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I thought I’d share this project. I'm sure members of the Forum have made countless picture frames but this is somewhat unusual so I thought I'd post it.

This summer my wife purchased an oil painting at an estate sale without a frame. She wanted the frame similar to one at a local art museum where the inner section has a fabric covering.

I used two pieces of stock to make the profile. The outer section is mahogany and was ‘waste’ from another project. (We’d had this bed for years and recently replaced the mattress. Unfortunately the mattress didn’t fit. The sides were too tall. I ended up ripping about 1.5” off.) This cut-off worked fine for the picture frame. The inner portion was walnut flooring that my brother-in-law, a carpenter, gave me as a gift - no doubt a left over from a job he was on.) After cutting the rabbits and bevel I added the fabric with Mod Podge. After it dried I glued the inner and outer sections together and finally cut and glued the mitered corners.

Overall size approx. 40" x 25"

This pic shows the profile, although it's not a great representation because it's a miter cut at the end.
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I was pretty happy with the way it came out. As an aside it looks like that outside right now. Just a few leaves left hanging (especially on the oak) with light snow cover. We had 2" this morning.

Well done - the fabric portion works really well to create a matting and give needed visual separation between the painting and the frame.

Nice job Berry. How do you do cut your miters? How do you assemble the frame?

Very nice!!

We only got a little over a dusting 50 miles to your south.

Thanks for sharing!!

I have an oil painting that my sister gave me for Christmas a couple years ago. I've been wanting to build a frame for it, but haven't had any clue how the fame should encase the painting. So it has been low on the priority list. Now, I've got a pretty good idea! I'd love to see more of the construction of the frame.

That is really nice .

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tomsalwasser wrote:Nice job Berry. How do you do cut your miters? How do you assemble the frame?

Kind words - I thank you all.

I always cut miters for picture frames on my SS using this jig here.

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I got the plans from Woodsmith Issue #60. This jig makes cutting miters for picture frames pretty easy. It insures a 45 degree (assuming your jig is on the money) and it insures that the opposing sides are exactly the same length. This stop block on the jig does that.

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There wasn't much to the profile on this. The outer piece was 1.5" high by 1 wide. I used the SS with a dado set to cut a rabbit 1.25 x 1/8. Then I went to the router table and used a 3/8" bit to round the top. The outer pieces are done.

The inner, because it was flooring stock, had to be milled some - the tongue and grooves ripped off. I used a lunch box planer to cut off the depression that's on the back of flooring. So the stock was 1 1/16 x 1 1/8, or something like that - it doesn't matter. Then to the SS and dado set to cut the rabbit, 3/4 x 3/8. Final step to rip a bevel or 9 or 10 degrees. The bevel helps bring the 'eye' into the painting.

For glue-up I glue two corners at a time. using this stuff.

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Those little corner pieces help with the glue up. These 'glue blocks' are just triangle scrap glued to a little piece of hardwood with sandpaper attached to the bottom. They are clamped to the picture frame with the Quick Clamps. Then I use the Bessey to draw the two corners together. The sandpaper insures they don't slip in the process.

Note: This picture of clamping is a demo only. I wouldn't use one of those nice non-slips mats for a glue up. Typically I use the plastic bags I get and the grocery or hardware stock between work being glued and the bench. After the glue up is done I toss the plastic.)

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You get excellent clamping pressure and because you are only working on two corners you get really nice fit.

I did not use biscuit, nail or any additional mechanical device to hold the corners. If it were heavier, e.g. if it were a print with glass, I'd have re-enforced the corner with a spline or something. The stretcher and canvas here were very light.

I hope that answers the questions.

I love that jig - I just bought a copy of Woodsmith #60 off E-Bay so I can make one - thanks for the tip.

Thanks berry. I need to make pictures frames, been meaning to for a while, you're a big help.

Wow. Truly a picturesque scenario!





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