Picture frames

I've lurked for awhile now and have a question for all. How hard is it to make custom picture frames from scratch? I know that they have some beautiful edged wood that would make cool frames, but I'm not sure if it is possible.

.... and you really need special tools.

If you're going to make just one frame, forget it. Have it made.

But if you expect to make a few, here's what you need:

A very good mitre saw. Expect to pay upwards of $100 for one. A $15 handyman special just will not do. Save the money. A good one is made by Jorgensen. This one is about $65:


Then you need clamps. There are many available, but, once again, Jorgensen (their Pony division) makes an excellent line of them. Like these for about $15 each:


You may also want this four corner clamp. Again by Pony from Jorgensen, it holds the made-up frame while in glue and costs about $30:


Then you'll need a matt cutter if you plan to do anything more than frame cut outs from magazines. A mat knife will kinda do the job, but a nice bevel cutting jobbie will set ya back a fair amount. As all matt cutting must result in perfectly straight lines or it will look terrible, you woould do best to get one that rides in a jig. This one, from Logan, is a healthy $150:


I recognize that I have just blithely spent almost half a thou of your hard earned money, but if you make even a few large, very fancy frames, you'll see a payback.

Thanks Husb2sparkly, I do have the exact saw that you spoke of and for the rest maybe I should look a little closer as to cost. I think the idea of making and owning custom made frames would be soooo cool. Again thanks

and there's probably one near you.

You need to have milled lumber cut so it will accept art, mat, and glass. A better bet is to do it yourself at one of the framing shops, use their tools, pick their brains, and end up with a really professional job.

I've done that in the past and they're quite a bit more reasonable than having something framed using someone else's labor.

You may find that stock framing works better, anyway.

I've had fun going to the frame shop because I know there's a professional right there to help me when my palms get sweaty over some snag. Might be a good place to get an education on how it all comes together and then go do it at home as the next step.

You can make the most gorgeous frames imaginable but if you don't use the right backing material you'll literally destroy whatever art it is that you're trying to showcase.

First of all, what type of art do you plan to frame? If it's an oil or acrylic painting, then your job will be easier because you don't have to accomodate glass. (Oil paintings in particular MUST be allowed to breathe!)

If you're framing a watercolor, drawing or print, make sure you construct the frames so that the glass is not touching the artwork. Such contact leads to condensation and will eventually ruin the art. This is one reason work should always be matted with acid free materials -- the mat creates a safe gap between the work and the glass. In addition, MAKE SURE you use acid-free materials as your backing. No wood, no cardboard! Foam core works quite well for this purpose.

Finally -- and I recommend this to everyone including my own customers -- NEVER EVER hang artwork in a sunny spot. Sunlight is the enemy of artist's pigments. All artwork can be severely damaged by hanging it in sunlight, and artwork under glass even moreso because the sun literally cooks the work.

Hope this helps.