Building Frames

This post is going to be about the process behind building a custom hand made frame

At first glance the end result may look like it came easily or without much effort, so I thought I would post about the steps it takes to create a successful frame.

1. The first step after figuring out the type of frame I need to buy and the type of wood is buying the lumber. (finding straight wood is key, so it is a job in itself searching through my local lumber yard to find the best pieces to use for each and every frame)
2. I bring the wood back to my shop to begin the milling process. Each piece is cut down to the desired size using my table saw. Once the this is achieved I create the rabbit (this is the groove that allows for the glass to sit behind the frame. I cut this using a "dado" blade. This blade is an attachment to a table saw and it allows me to cut grooves in wood up to and inch thick.
3. Than I rout any additional detail into the molding to create the look I'm going for.
4. The next step is to cut each piece down to the size I need for the frame. I cut these pieces on a miter saw with a nice dewalt blade.
5. After having all the pieces cut down, I am now ready to connect each of the four pieces to form the frame. I do this on a manual underpinner. This sends a nail shaped like a v into the bottom corners of the frame and it holds each of the sides together.
6. Now I sand all the edges to get a smooth uniform surface.
7. depending on the type of frame I either spray color or stain or spray a few protective coats to the natural surface of the wood
8. Between each coat I hand sand and than re-spray

I now have a finished frame and I am ready to cut glass and install the foam core and artwork to finish off the frame.

Not as easy of a process as it appears!