What Does The Point Driver Do?

Fletcher “Frame Master” Point Driver

For many novice framers it comes as a surprise to discover that self-framing does not require a big investment in equipment. In fact, after buying a mat cutter, there is nothing of real consequence, price-wise, that you absolutely have to have. So the question changes from, “All right, what am I going to have to buy?” to, “All right, what should I buy next? What can help me make my picture framing easier?” The answer is simple. A point driver. A tool that is as efficient and effective as it is a delight to use. The Point Driver drives small, flat metal tabs, called points, at a perpendicular angle into the sides of a frame recess to keep the stack of components in place. Holding that stack in place is a major issue in picture framing and one that is addressed cheaply and clumsily with small nails or with points jammed into place with awkward and primitive tools. On the other hand, the neat, clean, sturdy delivery of a Point Driver is quite satisfying. And quick! When you want your frame job finished in a hurry, nothing beats a point driver.

Back to Securing the Contents of a Frame

Exploring Options in Point Drivers

The days of pounding brads at an awkward angle into the rabbet of a frame are past. These days, much more sophisticated methods exist for secure artwork in a wood frame, and none is as clean, easy and sensible as the framer’s point.

Think in terms of the little metal tabs that you bend up at the back of an desk frame to get at the contents. Those are points.

Shaped a bit like an arrow head at one end, and a metal tab at the other, they are pushed, squeezed or driven perpendicularly into the side of a frame’s. One point has more holding surface than four brads, so a single point on each side will usually do the trick for most artwork up to 16"x20". Framer’s points are flat, which means they will never rip or dent the back of your artwork, and they’re easy enough to remove if you miscalculate and want to have another go.

How you choose to insert the points is up to you. But each method has benefits and drawbacks, largely based on the old equation of cost equals ease.

The point pusher is aptly named. It does not pretend to be anything it is not. A point is fitted into a contoured socket at the end of a curved handle. You grab the handle, put the tip of the point against the rabbet of the frame, and shove. Simple as that. Point Pushers are designed to insert glazier points, short, roughly star-shaped points that are used to hold glass in window frames. They do not work well with framer's points. The most popular point pusher goes by the name of the Fletcher PushMate.

Less crude in its operation, is the point squeezer, a vicing tool that squeezes the point into the rabbet. Using an adjustable magnetic anvil that holds the point in place, the opposing jaw is fitted over the frame and the handle is squeezed, which closes the jaws and presses the point into the side of the frame recess.

The most popular point squeezer, called the Fletcher FrameMate, can take a single framers point, glazier point or brad. Stacked framers points are inappropriate for the tool. Logan's Frame Fitting Tool is an improved version of a point squeezer with a rotating turret that accepts a wider range of points and has less problem with the points slipping as they are driven.

Without doubt, however, the ultimate in point insertion devices is the point driver. Similar in design and operation to a staple gun, the point driver fires points perpendicularly, rather than straight down, as would be the case with a staple gun. It operates with a squeeze of the handle and bangs home the point with a pleasing ka-chunk that lets you know the point is neatly imbedded. You can even adjust the firing tension for different densities of wood. It is delightfully quick and easy. The most popular point driver is the Fletcher FrameMaster.

The correct points for the FrameMaster are the stacked framers point (box of 3,000), since the FrameMaster is a magazine fed device and does not take single, loose framer's points.

All points can be bent up to allow for the removal of material from the frame, but "Flexible Framer’s Points" are especially designed for this purpose and are easier on the thumb and less likely to fatigue than regular "Framer’s Points."

A special point driver is used for driving flexible points. The FlexiMaster is easy to use and costs marginally more than the FrameMaster. It uses the 3,700 stacked flexi-points. If you plan to change out the components of your picture frames with some regularity the FlexiMaster is the tool for you.

Sooner or later, you may have to remove the points, and although they can be pulled out of most wood by hand, it’s the one aspect of points that may cause you to regret the ease of brads, which can be removed with the claw of a hammer. But do not lament. The folks who make the insertion tools have also devised a tool to remove the points. The Pullmate is the opposite number of the Pushmate. It’s a curved handle with a contoured socket designed to fit over the end of a framer's point and pull it out without trauma to finger tips.

So, as you can see, a virtual catalog of products have been designed to facilitate your use of points, and points are today’s clean, neat efficient way of holding artwork in a frame. So weigh your options, check you wallet and take the plunge. For holding the contents of a frame, points are definitely to the point.