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anyone make their own frames from scratch?

I'm curious what equipment your using and how you're doing it.

In article <79-dnSo->,
william kossack <> wrote:

> anyone make their own frames from scratch?
>
> I'm curious what equipment your using and how you're doing it.

By frames, I assume you mean the surround and glass bit, not the
internal card bit?

Making the former requires patience and accuracy. Many artist's
materials shops supply all you need - a jig to cut the 45 degree mitre,
drills and chisels to join the pieces, a glass cutter - although perspex
is much easier to work with. The MDF or hardboard backer and the small
clips to hold the backer in place.

The reason most people don't make frames from scratch is the initial
outlay is high and there is inevitable wastage which increases costs.
Also frame makers often carry a huge range of sizes and frames and
getting them to make frames for you using metal, wood or plastic would
eliminate the frustration of trying to learn it all from scratch.

I generally print on A3 paper using a frame with a 41 x 30cm window -
slightly different to A3 (29.7 x 42cm). There is a black card frame
reducing this aperture by 32mm on each side - I can buy these from photo
shops for around $10. Trying to make one myself would probably cost more
than that. If I use non reflective glass, much more.

If you're printing odd sizes ar simply want to display all your pictures
in identical, but different sized, frames then making your own is a good
choice.

william kossack wrote:
> anyone make their own frames from scratch?
>
> I'm curious what equipment your using and how you're doing it.

I have made frames out of wooden moldings with a miter
box and back saw to saw 45 degree angle cuts and a
corner clamp to hold things together while the glue dried.

It was a tedious process. Store bought frames turn out
to be cheap enough that I don't bother with it any more.

Alan

Alan Meyer wrote:
> william kossack wrote:
>> anyone make their own frames from scratch?
>>
>> I'm curious what equipment your using and how you're doing it.
>
> I have made frames out of wooden moldings with a miter
> box and back saw to saw 45 degree angle cuts and a
> corner clamp to hold things together while the glue dried.
>
> It was a tedious process. Store bought frames turn out
> to be cheap enough that I don't bother with it any more.
>
I'm pretty much with Alan on that. I used to do same, but used a good
quality chop saw unless the pieces were small.

Even doweled a few corners. I haven't framed anything recently, and
wonder what would be a style I could choose one of and live with?
--
john mcwilliams

william kossack wrote:
> anyone make their own frames from scratch?
>
> I'm curious what equipment your using and how you're doing it.

Depends on what you mean by scratch. Do you mean using premolded frame
material and merely cutting to length and miter the ends? Or do you
mean buying wood stock and rabbeting the wood for the glass and the
print? The former only takes a miter saw and jig. The latter requires
either a table saw or a router.

If the later, a table saw will cut to length, miter, AND cut the
rabbet. That is what I use, though I have an old router I seldom use.
If you want a complex profile on the frame, however, you will need BOTH
the router and the saw. I merely use either a rectangular profile or
add a little bevel to edge of profile, so use just the saw.

By scratch I mean buying lumber or molding stock and turning it into
frames. The request is coming from my wife. She has watched the prices
for frames go up to the point that even the sales at Hobby Lobby are
much of a sale any more.

I do woodworking as a hobby (along with photography) I have a cheap
tablesaw and even a non powered miter saw. Neither seems to be able to
cut good miters (or at least good enough for my liking). I've been
looking at the Lion Miter trimmer as an option instead of buying an
other power tool.


Don Stauffer in Minnesota wrote:
> william kossack wrote:
>
>>anyone make their own frames from scratch?
>>
>>I'm curious what equipment your using and how you're doing it.
>
>
> Depends on what you mean by scratch. Do you mean using premolded frame
> material and merely cutting to length and miter the ends? Or do you
> mean buying wood stock and rabbeting the wood for the glass and the
> print? The former only takes a miter saw and jig. The latter requires
> either a table saw or a router.
>
> If the later, a table saw will cut to length, miter, AND cut the
> rabbet. That is what I use, though I have an old router I seldom use.
> If you want a complex profile on the frame, however, you will need BOTH
> the router and the saw. I merely use either a rectangular profile or
> add a little bevel to edge of profile, so use just the saw.
>

Okay, get a sheet of material such as particle board or plywood about
two feet square. Rip a couple of pieces of 3/4 by 3/4 rails (verify
that the miter guage tracks on your saw are 3/4 inch). Glue them to
bottom of the sheet, so you have a jig sheet that will slide past the
blade tracked by the miter guage tracks. Now raise blade and make a
cut in the jig Now carefully lay out a square corner, oriented at 45
degrees to blade. Put in strips that allow you to clamp pieces of
molding or frame stock to these rails, cut one end of piece on one side
of blade, clamp to other side and cut other end. This will give you
well mitered corners. Even if the layout is not exactly at 45 degrees,
the corners made with such a jig will be at 90.


william kossack wrote:
> By scratch I mean buying lumber or molding stock and turning it into
> frames. The request is coming from my wife. She has watched the prices
> for frames go up to the point that even the sales at Hobby Lobby are
> much of a sale any more.
>
> I do woodworking as a hobby (along with photography) I have a cheap
> tablesaw and even a non powered miter saw. Neither seems to be able to
> cut good miters (or at least good enough for my liking). I've been
> looking at the Lion Miter trimmer as an option instead of buying an
> other power tool.
>
>
> Don Stauffer in Minnesota wrote:
> > william kossack wrote:
> >
> >>anyone make their own frames from scratch?
> >>
> >>I'm curious what equipment your using and how you're doing it.
> >
> >
> > Depends on what you mean by scratch. Do you mean using premolded frame
> > material and merely cutting to length and miter the ends? Or do you
> > mean buying wood stock and rabbeting the wood for the glass and the
> > print? The former only takes a miter saw and jig. The latter requires
> > either a table saw or a router.
> >
> > If the later, a table saw will cut to length, miter, AND cut the
> > rabbet. That is what I use, though I have an old router I seldom use.
> > If you want a complex profile on the frame, however, you will need BOTH
> > the router and the saw. I merely use either a rectangular profile or
> > add a little bevel to edge of profile, so use just the saw.
> >

"william kossack" <> wrote in message
news:79-dnSo-...
> anyone make their own frames from scratch?
>
> I'm curious what equipment your using and how you're doing it.

I cut my nolding on a power miter saw. Next I true up the miters on ITW-AMP
miter sander. Next I glue and clamp in decent quality cast iron miter
clamps. After 15-20 minutes, I V-nail the frames in my Inmes underpinner.
John

In article <79-dnSo->,
william kossack <> wrote:

> anyone make their own frames from scratch?
>
> I'm curious what equipment your using and how you're doing it.

My father makes his own frames. He isn't into photography, but he paints
landscape scenes and he makes his own frames for his paintings. The
equipment he uses is very simple: a mitre box, saw, pencil, and a
t-square. You can buy frame-making tools at any art store or lumber
store. Even Home Depot and mom & pop hardware stores should sell
everything you need.