Hi Everybody, Am new to making picture frames but built a great jig printed in FWW a while back with a stop that makes it quick, accurate and easy.
Last night I was gluing up a 22′” X 34″ frame that had a fairly complex profile including a 30 degree chamfor on the exterior edge bottom that my Merle clamps kept slipping on (newer model Merles). It was driving me nuts and after adding glue a second time I quit after a whole bunch of expletives.
I’ll get this thing clamped even if I have to use the sharp spring clamps and I have a threaded rod type frame clamp coming in the mail which should be able to grab the bottom 90 degree portion of the frame and I’ll figure something out to even out the top pressure.
My question to you folks is what is your favorite way of clamping picture frames?
Any other advice for a newbie framer?
Thanks, Brian
Replies
Brian, I've used the 16' web clamp shown on this page. Click on it to see the 2 kinds of corners you can buy. I have the blue corners, really like them. This clamp set is much better than the Pony one you see more often. I've never tried those black corners, they weren't available when I bought my set.
You didn't say how wide the stock is, that can influence what kind of clamp will work. Some of the corner stuff can be very expensive! Most of the frames I've made were about the dimensions you listed, and 2.5"+ deep. It's a challenge, no doubt about it!
You never fail to amaze me Jamie! I have been checking what I thought was every website on earth concerning clamps (including Lee Valley) and I never saw these. Their great and so much better then the ones that come with the Pony band clamp which drive me nuts cause they constantly fall off. Guess I need to add something like..tape or something to keep them on for more then a second or two of manuvering. And the LV ones are cheap!
Thanks again. Brian
"And the LV ones are cheap!" Are not! <grin> They are "reasonably priced" but not cheap. That's one hefty mechanism, lemme tell ya. I rarely use the Pony, or if I do, I put the LV corners under the webbing.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Well made and nicely priced. As are most of Lee Valley/ Veritas products. IMHO.
;)
Ah, forestgirl,
Those are so darn cool, I just ordered a set on the spot.
Mike D
I have a similar clamp from bessy and what I've notice is that with that type of clamp if the out side has of the miters has much going on they are tough to use.
For times when that happens I use the picture clamps with threaded stock and brass speed nuts this seems to work the best for me.
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=31162&cat=1,43293
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http://www.drawingwithlight.smugmug.com
Edited 1/7/2008 12:27 am by Scarecrow
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Edited 1/7/2008 12:31 am by Scarecrow
Thansk, I have a set of the thresded rod type enroute now from Lee Valley. Thx, again.
Brian
Brian,
Most of the time, like FG, I use a web clamp. BUT, the next time you are at the hardware store, pick up some 1/4-20 threaded rod, tee-nuts, and some wing nuts. You can always cut some blocks and create quite effective clamping systems on your own. And cheap, by the way!
Cheers!
-Jerry
Absolutely. Been meaning to do that. Saved the 45 degree cut offs from the last frame for just such a project.
Thanks, Brian
Jerry, though I have a cheap version of the threaded-rod type clamp, it hasn't been helpful on the deep (2.5" or so) frames I've built in the past, hence the web clamps. Are there any of those threaded designs that will work on something deeper than a thin picture frame? Seems like the frame thickness has to be not much more than the thickness of the corner V's themselves, or the miter would get "canted" as it's clamped.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Jamie,
The widest frame I've made is about 1". Until I purchased the "Pony" web clamp, I used a weird german corner clamp that I picked up somewhere years ago, or whatever I could cobble together with threaded rod. Seems to me, that by adjusting the size of the corners to fit the frame, a threaded rod device could be made to work in most situations. However, I have been known to be wrong sometimes....(:)>
-Jerry
I like the Merle band clamp from MLCS
I do too. But see above. Thanks, Brian
Of all the different miter clamps for picture frames, I like this style. They are easy to make out of wood, use a clamp in the center instead of a bolt. If you miters are accurate and your opposite sides are equal, this style clamp exerts even pressure on all corners, no slipping, no holes, no clamp marks and pressure to the glue.
http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=725
Beat it to fit / Paint it to match
Oh great!!! Now I want one of those....I'm a sick puppy.
