How to Recycle an Old Frame into the Perfect New One

I needed a specifically sized frame to display one of my bobbin lace pieces. Yes, in addition to creating with my Proxxon tools, I make bobbin lace. With no read-made frame available, I decided to make my own using Proxxon MICROMOT tools and an old frame that I found at a local thrift shop.

These are the supplies and equipment that I used:

• An old frame with sides long enough to accommodate the finished size I needed
• Glass cutter
• Liquid wood glue
• Proxxon Bandsaw MBS/E
• Proxxon Chop and Miter Saw KSG 80

Here's how I transformed an old frame into a perfect new one:

1. Here's the thrifted frame with dimensions of about 20" x 16". I needed the picture area for my new frame to be 15" x 4".
   
   
   
2. The first thing I did was to tear away the backing and remove the old mat and picture. When the backing was removed, I could see that the frame was held together with corner staples—ones that there was no way I could remove.
   
   
   
3. I used the bandsaw with the miter gauge set to 45° to cut away the stapled section at each corner. I was left with ­four lengths of picture framing.
   
   
   
4. Next, I used the chop and miter saw to cut each side using the 45° pre-set stops and the longitudinal fence stop to insure accurate lengths.
   
   
   
5. Now I was ready to glue and clamp the sides together forming my new frame.
   
   
   
6. I used a glass cutter to cut the glass from the thrifted frame to fit the new frame.
   
   
   

I'm thrilled with my new frame. It cost a small fraction of what a purchased custom frame would have, and I have the satisfaction of knowing I made it myself!!

Carole

How to make a custom frame

 Hi everyone,  Hope you had a great Christmas and are now looking forward to a truly awesome new year.  I love the holidays, but am looking forward to some extra spare time now to do some new and interesting craft projects that I can hopefully share with you in the coming months.   Today I will share a relatively easy project that you can make in an afternoon.  We are going to make a custom frame using some leftover pieces of  cedar I had lying around.

←Here is the finished project.  I made it for a little painting I had done in my art class.  I hadn't spent much effort painting it and it was a funny size so I really didn't want to invest a lot of money in a "custom" frame.  The beauty of this project is that you can make your frame any dimensions you want, and use whatever scraps of wood you have lying around.

Equipment and supplies:

1/2" x 2" by (   ) piece of wood suitable for the frame you desire.  (  )= length of picture x 2 + height of picture x 2 + 4"    Mine was 7" x 4 1/2" so I needed a piece about 27" long.

1/8" thick plexiglass piece big enough to cover your picture.

Proxxon mini table saw

Proxxon mini bandsaw (optional)

Proxxon OZI/E delta sander

Woodburner  (optional)

wood glue
Sealer of your choice

So let's get started...
Here is the picture I am going to use.  It measures 7" x 4 1/2"

Using Proxxon's mini bandsaw I cut the plexiglas to size.  Note the masking tape.  This enables me to draw a line on the Plexiglas.  Leave the protective plastic on for now as this will protect the glass from scratches.   It cuts so easy on Proxxon's mini bandsaw.  Set the glass aside for now.

Now we are going to make a groove in the frame sides that will hold the glass and pictures.   For now I am going to leave the wood for my frame piece in one long piece.  This will ensure that the grooves line up when we put it together.... and it is just easier to push one piece through the saw.  (safer too)!

First thing that needs doing is to remove the wood splitter from the table saw.  This is necessary because we will not be cutting entirely through the wood at this step.  We are just making a groove.

Next I set the blade height between 1/8" and 3/16"  (the depth I want my groove).  Then I set the fence so that it would hit just about center in my wood side.   I then ran the length of the wood through the saw.  This left me with a groove just a bit too small for my Plexiglas to slide into... so I nudged out the fence a tiny bit and ran the wood through it again.   Now my Plexiglas and picture will sit nicely in the groove I just made.   👍

Now I have a long strip of wood with a nice groove.  Next step is to cut each side at 45 degree angle.   This is a miter cut.   It is easy to do on Proxxon's mini table saw.  Simply set the miter gauge to 45°.

