Round picture frame question

[Texas splinter]

I have been tasked to make a frame for a round (approx 13 1/2") stainded glass work that my wife's sister made for her. I am considering either a round or hexigonal frame. My questioon is, how wide should the sides of this frame be? I am going to make one round and one hexigonal frame out of MDF, as trial peices, to see which she might like the best.
The inner diameter will be 13" or 13 1/4", I am thinking of about a 15" outer diameter, but that seems to make a pretty wide rim.. I guess I can start out that way and just keep trimming the outside diameter down till it looks right.
I have purchased a nice piece of maple that I think will look really good with this stained glass piece, the stained glass is mostly blues and greens, with some clear (it is vines and flowers). With the maple, I can start out real light and stain darker till I find a shade she likes.

[Black wallnut]

If your inside is 13.25" and your outside is 15" then your width is 15/16". I'm thinking that is rather narrow. I've not done such a project but I have seen round art with that narrow of a frame. I've a collector's plate that is much smaller than 13" and it has a wood frame with a width of about 1 1/2" IIRC. Thinking of the two I think the wider frame looks better. Seems that I've read that one purpose of the frame is to keep the viewers eyes fixed on what is being displayed.

[Uncle Cracker]

I think that, beyond a point, it's just a matter of personal perception. In something like stained glass, you need enough material to provide support, as there is weight involved, but you want the frame to be neutral, and not take one's attention away from the glass. I recommend you make a couple of trial pieces in different widths, much as you are doing with the round/hex concept, and judge for yourself which looks better. I can suggest that you will get away with a wider frame in a round shape, as the "points" on a hex frame are bound to overemphasize the width long before a rounded frame would.

[cabinetman]

You might make a paper pattern first and use it on the glass to see what it looks like. The brown postal wrapping paper on a roll is pretty cheap. That might eliminate making a wood test piece.
.

[just started]

First thing you have to decide is how you are going to treat the surface of the frame, just flat or some type of round-over or design or what. That will give you an idea of how wide you want the molding to be and also round vs multi sided. And Unc is right, stained glass panels are heavy so make it strong.

[Popeye]

If your inside is 13.25" and your outside is 15" then your width is 15/16". I'm thinking that is rather narrow. I've not done such a project but I have seen round art with that narrow of a frame. I've a collector's plate that is much smaller than 13" and it has a wood frame with a width of about 1 1/2" IIRC. Thinking of the two I think the wider frame loos better. Seems that I've read that one purpose of the frame is to keep the viewers eyes fixed on what is being displayed.

Ok Mark, someone has to ask ? Down here in Georgia when I subtract 13.25" from 15" I get 1.75". As I'm not a noted mathematician is there something I'm missing? Or does it have something to do with "dispatcher math" (it's only an 1" on the map driver) Oh, and 15/16" does seem a bit narrow. For strength and appearance I don't think 1 3/4" will be too wide. Pat

[Pappy]

1.75"/2 opposite sides of the frame = .9375 or 15/16" unless the frame only has 1 side and either or a top or bottom. In that case the 'framed' picture is gonna fall out!

[cabinetman]

1.75"/2 opposite sides of the frame = .9375 or 15/16" unless the frame only has 1 side and either or a top or bottom. In that case the 'framed' picture is gonna fall out!

Maybe my math is off, but isn't half of 1 3/4" = 7/8"?

Half of 1" = 8/16"

Half of 3/4" = 3/8" = 6/16"

8/16" + 6/16" = 14/16" = 7/8"

Yes or no?
.

[Popeye]

1.75"/2 opposite sides of the frame = .9375 or 15/16" unless the frame only has 1 side and either or a top or bottom. In that case the 'framed' picture is gonna fall out!

OK, Pat

[Black wallnut]

Ok Mark, someone has to ask ? Down here in Georgia when I subtract 13.25" from 15" I get 1.75". As I'm not a noted mathematician is there something I'm missing? Or does it have something to do with "dispatcher math" (it's only an 1" on the map driver) Oh, and 15/16" does seem a bit narrow. For strength and appearance I don't think 1 3/4" will be too wide. Pat

UHHHH, just goes to show you driver's don't see the big picture!

Actually thanks to Mike for correcting my math. 1.75 /2 does equal 7/8. Duh

[Texas splinter]

Round picture frame completed

Well, after a couple of tries with MDF, (mama has to see it in 3D, drawings on paper don't do it for her) I got some 3/4" maple and made the frame. It is 1 3/4" wide, and I used a 3/4" roundover bit on each side.

I chose Maple because she did not know what color she wanted it stained. In the end, she decided the plain maple looked the best.