7/20/23 I have been considering trying to build frames for my friends that have my paintings.
I'm still using 8x10 size until I am ready to try larger sizes.
This is what I have been trying so far: Pine wood versus poplar wood.
The poplar wood is more expensive as I found out, the price is by the foot, not by the 8 foot length.
The poplar wood was easier to work with as far as cutting, sanding and routing.
Staining: I'm trying different color stains to see how the finish looks.
One of my friends likes the Rustic style look. I'm going to try and use a grey stain with a darker finish to see how it turns out. Will post pics of that.
Sanding: Wow, okay, I found out that it is not a good idea to buy the cheapest sandpaper, no matter what the grit is. Where one company says 150 or 220, doesn't mean that another brand works the same, or has the same results. The best I've found so far to use is 3M Pro Grade sandpaper. The reason why is that I find it more consistent working through several wood pieces using the same sandpaper sheet. It doesn't tear as easy as the others I've tried. Seems to last longer also.
It could be that I was using the 3M Pro on the poplar, so when I try it on the pine or if I try other wood types I will let you know.
3M also has a really good sanding tool that I found works better for me than the traditional block style.
7/22/2023 Lesson - They say you learn how things don't work first, so you can learn how to improve. Right! Okay, if you notice in the image, when the glue was drying, I realized that I should have placed the frame front side up instead of back side up. The reason for this is because the glue was not wiped when I placed in it the jig.
I like this jig idea for gluing frames that I saw on youtube called DIY for Knuckleheads. This presentation is comedy and informing. Since I haven't much experience with woodworking and I am new at this, I am learning so the frames are not perfect, but practice practice practice!
So, in the image below, the outside boards with the screws are part of the jig. There are two firm sides, and two side that are adjustable. (The adjustable sides I am redoing to improve ease of use). Not bad for the frame though, looks pretty good. The paper under the frame is wax paper, a recommendation by DIY for Knuckleheads. His is much nicer than my first try ha! But, it worked!
