How to make a patriotic frame for Veteran's day

Hi folks, Carol here to show you how to make a simple but fun picture frame to celebrate Veterans' Day

Does anybody out there have scraps of wood laying around?   

Who doesn't,  right? 

Ok, we are going to take those little scraps of wood to make our Veteran a special picture frame.  

I started with a long piece of simple pine.  It measured 1 1/2 inches wide by 3/8 inches thick and about 3 feet long.   I'm going to rip it down to 3/8 inches wide so that I can have a perfect square strip.

 

I use the Proxxon mini table saw to cut my strips of wood.

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Now I have a long square strip of wood, I need some angles for what I'm doing.  I chose and 8-pointed star so that I could make 45-degree angled cuts that will fit together nicely.   This is so easy using the Proxxon mini chop saw.  I just set the angle to 45 and make my cuts.  I want the lengths to be even, so I use a guide mark where to put the wood for cutting.  I am going to use the edge of the circle to line up my cuts.  If I want a different spot, I might place a piece of tape to guide me.

So, I need 16 identical pieces to form my eight-pointed star.  So easy with the Proxxon mini chop saw.  I love it!

 

I use the Proxxon disc sander to just smooth the edges.  Use a gentle touch here.  

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Ok, now glue 2 pieces together to form a >   8 times.  Let it dry good.

I use Titebond glue.  I use the premium for quick setting and ultimate for stronger set.  For this project I used the Premium because I'm a little impatient. 😁  

To hold things really well I added toothpicks.

\Using the Proxxon cordless mini rotary tool I drilled a hole through both pieces and stuck a toothpick in it.  When it dries, I will break off the toothpicks and sand it smooth. before I paint it. 

Put them all together in a similar manner and you have made a 8-pointed star.  

Ok, I wanted to take it a little further, so I did exactly the same thing only cutting my pieces slightly shorter on the Proxxon mini chop saw.

And then I did it again.    Hmmm 3 starts just beckoned to be red, white, and blue, the colors of our glorious flag.  

I glued it all together and temporarily placed a flag picture in it for Veteran's Day.   I like it, and am going to place it on our door.  

Hope you had some fun, I wanted to show you that no scrap is too small, that you can't make something out of it, using Proxxon tools.  They are the best tools for little projects.  

Thanks for visiting today.  Hope you all have a wonderful Veteran's Day.  Well everyday can be wonderful,,, ENJOY !!    Carol

 ~Vintage Story Telling Blocks~

by Sherri Welser

I love everything Vintage and when I had purchased some blocks I had something fun in mind! Follow along with me as I take you on a "story telling adventure"!

Supplies

Proxxon OZI 115/e

 6 Square wooden blocks

White crackle paint( Ranger  brand is what I used)

Copper acrylic paint

Sepia stamp pad

Brown stain wax (craft)

Tim Holtz Victoriana paper cut outs and ephemera

Mod Podge 

Large buttons or jewelry components

E6000 glue

Sepia Stamp pad

I started by taking the Proxon Ozi with sand paper  on the attachment and  rounding off the corners so they weren't so square. 

After rounding them over I painted on a base coat of the copper acrylic paint covering each block 

I then applied the  Distress White Crackle paint in a thick layer over the copper paint.

 Let completely dry... To deepen the cracked look I applied some brown stain wax to get in all cracks and give that" vintage look"

I then added fun little Victorian ephemera such as flowers, butterflies and  old fashioned children

I used the distress Sepia ink pad to age the edges of the papers . 

I previously had chosen the jewelry "tops" for the blocks so at this point I was ready to apply them with the E 6000

After attaching the paper ephemera and gluing the Jewelry items on top I added some inspirational words " as to tell a story"

I always enjoy finding  unique and different ways to create from every day items! I hope you have been inspired to create your own "story"....

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

Building A frame For A Trade Sign

Hi everyone!  This is part 3 of building my trade sign.  This is the final step aside from painting it, which will come at a later time.  Follow along with me and I'll show you how I built the frame. 

Supplies:

  Proxxon Belt Sander BS/A

  Proxxon  Table Saw FET

  Proxxon Micro-Bandsaw 115/E

  Clamps

  Wood Glue

  Brad Nailer and Brads

  Pine Trim Molding

First, I needed to cut, glue and clamp the trim across the curved top of the sign.  Using the 6table saw I cut a length of trim with excess on both sides. Knowing that this piece had to be flexible, I needed to soak it in water.  I wish I had taken a photo, but I forgot.  I soaked it in our pool for two hours. Removed it and bent it across the top curve.  Using clamps, I held it in place till it dried.

Once it was dry, I removed it. I cut it to size with a tiny bit extra. I then glued it and re-clamped it.  Next came the sides. I held a piece of trim up to figure the angle I needed to cut it. I wanted that piece to slide up under the top trim.  I marked it and cut the angle with the band saw. Checked for length and trimmed using the table saw.  I applied glue and attached the side. I repeated for the other side.

I measured and cut the bottom trim. When all the pieces were glued, I used the brad nailer and brads to secure everything.

Lastly, I used the Belt Sander to sand off each corner for a perfect fit.

My project is complete, except for painting.  That's coming at a later date. I'll be sure to post a picture when its painted!  Thanks for following along  :-)

Colleen