Why Liquid Metal Frames Offer More Than Aluminium or Gilding

Some clients come to us with requests for metal picture frames but find that the aluminium extrusions and gilded frames do not match their artwork.

How We Create a Liquid Metal Finish for Picture Frames

What they would like is something else and the something else we can offer is what we call Liquid Metal. This is a process where we spray metal granules onto a wooden frame base. When dry, the surface has the texture and appearance of a paving stone.

This is then ground down with a series of finer and finer grinding discs until the surface is perfectly smooth. We then polish it, revealing the metallic surface, which can be brass, bronze, pewter or copper (gold is also possible but it is very expensive!).

The finished surfaces are cold to the touch, conduct electricity, and if left as they are will tarnish just like anything else made of metal.

Copper, Brass, Bronze or Pewter: Choosing the Right Metal for Your Frame

We can also apply certain finishing techniques to change the appearance. For example, etching with acid produces whirling patterns of different colours, the exact colours depending on the base metal:

• Copper metal frames produce more green, blue and white colouration
• Bronze and brass frames exude darker shades, in contrast.

The advantage of this type of metal frame over welded sections is that the corners are “closed”, so no joints to show.

See Liquid Metal Frame Samples in Our Soho Workshop

The photos below show various profile shapes and sizes with various metal coatings, bronze, brass, pewter and copper. We have left some with just a polished finish, others we have further lacquered. Some of the copper samples have been acid patterned and then lacquered with a gloss finish.

These finishes only work on smooth sided picture frame mouldings as it is not possible to polish the metal granules down to a smooth finish when sprayed onto ornate or textured profiles.

Square or rounded work the best on both rectangular or round or oval pictures frames. The process is time consuming and demands many hours of hand polishing, which means that the liquid metal finish should only be considered when budget is not of primary importance. We cost each job on frame size, profile size and shape, metal type and finish so would need to know these parameters before we are able to quote. 

Enjoy the samples below, all of which can be inspected in our Soho workshop.