Parametric Picture Frame Back

Do you have any picture frames that can't stand up on their own anymore because the easel leg it bent or broken? This is the solution!

This is a replacement for the cardboard back plate that is in most picture frames. The default settings include both an easel stand leg and nail hanger notches on the top and side, but these are optional via the parametric settings. It also supports frames that hold the back in with turn buttons.

From this:

To this:

The example profiles include models that will work for most standard sized picture frames. But you can also measure and enter the dimensions of your frame into the parametric model generator (by clicking ‘Customize’) to generate a custom sized back plate with the features you need.

Notes:

• The length of the stand leg as well as both the angle and the position of the hinge mounts on the back plate are functions of the outer frame dimensions, not the photo dimensions. To get the most precise, controlled, and stable standing display, it is important to enter both the back plate opening and outer frame dimensions.
• If your frame has turn buttons, you will need to use the customizer. Be sure to measure extra carefully and consider setting the Back Plate Height and Width Clearance to .1mm (or even 0 mm) to reduce the amount of play in the frame.

• Keep the easel leg flat against the back as you insert it into the hinge bumps. Flexing the back slightly will help it snap in easily:
  
  
   

  
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  Useless trivia about the design process:
  
  Like many of my models, this was driven by a personal need: I broke the kickstand of a frame on my nightstand.

   

  But unlike most, I built this one 3 times in 3 different software packages. The first time was in my primary tool, Alibre. I made it as a parametric model in Alibre - but there are no hooks to the parametric functionality in MakerWorld.

   

  So I thought, this could be a good model to get my feet wet in Fusion 360. So I remade it in Fusion. But once I uploaded it, I was a bit surprised by the limitations of the Fusion API service MW is using. I was able to get around the lack of boolean triggers by using math to make features so small they effectively 'disappear'. But one limitation I couldn't overcome was the lack of dynamic positioning and sizing of text. I was also frustrated by the inability to reorder the parameters.

   

  So I went back and recreated it a third time in OpenSCAD. This was challenging but gave a great result: clean, fully parametric control, including many optional selections.