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I've realized I need a lot of practice woodworking so why not practice on some picture frames for my home and give some away as gifts. I'm in the process of finishing 2 Walnut picture frames for some Red-tailed Hawk prints I have laying around the house. When I start on a picture frame I have a basic idea in my head but in the end it evolves to the end result as I build it. I figured Walnut would compliment the brown tones in one of my favorite photography subjects...a Red-tailed Hawk I've been photographing for the last 3 years near my home.
The finish is simply Teak Oil and in the picture is just the first coat of oil on the frame applied this morning.
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Looks like you have a willing photography subject too
Frames are more than just a housing for pics. By the look of it you are also becoming very proficient in cutting parts to correct length, making tight, and square miters, making edges, maybe on a router table? Is that a grain wrap I detect? Now if you keep making frames maybe think about how many types of corner joint can I use to learn new joinery methods.. All in all, wonderful skill builders.
Nice job.
Worst thing they can do is cook ya and eat ya
GW
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01-23-2017, 06:14 PM
(This post was last modified: 01-23-2017, 06:15 PM by Duane N.)
(01-23-2017, 08:45 AM)Steve N Wrote: Looks like you have a willing photography subject too
Frames are more than just a housing for pics. By the look of it you are also becoming very proficient in cutting parts to correct length, making tight, and square miters, making edges, maybe on a router table? Is that a grain wrap I detect? Now if you keep making frames maybe think about how many types of corner joint can I use to learn new joinery methods.. All in all, wonderful skill builders.
Nice job.
If any grain matches it was pure accident.
One concave cut was done on a router table the rest was hand sanding. I re-made my miter sled for my table saw to accept larger stock that I can stand up and also lay flat to cut miters. I made sure the vertical supports were 90 degrees to the sled bottom.
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01-23-2017, 10:06 PM
(This post was last modified: 01-23-2017, 10:15 PM by mr_skittle.)
That's a really nice frame. I really like how it's built up with a few different layers. I usually go into a frame building frenzy every December. Pictures of the grandkids in a homemade frame make for happy grandma and grandpas. And there are always a few rejects or extras to decorate our own house. A couple of tips I might offer is to get a band clamp. I've got the bessy one and I couldn't be happier. I'd also recommend cutting your own matte for them. You can get matte cutters for less that $100 (they get much more expensive too) and its adds soooo much to the finished product. I'd be happy to post a few pics if you want.
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(01-23-2017, 10:06 PM)mr_skittle Wrote: That's a really nice frame. I really like how it's built up with a few different layers. I usually go into a frame building frenzy every December. Pictures of the grandkids in a homemade frame make for happy grandma and grandpas. And there are always a few rejects or extras to decorate our own house. A couple of tips I might offer is to get a band clamp. I've got the bessy one and I couldn't be happier. I'd also recommend cutting your own matte for them. You can get matte cutters for less that $100 (they get much more expensive too) and its adds soooo much to the finished product. I'd be happy to post a few pics if you want.
By all means if you want to share some of your work go ahead. I'm all for seeing how others build frames and what they put in them...I'm here to learn.
I can get a double mat from Hobby Lobby for $5 (cheaper if I use one of their 40% coupons) that will fit an 11 X 14 print (16 X 20 frame). I did look into getting my own mat cutter but felt that investment wasn't worth it yet for me. My goal with these frames I build is for display at art and wildlife shows I plan on attending in the future although I know people would rather pick out their own frames for the prints they buy. It's more to showcase my work as a display than to sell.
I do need a better band clamp...right now I'm using some 1" X 1" aluminum angle and a ratchet strap to clamp everything together. But with my new miter sled for my table saw the cuts come out almost perfect with minimal adjustment.
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Very nice work, Duane - thanks for sharing! Do you use glass on your picture frames? If so, what grade do you use? We recently had a picture done at a local frame shop and the "museum glass" they recommended was very expensive! Supposed to be the best and is glare proof.
Thanks,
Doug
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With the frames I'm building now I'm using museum glass for them because I like the non-reflective properties of the glass. I used to just go by "cheap" frames and slap the prints in them but I'm starting to take things seriously now as far as framing my prints.
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Museum glass usually has some UV blockers in it too. That probably adds to the cost.
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Museums use acrylic exclusively. They get UV blocking acrylic sheets. They figure to replace the glazing regularly as it gets scratched. But acrylic will not shatter and destroy a multi-million dollar work of art.
Museum glass does not make sense for photos. The photo can be reproduced for less than the expensive glass. And real photos (not inkjet) have dyes that will fade in the absence of light.
I would use regular glass and when the image faded I would simply re-fit a new image in the same frame.
No animals were injured or killed in the production of this post.
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(01-26-2017, 12:58 PM)Cooler Wrote: Museums use acrylic exclusively. They get UV blocking acrylic sheets. They figure to replace the glazing regularly as it gets scratched. But acrylic will not shatter and destroy a multi-million dollar work of art.
Museum glass does not make sense for photos. The photo can be reproduced for less than the expensive glass. And real photos (not inkjet) have dyes that will fade in the absence of light.
I would use regular glass and when the image faded I would simply re-fit a new image in the same frame.
Although what you stated is very true I use museum glass on the frames in my home for the non-reflective properties it has along with the effect it has on the prints behind it. To me it's worth the extra cost...to others maybe not so much...to each his own so to speak but there's more to museum glass than just the extra cost.
"Museum-quality glass protects art from damage such as fading or brittleness caused by ultra-violet (UV) rays. It also reduces glare when a work is viewed from different angles, minimizing the mirror-like effect of typical glass and improving the intensity of colors and details."
