Making a Simple Flat Frame for an Art Panel

[FrankEV]

The simple frames I make consists of four flat nominal 3/4” thick by 1 3/4" wide rails, Vee-nail reinforced mitered corner joints and the rails Rabbeted, 1/4" by 1/2", to accept a maximum 3/8” thick assembled Scroll Saw Art panel made up of a 1/8” thick cut panel and a 1/4" thick backer.

I use nominal 3/4"(actual 5/8”) thick Poplar or Premium Pine (no knots) that I obtain from Lowes, my only convenient local source, in nominal 12” (actual 11 1/2") wide in either 6’ for 8’ lengths.   I rip the 12” wide boards down to obtain six, 1 3/4" wide, sticks that I stock for frame making.

My personal preference is Poplar but finding nice clear boards can be difficult to find and is more expensive than the Pine.   The choice to use Poplar vs. Pine is dependent on the planned finish.  For opaque finishes such as Paint and Black Lacquer the Pine is OK.  However, for transparent finishes such as stain, Poplar is a better choice for me.  I have used other wood, specifically Red Oak, but the cost is high and not very suitable for most of the Art Panels I make.

My frame construction steps are as follows:

I use a homemade frame mitering sled that eliminates the need to calculate the length of the rails. (See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJCSA2SZt5s&t=5s)  However, the 1 3/4" wide stick needs to be cut down to rough lengths for ease of handling. 

For purposes of this Tutorial, I will use the need to make a Frame for an 11” x 14” Art Panel. 

To account for the miter, rail lengths are calculated as follows:

• Short side: 11” + 1 3/4" + 1 3/4” = 14 12”
• Long Side: 14” + 1 3/4" + 1 3/4" = 17 12”

From a 72” long stick, I cut 2 pieces @ 16 1/2" and 2 pieces @ 19 1/2".  This allows 2” for trim waste. This can vary to suit others frame dimensions, however a minimum of 1/2" is needed.

 

There are two easy ways to make a rabbet.  One way is to use a table saw.  This will take some practice setting up the blade and rip fence to cut the proper depth and width of the Rabbet.  This works, but I found this method is not consistent, from set-up to set-up.  I now use my router table and a rabbeting bit.  It takes a minimum of three passes to make the, 1/4" wide x 1/2" deep, Rabbet.   I do not use glass so I only create a single Rabbet.

 

As mentioned previously, and explained in the video, the sled is designed so the inside length dimensions of the Rabbet is automatically created when setting the Stop on the sled.  To allow for a loose fit of the panel into the frame, the Stop needs to be set about 3/32” greater than the Panel dimension. 

 

I use a SEDY Frame band clamp to assemble the frame.   The plastic parts of the SEDY clamp are thicker than the frame and requires the frame be raised on pieces of 1/4" thick material so the frame is vertically centered in the clamp.  I use Titebond III wood glue and I dust the glue joints with sawdust to fill the joints and create a tight appearing joint.    The miter sled works well but does not always create a perfect joint.

 

After tightening the clamp very tightly, I clean any glue squeeze out from both sides of the joints and add a Vee-nail on the back side to reinforce each joint.

 

At this point the frame is hung-up and the glue allowed to dry for a minimum of 4 hours before removing the clamp.  From stick to a glued-up frame takes less tha an hour to complete.

 

The next step is Finishing, a topic that is very subjective and too large in scope to address herein.   Suffice to say that the frame now requires significant preparation for finishing by sanding to remove any/all glue squeeze-out and leveling of all the finish face surfaces.  It should be noted that I do not bother to apply a finish to the back face of the frame.  Time to doing sanding and preparation for finishing can take an hour or so, but dependant on the tyoe of finish, dry time can take a few hours for laquers to a few days for stains, polyurethanes or paints.

 

Finally, the Art Panel is mounted in the finished frame using Framing Points using a Framing Point Gun that is similar to a Staple Gun (push in Glazing points can also be used) and I install one drive-in small sawtooth hanger located, centered, near the bottom of the top rail.

 

Just to add a final note.  If, like me, you believe a frame is necessary to complete an Art Panel Project, and you plan to create more than just a few projects, this Miter Sled is invalaluable.   It is fairly accurate and very easy to use.  The time and money invested in making the sled is time and money well spent.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 16, 2024 by FrankEV

[jerry walters]

Frank, finally some instruction on how to make a frame.  Beats anything I have seen on the internet.  That doesn't mean I will be able to do it, but I am certainly going to give it a try.  I have a Jorgenson miter saw which I think will take the place of a table saw.  Will be slower, but I have time.  Thanks again Frank.

Jerry

[jimmyG]

Might need to try miters.  Butt joints are hard (for me) to get the two non through rabet cuts correct.

[Wichman]

Frank,

     How do you drive in the v-nails?

[FrankEV]

8 hours ago, Wichman said:

Frank,

     How do you drive in the v-nails?

Hammer!

[barb.j.enders]

Thanks for the detailed description.  You are always very thorough.  Unfortunately, it is a process I can't use.  I don't own a table saw. And have no interest in purchasing one.  I know I could ask at the box store to cut the wood sticks, but the last time I had a box store cut a panel I cringed at the process.  It was very unsafe.

[FrankEV]

3 hours ago, barb.j.enders said:

Thanks for the detailed description.  You are always very thorough.  Unfortunately, it is a process I can't use.  I don't own a table saw. And have no interest in purchasing one.  I know I could ask at the box store to cut the wood sticks, but the last time I had a box store cut a panel I cringed at the process.  It was very unsafe.

Unfortunately my method requires both a table saw and the construction of the referenced miter sled to be useful.   There are many other ways to make frames, but most require a table saw as a minimum.

 

[Freddie]

Thanks Frank for the clear instructions. It is very helpful and appreciated!  I agree on the sled. I need to make one. Using miter saw has not produced good tight miters.