Picture frame with magnetic catch

Addition from customer M.G. (Switzerland):

The other day, I completed a presentable picture frame project with your super magnets. For two picture frames with magnetic catch, I had a total of four acrylic glass panes cut to a size of 460 x 337 x 5 mm. The two panes for the front are made of clear acrylic glass; the two panes for the back are white acrylic glass. 8 holes with a diameter of 5 mm were drilled into each pane, maintaining a distance of 10 mm from the centre of each hole to the edge.

The holes were drilled precisely so I could simply push the 5 x 5 mm disc magnets into them – without having to use glue. One hole remains without magnets so the picture frame with magnetic catch can be discreetly hung on the wall.

Project from Dario Ernst (Germany):

My newest application is a picture frame with a pane of glass held in place by magnets. This allows for a quick and easy change of the contents. Good quality picture frames that can hold several small pictures are hard to find – and most of them usually fall apart after about the fifth attempt of switching the contents.

By using magnets, I have found a (both visually as well as technically) beautiful solution to the problem. I have documented the project in detail in my blog (in English). Below is a highly shortened version.

Required materials:

• HDF panels
• Wood glue
• Wood wax or oil
• 8 disc magnets type S-12-04-N
• A thin pane of glass matching the size of the wooden frame
• Epoxy glue
• 8 disc magnets type S-10-03-N
• 1 metal hanger for wall mounting

Assembly:

Quickly put together a wooden frame in your hobby room at home: Cut HDF panels to size, glue them together and treat with wax or oil afterwards.

Next, drill 8 holes of approx. 10 mm in the back of the frame. Then use a conical drill bit to enlarge the holes until the magnets (discs type S-12-04-N) can be squeezed in there from the front.

Lay the pane of glass on top of the wooden frame. Take 8 disc magnets type S-10-03-N, apply epoxy glue to one side of each magnet, then let them snap onto the glass over the magnets in the frame.

Please note: Check the polarity of the magnets before glueing! Let the glue dry at least overnight.

And the glass also stays in place nicely. Even if the frame is lifted from the back or shaken forcefully, the glass doesn’t fall or slide off!

Now you only need to glue a metal hanger to the back of the frame, and it can go up on the wall!

For my frame, I added cardboard frames to several small pictures and placed them into the frame by using spacers (also made of cardboard). These pictures can now be changed as often as desired!