Seriously, It looks real good but frame size is fairly limited. Granted most of my frames would be under 30" but I do larger ones like the one I'm having problems with now. The threaded rod clamp system (which arrived today as a matter of fact) in combination with Fritz' simple jig looks like the way I'm going to go for now. Will let you know.
Brian
PS--Yes, I know. I could cobble together a rod system myself but this was quicker. ;)
I've used them all, Brian. The clamp styles don't pull the joints together, the band styles take manipulation of the corners and only pull from one point. The spring ones put holes in the work and can cause one miter side to slip by the other. The rod styles are similar to using pipe or bar clamps, the pressure has to be applied evenly or it goes cockeyed. The frame style I linked is easy to make in any size, four narrow boards with holes, four V shaped corners to bolt in the holes, two straight short pieces bolted on the end and a handscrew/wooden clamp. It automatically pulls everything into alignment without fussing and puts even pressure on the glue.My daughter is a professional framer. They have pneumatic clamps and fastener shooters. Line it up and step on a pedal. Those are the best!Beat it to fit / Paint it to match
You're right, I could make that myself just larger. Will see how this goes and maybe that's the next project on a very long list of projects, But I bet you know all about long project lists too huh?
Thx, Brian
http://www.mlcswoodworking.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/smarthtml/pages/merlclmp.html
The Merle clamp is as good as it gets.
That's what I was using. I love them, and own 4 but the chamfer didn't leave enough room for them to get pressure. I have the newer models too with the angle pieces.
I like the simple suggestion from Fritz (above). I think the threaded rod clamp and his jig are just what the doctor ordered. Having chamfers on both edges (interior/exterior) doesn't make glue up the extreamly fun job it usually is (NOT!!!!!).
Thanks for your help, Brian
Hi,
I recently found myself in the same situation. After several failed attempts to create glueing pressure AND keeping the corner pieces straight, I came up with a very simple and cheap solution: I cut a straight-edged piece (smaller than the inside of my frame) of soft plywood diagonally, producing four right angle triangles. On top of a board of cheap pine I then set up the corner jig with minimal tension, placed the triangles on the inside of the frame corners, nailed them on the pine board and tensioned the jig fully.
Choosing the thickness of the plywood as close to the depth of the inside recess of the frame as possible makes the setup even more rigid.
Fritz
That's one of the reasons I love woodworking and my fellow woodworkers. Simple solutions to, what seems at the time, insurmountable problems. Thanks Fritz.
I'll have to make the corner pieces a little thicker because of a second chamfer on the interior edge of the frame. Going to mount the pieces on a decent piece of birch ply cause I use it for other framing applications anyway. Might as well use it for this too. Nice and flat.
Thanks again, Brian
"On top of a board of cheap pine I then set up the corner jig with minimal tension, placed the triangles on the inside of the frame corners, nailed them on the pine board and tensioned the jig fully."
By "tensioning fully" do you refer to tightening the clamp? If the corner braces are nailed they can't be tightened any more. Here I go making something probably very simple into something complex.
Thanks, Brian
By "tensioning fully" do you refer to tightening the clamp?Actually, I am mostly using a simple belt clamp with small plastic corner pieces. And yes, the jig can be tightened against the inside corners, it's just soft plywood and we are talking of fractions of fractions of millimeters of lateral movement - it is very rewarding to watch the gap line of the mitre disappearing and little glue beads emerging ... ;)
The latter only started to occur after I had copied a simple mitre jig from somewhere on the net. It basically consists of a triangular board of MDF. The angle facing the blade should be 90 degrees. The blade - here comes the beauty of this gadget - DOES NOT have to be exactly 45 deg to the triangle's sides. If you cut one mitre, say on the left side, you then cut the adjoining frame member on the right side. The two edges will always add up to 90 deg and even the most obstinate profiles accept this simple geometrical argument.Fritz
Very cool. Now mine. I just built it a couple weeks ago from an old article in FWW. I like the advantage of belng able to build large frames (up to 40"). The sliding stop is great. Cutting the pieces takes about 3-4 minutes per frame and it has been super accurate.
Got the problem frame glued up this morning. There will be a bit of sanding but it's going to turn out great.
Talk to you later, Brian
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