Important. the  lengths of the sides of your picture are going to be equal to the of the short side of the frame pieces.  See below.     The picture here is worth a thousand words....(I hope)   The groove you made will always be on the short side of the frame sides

The next thing to do is to finish your frame--sanding always comes first and I sanded my frame using the Proxxon OZI/E delta sander.

Cedar wood if sanded fine enough will shine up like red glass when it is sealed or varnished.   I decided to do a little wood burning on mine prior to sealing it with krylon triple thick glaze.

I then glued 3 pieces together and let them dry well.  Keep your angles at 90°

When everything is dry, I slipped my picture behind the Plexiglas and slid them both in the groove then glued the final side on.   Add a sawtooth or other picture hanging device on the back and it is ready to hang.

Thanks for visiting.

Truthfully, thanks to Proxxon tools this was much easier to build, than it was to explain. .   I hope the pictures help, so you too can make your own picture frames.   Your really should check out the Proxxon line of tools.  They are certainly designed for the crafter in mind.

Catch ya next time   Carol  

How To Make a Custom Picture Frame

In addition to making projects with my Proxxon tools, I'm also a bobbin lace maker. I specialize in Withof lace, and many of the pieces that I make are small. Now I can use my Proxxon tools to make a custom picture frame that is perfect for my lace pieces. This 4½" square frame has a 2¾" square opening.

Equipment and Supplies to Make a Custom Picture Frame

• 28" length of ¾" x 1" cherry picture frame moulding for a 4½" square frame (Frames of differing sizes will require different lengths of moulding.)
• Wood glue
• Polishing wax
• Proxxon chop and miter saw KGS 80

Calculating the Length of the Moulding 

1. Decide the dimensions of your frame. In this case I wanted a 4½" square frame.
2. Add the length of the four sides together: 4½+4½+4½+4½ = 18
3. Multiply the width of the moulding my 8. My moulding is 1" wide. 8x1 = 8
4. Add this to the total of the four sides: 18 + 8 = 26
5. Add an inch or two to allow breathing room in the recess so the picture doesn't fit too tightly, and to allow for the thickness of the blade as it cuts. 26 + 2 = 28"

Instructions for Making a Custom Picture Frame

1. Set the angle on the miter saw to 45°.
   
2. Firmly clamp the frame moulding in the miter saw, and make the cut.
   
3. Set the saw stop for the desired length.
   
4. Move the miter saw table to the opposite 45°, and make the second cut.
5. Repeat for the other three sides of the frame.
6. If necessary, sand your frame pieces, then finish them. I polished mine with Johnson's Paste Wax. Here you can see the difference between the top three unpolished sides and the bottom, polished one.
   
7. Using wood glue, glue each of the corners together. Since I don't have framing clamps, I held the four sides together while the glue dried with painter's tape. All the sides were laid in a straight line, with a length of painter's tape along the outer edge. I painted glue on each cut surface, then "closed" the frame. 
   

Enjoy your custom frame!!

Carole

Altered Frame with Proxxon Tools

Hi everyone Steph Ackerman here today using my Proxxon tools to alter a wood frame.

I began by sanding the frame with the  Delta Sander.  And for the smaller, hard to reach areas, I used the Delta Pensander. 

I began by painting the frame with Plaid Coastal Paint in Poseidon Blue.  Next I added strips and scraps of Rinea Foiled Papers randomly about the frame.

 

 

Once dry, I used the Delta Sander to sand off the excess papers for a clean finished look.

For dimension, I used a Crafter's Workshop stencil with modeling paste.

Flowers were added to the corners of the frame.

The frame base was painted with Plaid Coastal Paint in Sand Dollar and a Quick Quotes phrase was added to the center.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Steph