Picture frame splines?

Bill Lantry

Member
Messages
2,663
Location
Inside the Beltway
Hey, folks,

So here's the deal: Until now, every picture frame I've ever made has always been painted, to cover up my "sins." This time, I planed and jointed some sycamore, ran it across the router, chopped it with an SCMS, and cleaned up the angles with a miter trimmer. Perfect, right? ;) Glued it up with titebond III and picture frame clamps, and because I knew I needed strength at the corners, but didn't want much to show, used a pin nailer, one pin in each corner, "until the glue dries." Finished it with a mix of poly, naptha, and BLO.

Last night, I put the glass, 30" x 20" poster, and a luann backing in, and pinned the backing to the frame. Eye hooks and wire to hang it in the kitchen. Even Doorlink said it looked great, and she *always* finds something wrong. Not this time. Perfect... ;)

Alas! This morning, the top left and bottom right corners have both developed substantial gaps. I'm going to have to pull the darned thing down. Curses, foiled again! ;)

I obviously don't have a horizontal router table. So what's the best method of putting splines on such a big frame? It'd be pretty unwieldy, even with a jig, on either table saw or router table.

Any thoughts on this matter would be greatly appreciated... ;) Even if it's just shaking your head and telling me what a doofus I am... ;)

Thanks,

Bill
 
Bill, with a well built jig, I don't see why you could NOT use the TS, but OK.

How about moving the tool, instead of the work?

Make a jig that hold the corner of the frame to the bottom of a piece of flat plywood, or MDF, then put a fence on the flat piece, and run a circular saw, or a router past the corner, to make your spline.

Cheers!
 
Top