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Picture Frame ConstructionBy Trent Kelly
At my request, my wife painted a scene with a solo performing cellist. She decided at one point that the canvas was sized wrong and had me re-stretch it with smaller dimensions to suite the way she wanted to show the scene. The uncommon dimensions of the final stretched canvas gave me a great excuse to build this custom frame. This design is suited to framing a stretched canvas. Some adaptation would be necessary to frame a photograph. The tools I used to complete this
project include
table saw,
drill press,
45/90 triangle
Unlike most of my wood projects,
this one is intended to be painted. Painting supplies I used include
Liquitex mars black, Liquitex iridescent rich bronze,
Liquitex iridescent rich gold,
Liquitex White Acrylic Gesso,
Liquitex Acrylic Gloss Varnish, Galeria
Short Flat/Bright Brush size 14 (Windsor Newton), Galeria Short Flat/Bright Brush size 4
(Windsor Newton).
Step 1. Design Measure and record the size of the canvas to be framed. Be sure to check both the width and length in three places in case the stretching frame isn't perfectly square. Then determine how much frame should overlap the canvas. I chose to overlap the canvas by 1/8 inch on all sides. 1/8 inch is a good minimum overlap to allow some position adjustment without leaving gaps between the canvas and the frame. Note that it is typically better to cover too much canvas rather than too little. The length of the inside of each piece is 1/4 inch shorter than the dimensions of the canvas to create the overlap. 3/4 inch thick poplar is my wood of choice for the molding. It is reasonably light weight, easy to find, and easy to shape on the router table. Clean edges are important inside and outside, so I started with one wider board and rip cut it down to 2 1/4 inch strips on my table saw so that each edge was clean. 1/4 inch thick by 2 inch wide poplar is a good choice for canvas positioning strips that will be glued to the back, one on each side. For ease of assembly I used a nearly full length strip on each side. Four partial length strips could be used to accomplish the same thing using less wood.
Step 2. Router table setup I used my Jointech Smart Fence with the orange plastic insert removed and the sides adjusted in close to the bit to shape the molding. Feather boards are necessary in both the horizontal and vertical directions due to the complex nature of the router bit. If the wood strays up from the table, the molding will be ruined. If the molding strays out from the fence, it might interact with the router bit at the wrong angle and be ruined. Unless you are using a power feeder, it is much easier to run two four foot sticks through accurately than it is to run one eight foot strip. The vertical feather board that fits my fence was not high enough for the 2 1/4 inch wood width. I removed it from its base, mounted it on my fence raiser, and secured it in place with a couple of 1/4-20 bolts.
Step 3. Route the molding Best results are achieved through making a series of shallow cuts. The fence and horizontal feather board are adjusted for each cut to expose a little more of the router bit until the fence is back far enough for the stock to barely touch the bearing on the final pass. The feather boards are a good indicator of where the bit is. Always use a push stick to keep your fingers away from the bit.
Step 4. Cut miters to length Accurate miters can be cut using a number of different tools, including a hand miter saw, a precision miter sled for a table saw such as the Incra Miter 5000 Sled or Jointech SmartMiter™, or a miter trimmer. For this project I used a miter trimmer. It is important to note that this tool is made for shaving thin slices very accurately. The molding must be trimmed to an approximate angle prior to final adjustment for exact length and angle using the trimmer. I used the push miter on my table saw to get the angles close to 45 degrees and perfected them on the miter trimmer. Both ends of each piece must be trimmed on the tool for accurate miters. Make sure your rough cuts leave enough extra material for trimming. Also make sure that you have trimmed two pieces of scrap, one on each side of the trimmer, and checked the miter trimmer setup. Make sure the test pieces meet to form a 90 degree angle.
Step 5. Glue and Clamp Apply glue to the mating edges, position the pieces, and clamp the pieces in place. Clean up all glue that squeezes out into the front of the molding. Allow the glue to dry according to the manufacturer's instructions prior to removing the clamp. I used Titebond™ III glue. Do not use a polyurethane glue such as Gorilla Glue for this project. Expanded glue from the drying process would foul up the molding and be difficult to clean up. Wax paper under the corners keeps glue off the clamp.
Step 6. Attach canvas positioning strips Positioning strips are added on each side for easier mounting of the canvas to the frame. The width between the strips should be 1/8 to 1/4 wider than the canvas. There is no need to add strips on top and bottom since the canvas will be attached from the sides. Drill and counter sink holes for size 4 wood screws in the strips. Make sure the holes position the screws over the thick part of the frame. The screws are only present to help line up the strips in the right locations during gluing. Screw the strips down to the back of the frame, remove them, apply glue to the mating surfaces of the strips, and screw the strips back onto the frame. Clamp the strips to the frame until the glue is dry.
Step 7. Apply gesso Brush gesso onto the top, inside edge, and outside edge of the frame. Apply more than one coat if necessary to get complete coverage. Use long strokes with the brush. Any brush marks or globules left will be visible in the finished frame. Clean the brush with water. Allow the gesso to dry before going on to the next step.
Step 8. Apply gold paint Apply rich gold paint to the frame as shown. Several light coats will be necessary for complete coverage. Long, even strokes are required. Clean the brushes with water and minimal soap.
Step 9. Apply bronze paint Paint over the rich gold with one coat of rich bronze. The objective is to darken the gold and add some contrasting color. Some of the gold should still be showing through. Gold can be blended in with the bronze to lighten the color in areas if it starts to get too dark. Allow the paint to dry before going on to the next step, and clean the brush.
Step 10. Apply black paint Use masking tape to protect the gold / bronze areas. Paint the unmasked areas of the top and outside edge with mars black. Use as many coats of paint as necessary to get complete coverage (probably two). Remove the masking tape before the paint dries. Use long strokes with the brushes. Clean the brushes with water. Let the paint dry before going on to the next step.
Step 11. Apply gloss varnish Paint on a thin layer of gloss varnish over all painted areas of the frame. Clean the brush with water. Let the varnish dry.
Step 12. Sign your work Use mars black paint to sign and date the frame in a place where it will not be covered by the canvas. Let the paint dry. Once again, wash your brush.
Step 13. Mount the canvas to the frame Procure small eye screws that extend out far enough to bridge the gap between the edge of the canvas and the positioning strips. Screw in eye screws through the sides of the canvas into the stretching board such that they are above the positioning strips when the canvas is pressed firmly against the back of the frame. Four eye screws are enough for small, light weight frames. Use more if necessary to support the weight of the frame. Position the canvas in the frame and mark the positioning strips in the centers of the eye screws. Carefully drill small pilot holes for the mounting screws. Make sure the countersink wood screws for securing the canvas to the frame aren't too long. Secure the canvas to the frame with the counter sink screws through the eye screws.
Step 14. Install hanging hardware
© 2007 Trent Kelly, All Rights Reserved
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