gun. I would be interested to see how that coped - they are very soft by their very nature those flexipoints. So is that the fault of the Pushmaster? Of course in softwoods and those horrible foam mouldings I'm sure the Pushmaster works a treat. But I would have to recommend caution on purchasing this thing for use with hardwoods. Having said that, there may be some tricks of the trade I need to learn - I did already find by the fourth frame that my technique has improved somewhat. I think it's important to start the nail off by hand as much as you can and keep the nail absolutely perpendicular to the surface. I will add more thoughts as I use it more.

Blimey that's a lot of words to describe my thoughts on essentially such a simple tool! Anyone have one care to add any comments, or anyone else for that matter?

Cheers

Gidon

 

[Neil]

Hi Gidon,

I have one of these - bought when I had to frame up 30-ish pieces for my wife.

Of course in softwoods and those horrible foam mouldings I'm sure the Pushmaster works a treat.

I think you've hit the v-nail on the head there (sorry :lol. I've only used it for softwood frames and it worked fine - the flexi-points were also no problem. But I can well believe that hardwoods would be an entirely different proposition. I'll do a quick test over the weekend and report back...

Sorry to be of no help whatsoever,

Neil

 

[gidon]

Not at all Neil - interested to hear your thoughts. And good pun .
Yes please let us know how you get on.
Cheers
Gidon
(Yikes - 30 frames!)

 

[Chris Knight]

Gidon,
Thanks for the review - useful info!

I have the steel band clamp and I can recommend it. It is very useful for all sorts of things, I use three or four band clamps (all different makes, including a Bessey) for some big cabinets and the Frameco is the best, easy to handle, adjust and position.

 

[gidon]

Thanks Chris. Shame you're not closer - would be interested to know if the FrameCo clamp would give better results. Still I then may be tempted to part with another £50 - so probably best you're 200 miles away!
Cheers
Gidon

 

[mudman]

Gidon,

Sorry to hear the Pushmaster didn't work out so well.
For holding the backs in on picture frames, I use Glazer's push points.
I've used them on ash, MDF and meranti and they go in guite easily. You can use a screwdriver or a special tool (I found one in Hobbiecraft) and they seem to work quite well. Probably not too suitable in a frame where you want to change the the contents though, but I've found them effective.

 

[Paul Chapman]

Hi Gidon,

I've used the FrameCo Pushmaster and their Corner Clamp http://www.clubframeco.com/frame_clamping_tools.html (scroll down the page a bit).

This was when my Mother-in-Law had painted about 100 pictures, wanted to hold an exhibition but hadn't realised how expensive it was to get pictures framed :roll: We were modifying second-hand frames as well as making a few from scratch, so a wide variety of wood was involved.

Overall I found the Pushmaster and the Corner Clamp worked very well, although I found very hard woods were more difficult. I also found that the sort of clamp used was very important so as not to get any movement when inserting the V-nails.

Of all the things I tried I found, overall, that the Pushmaster and the Corner Clamp to be the best combination. But like you, the more I did the better I became at it.

Paul

 

[Johnboy]

I use the pushmaster but use this clamp. http://www.axminster.co.uk/recno/6/product-Quick-Frame-Clamp-20903.htm. As you say a mallet is needed in hardwoods but I find that this clamp holds everything tight together.

I always use panel pins fitted with the pushmaster to hold the backs in, again a few taps with a mallet are needed in hardwood. Overall I am reasonably happy with it.

John

 

[gidon]

Thanks Mudman - I normally just use nail gun nails to hold backing boards in place. But because these are presents I wanted the photos changeable. I've seen those Glazier's push points - in fact at Hobbycraft!
Paul interesting to hear your experience of the corner clamp - although notice that isn't cheap either! It seems I perhaps need to have another go with another clamping strategy. John - I'm tempted to get one of those - the price is right - thanks. I had more success with the backing nails too - which is a shame - because the flexipoints was actually my first attraction to the tool.
Cheers
Gidon

 

[Paul Chapman]

Paul interesting to hear your experience of the corner clamp - although notice that isn't cheap either! It seems I perhaps need to have another go with another clamping strategy.

Yes, all of FrameCo's stuff is a bit expensive :shock: I only bought the clamp because I was in a situation where we had a lot to do in a short space of time and, because we were modifying a lot of second-hand frames, there was a lot of variation in their profiles. I concluded that this was the only clamp that was good and would deal with such a wide range of different style frames.

With hindsight I am glad I bought it because it made a frustrating job a lot easier and it is so well-made that it will last for ever. But I did cringe a bit at the time about the cost.

Hope you solve your problem eventually.

Paul

 

[gidon]

Paul - it does sound and look the business. And if I end up doing lots more may bite the bullet. Bessey do a similiar clamp which I've been temped by before.
Cheers
Gidon

 

[Paul Chapman]

Gidon,

Apart from that one large job, I've only done occasional picture framing so I'm no expert. However, from what I have done I would only caution that no one clamp seems to be suitable for every picture framing situation, so whatever you buy you will no doubt end up having to have several different types.

Sod's Law I suppose :roll:

Paul

 

[gidon]

Paul I already have four different mitre clamps (well if you include one of those trucker's band clamps that each time I use it the glue's almost set by the time I figure out how to use it!) - they all come in handy. I'll probably try and make or buy something along the lines of the Axminster one John linked too first.
Cheers
Gidon