Nielsen Style Frames
Nielsen style frames use screw in anchors for the hanging wire, which can slide up and down the rail on the back of the frame for easy adjustment of the position of the hanging wire. All frames must have a hanging wire in place that pulls tight at 1 1/2 inches from the outside top of the frame. It is important that the hanging wires be uniform in their position because the frames often hang side by side down a long hall and the tops of the frames should be at the same height.
Nielsen style frames can be purchased from many websites or purchased locally. call the store to ensure they have the sizes you need in stock. Many times the most popular size rails such as 16" and 20" are out of stock, especially in black.
Where to find these frames locally
Plaza Art at 633 Middleton Street (615-254-3368) has carried these in the past.
Michael's has carried these frames but under their own brand name.
Hobby Lobby stores normally carry them but they call them "Sectionals." They also use cheap packaging, which means that the hardware you need to assemble them is not packaged with the rails so if you go to Hobby Lobby be sure to speak with a sales person to be sure you get the proper assembly hardware, normally stored in a bin below the rails.
Assembly
They are easy to put together. Just open each package and place two rails of the same length at top and bottom and the other two rails of the other size on the right and left. Then take the angled hardware and look at it closely. There will be four pieces with screws in them and four flat pieces without screws. Put the flat pieces down on the table and then lay the pieces with the screws on top of them with the screw slot up facing you. Now you have a corner set. Pick up the set and slide the pieces into the corner of a top rail, then guide the corner hardware into the side rail so that the two rails form a corner. When the corners are pushed together forming a seamless corner, tighten both screws. The screws cause pressure inside the rail pushing the corner pieces hard against the rails from the inside and causing them to hold the corner together.
Repeat this for the top on the other side, leaving the bottom rail unattached. Now slide the (clean) glass into the frame from the bottom (be careful not to get fingerprints on the glass). You might want to use gloves to handle the glass so you don't get cut.
Now slide in the matted photo and the backing board (probably gator board or cardboard). You might have to push the glass up to get it to fit properly in the frame so the bottom rail will go in place. Now attach the bottom rail corners and tighten them. Finally, place a spring loaded spacer next to the rail on the back and position it about two thirds of the way down the rail. Push the spring loaded spacer down in the center until it will push up under the frame rail and slide it under the rail. This pushes the photo and glass against the front of the frame and holds the photo and backing board in place.
Now place the other spring loaded spacers evenly around the frame back and push them down and slide them in place. By making sure that the metal spacers are properly placed in the back of the frame to hold the glass tight to the front of the frame it makes it easier to clean the glass before delivering it for display.
Finally, take the two pieces for the hanging wire and insert them into the back of the frame at an angle and push them down until they click into the rail. Now put a length of hanging wire, preferably multi-strand wire, through both holes and wrap it on one side, then pull it fairly tight, leaving enough for wrapping on the other side and then cut the wire. Pull it tight and wrap the wire on the second side so it stays in place. Now take a piece of masking tape and wrap it around the wire near the loops to hold it together. Finally, get a measuring tape and pull the wire tight between the two holders. Measure from where the wire pulls tight to the outside top of the frame. If it is more than 1 1/2 inches, pull the attachment pieces down the rail until the wire is tight at 1 1/2 inches. If it is less than 1 1/2 inches, push the attachment pieces up the rail until the wire is tight at 1 1/2 inches from the top of the frame.
Now tighten the screw on one of the attachment pieces into the rail so it stays in position. while measuring the wire distance from the top of the frame again, slide the other attachment piece up or down until the wire is properly positioned then tighten the screw on that side.
Congratulations! You've assembled your photo for display!
