Wifes xmas prezzie photos

aerosol

I made my wife a frame for Christmas for a painting I had commissioned for her birthday(last April!) better late than never....:D

I'm not too happy with the finished result on a couple of points,shes delighted so I guess thats the main thing.I'll be making it a new frame at some stage:rolleyes: I was too rushed in the end to make it "perfect",its not too bad up on the wall but blatant on the photos:o

jack of all

Nice job (I've worked with a pro framer in a past life!). Why make a new frame at all- just refinish this one? Use an off white acrylic paint (like Colortrend) and apply 2 coats, rubbing down between coats for a super finish.

ennisa

Aerosol,
very nice, i think the humble picture frame is highly under rated, of all the joints that I have made I have to say that mitres are my least favourite. They have to be cut very accurate to look good and they are a pain to glue up and clamp and I'm constantly worried that they are going to come apart. Yours look very nice indeed. The depth of the frame and the matting suit the painting very well. I'm sure that any 'problems' with the finish can be fixed while she is out of the house
I think we tend to over criticise the things that we make, at the beginning we only see the things that we label as flaws, but as time moves on and we have a chance to become a little more detached from the project and we start to see it actually used or aprreciated in the role that it was made for then I think we begin to see it in a little more forgiving light. We begin to focus on the accomplishment rather than the nit picking, step by step process of building the thing in the first place. Plus, how many people do you know in your day to day life that can make a picture frame? I love when people are amazed that I made that end table or that book case, or that I can change the alternator in my car, all by myself, and that I do it for fun as much as for frugality. At the end of the day if your wife is happy with it then you have fulfilled the brief 100% and you are bound to have learned something new when you were making/designing it.

Take care aerosol

aerosol

Thanks jack of all, I'd like all the big machines you find in a pro framers shop!
Ta Ennisa,I agree with all,Its more fustration on my part even though I'm just starting to get into my woodwork,I shouldn't of rushed for the xmas deadline!!
I was worried about clamping up and keeping it all square and mitres bang on,I reinforced them all with my brad nailer and used a €10 stanley stramp clamp,a great piece of kit.I bought a nobex mitre saw specially(not cheap at € 85, but a great saw...)

ennisa

Aerosol,
I was thinking of getting a mitre saw, probably a cheaper B&Q jobbie though rather than the nobex, how accurate was it? I always imagine that there would be a lot of wobble or movement from left to right when you are cutting. I made a 45 degree sled for the table saw but I would rather do it quieter and safer by hand if they are accurate enough. workpieces for mitres are usually small enough that it is no hardship to hand saw them. How would you rate the nobex?


Thanks aerosol.

aerosol

Ennisa, I can only rate it against my old mitre saw, a cheap draper one as I remember(long time in the bin!). There's no comparison... the nobex is brilliant,bang on accurate.I was a liitle worried at the plasticy fence stop but it did well.Money well spent I think,for an extra €20 I also bought the fence extender(my next frame is a big one:D) I haven't tried it yet only set it up and I'm sure it'll also work well.

Fingalian

Geez , Aerosol nice work , looks good to me.

jack of all

aerosol wrote: »

I'd like all the big machines you find in a pro framers shop!

It's true the specialist machines certainly help when it comes to getting a professional look, but to be honest most of the machines are developed to increase productivity. In a pro shop a Morso (guillotine) mitring machine is used to chop the mitres and a compressed air driven underpinner puts the frames together. After that it's basic hand tools and some care and attention to detail. I still think your frame looks darn good.

SpitfireIV

Looks like a nice job to me aerosol! Well done. I like the way it looks more like a emm, how would I say it? like a display case(?) for the painting rather than the traditional type frame! Its funky, I like it!