Picture Frames

I make most of my own picture frames from pine boards bought at the "lumber yard".  I buy pine 1 inch by 8 inch by 8 foot boards (with the least number of large knots) and rip (with my table saw) them into strips. (I buy 8 foot boards because they fit into the back of our Subaru Outback car.) Then I make two cuts in the strips leaving the picture frame "molding".  I make two size "moldings" - i call them "deep" and "shallow".  The deep frames hold stretched canvas or my canvas/masonite panels. The shallow frames are for the smaller (16x20 and smaller) Masointe paintings.

I make each frame to fit a particular painting - sometimes my paintings aren't quite the "correct" measurement.I glue and with the mitered corners held in frame-corner clamps, nail the mitered corners then use wood putty to fill any nail-holes or nicks in the wood. Then I give the frame one coat of latex satin paint - usually black.  I give the frame another sanding in (about) 24 hours, when the first coat of paint is dry and another coat of paint.  Another sanding then another coat of paint and the frame is ready for the painting.  And I DO wear disposable latex gloves when I paint my frames!


I usually make a dozen or more frames when I make frames - sort of an assembly line process. cut the frames wood strips, measure and miter the frame sides, assemble the four sides of the frames, then sand and paint.

I have a Bostitch air powered "brad nailer" that was a present from Melissa. The same compressor powered the framing nailer we used to assemble the studio.  Very handy tool!

Shallow molding on top, with the deep molding on the bottom.

The front side of a deep frame assembled and painted satin black. The line in the corner is a reflection and isn't that obvious without a flash from the camera.

The back side of the deep frame pictured above. Most of the time I don't paint the "inside" or back of the frame.