What is Length Molding?

Length molding is a long stick of picture frame molding, 3 ft., 4 ft. or 5 ft. long, that you cut and join yourself using equipment such as a miter saw, sander and V-Nail joiner. Advantage: While it costs more to buy the equipment, length molding generally costs 50%- 70% less than sectional molding. Consequently, the cost of the equipment is absorbed by the savings enjoyed in about 25 frame jobs. Length Molding is available for all collections, except the Luxury Line.

What is Raw or Unfinished Molding?

Unfinished or raw molding is molding that has not been painted or stained. Because you don't pay the manufacture to finish the molding for you, you save the cost of that part of the process and enjoy significant savings over purchasing finished molding. Of course, you will probably still want to paint or stain the molding yourself, but you can usually does this for considerably less than the commensurate cost difference between raw and finished molding.

What is Rabbet Depth?

The "rabbet" is the recess at the back of a wood frame where you load the stack of glass, mat, artwork and backing. The rabbet is important in selecting a frame because you will want a rabbet deep enough to accept the stack of contents so that it will sink below the level of the back of the frame, allowing you to access the inside walls of the rabbet so you can drive a brad nail or point to hold the contents in. For frame contents consisting of glass, single mat, artwork and foamboard backing, you will want at least 3/8" depth in the rabbet. For the same contents with a double mat, you will want at least 1/2" depth in the rabbet. For a stack that involves a matted float or a triple mat you will want at least 5/8" depth in the rabbet. And for stretched canvas you will want 1-1/2" or more of depth in the rabbet.

What is a Fillet?

A Fillet is a thin, narrow strip of moulding designed to be assembled along the beveled edges of a mat's window. The overall effect is of a mat with an understated yet ornate wooden edge along its window, sort of a frame within a frame. The appearance is at once elegant and sophisticated and lends itself well to traditional prints and classical compositions.

Fillets are easy to work with but you must have a fillet cutter to cut them as a miter saw is too intense for these thin, fragile lengths of moulding. Using your fillet cutter, chop a miter onto each end of the fillet and then assemble the fillets to the mat using fillet tape. The process is relatively simple and the result is quite impressive. You needn't concern yourself with rabbet depth when it comes to fillets as they are designed to fit the thickness of a standard mat. Fillets are not sold as sectionals because they must be cut to conform to the size of your mat's window, so you must buy them in length and cut them yourself.

Step-by-Step Application of Fillets (click pictures to enlarge)


1. Cut your mat's window then assemble your Fillet Cutter, attaching the scaled fence extension to the cutter.	2. Measure the fillet to the size of the mat's window by moving it along the scaled fence extension until it contacts the stop.	3. Position the fillet against the fence beneath the twin chopper blades.	4. Depress the lever, lowering the twin chopper blades into the fillet.

5. The chopper blades will cut two miters at once through the fillet.	6. After cutting, apply double-sided fillet tape to the inside edge of each fillet.	7. Assemble fillets along each edge of the mat's window.	8. The mitered ends of each fillet will fit together to form neat corners.

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Fillet Collection
Fillet Cutter
Fillet Tape

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