Weird Wood

[Bruce Moreland]

First, hello! My wife is a nature & wildlife photographer and I, as technical support, get to do everything she doesn't want to. We print and frame her work. I'm still learning as we go. For the most part we gravitate to really simple frame designs and materials, as you can see by following some of the links on our services page (http://www.BeeHappyGraphics.com/services.html).

Not that long ago, her friend asked us to use some of her parent's old fence material to frame a picture of her father (more details can be found at http://www.beehappygraphics.com/blog/2018/working-with-weird-wood-preface/). I did some research here and elsewhere on the Internet, but didn't find anything helpful, so I figured it out as best I could. As the article says, I decided to write about it; in fact, I promised a whole series of articles. I just finished the first (meaning 'easiest') one (http://www.beehappygraphics.com/blog/2019/using-multiple-moulding-widths-in-one-frame/). It's not too late to tell me how I could have done better - I can either revise the article or add comments below it (you would get full credit, of course).

The way things are going, this series could be a long time coming (I've managed to make other promises along the way). On the positive side, while cleaning up the garage/work area, I may have found the wood I need for the next two installments. If I haven't made it clear, comments from all of you who know what you are doing would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Wally Fay CPF]

For the first project I would figure out how to make a jig to work with my mitering saw(s) that would allow me to index the cut of the cheek of the rabbet since the outside edge of the material is irregular.

For the second, well, honestly I wouldn't do that, but for arguments sake I'll throw in my $.02. Old school. Cut the four lengths just over their final length and make a cardboard template of the finished product. Using a sliding t-bevel, transfer the cut angles for the miters to your saw from the template (I would use my table saw with a protractor style sliding jig*) and cut them by eye. For joining, I would use biscuits and a band clamp.

*I have an Incra jig accurate to 1/10 of a degree, but the t-bevel is faster than the math.

 

[Gregory K. Norris CPF]

Huh. I think Wally is right. I don't have much personal experience in this area, but did use the template method to create a frame from some irregular chestnut that came from a barn beam. It worked well for me.

I get requests to make frames from lumber left over from a barn or family farm with some regularity.

I liked that design with two mitres in opposite corners on your preface page. We have a substantial market for "primitives" here, so this might be a popular design.

This is the first really new thing I have seen this year. I will follow what you are doing if you don't mind to post here when you have new entries. Thanks.

 

[Bruce Moreland]

For the first project I would figure out how to make a jig to work with my mitering saw(s) that would allow me to index the cut of the cheek of the rabbet since the outside edge of the material is irregular.

For the second, well, honestly I wouldn't do that, but for arguments sake I'll throw in my $.02. Old school. Cut the four lengths just over their final length and make a cardboard template of the finished product. Using a sliding t-bevel, transfer the cut angles for the miters to your saw from the template (I would use my table saw with a protractor style sliding jig*) and cut them by eye. For joining, I would use biscuits and a band clamp.

*I have an Incra jig accurate to 1/10 of a degree, but the t-bevel is faster than the math.

I know it's been a while, but thanks to COVID, I'm just getting back to these projects. And because of the time, I decided to skip ahead and am almost finished on the final article about building the frame with dilapidated wood. I also intend to go back and incorporate your ideas, either in the comment section, or if I wind up expanding them too much, in a follow up article.

If I understand correctly, your first comment suggests putting the inside edge against the miter saw fence instead of the outer edge (I gather that you use a table saw instead, so I translated). The wood in that project was too thin for the rabbet I needed, so I did without (sort of). Both edges were irregular. But the inside edge trick also comes into play for some of the other projects mentioned, like when the inner and outer edges are not parallel (which should be next - stay tuned).

I guess you can see my former-math-teacher technical bend, but I do like practical solutions and plan to go back and add that approach to the second project, probably with a few more pictures and arrows for people with even less experience than me. Seeing those results may take a little more patience, though.

Thanks for your help.

 

[Bruce Moreland]

Huh. I think Wally is right. I don't have much personal experience in this area, but did use the template method to create a frame from some irregular chestnut that came from a barn beam. It worked well for me.

I get requests to make frames from lumber left over from a barn or family farm with some regularity.

I liked that design with two mitres in opposite corners on your preface page. We have a substantial market for "primitives" here, so this might be a popular design.

This is the first really new thing I have seen this year. I will follow what you are doing if you don't mind to post here when you have new entries. Thanks.

OK, I jumped ahead to the main article promised in the preface. It is now finished, and can be found at https://www.beehappygraphics.com/blog/2021/weird-wood-part-5-of-5/. I'm interested in critiques (especially possible improvements).

 

[Bruce Moreland]

I know it's been a while, but thanks to COVID, I'm just getting back to these projects. And because of the time, I decided to skip ahead and am almost finished on the final article about building the frame with dilapidated wood. I also intend to go back and incorporate your ideas, either in the comment section, or if I wind up expanding them too much, in a follow up article.

If I understand correctly, your first comment suggests putting the inside edge against the miter saw fence instead of the outer edge (I gather that you use a table saw instead, so I translated). The wood in that project was too thin for the rabbet I needed, so I did without (sort of). Both edges were irregular. But the inside edge trick also comes into play for some of the other projects mentioned, like when the inner and outer edges are not parallel (which should be next - stay tuned).

I guess you can see my former-math-teacher technical bend, but I do like practical solutions and plan to go back and add that approach to the second project, probably with a few more pictures and arrows for people with even less experience than me. Seeing those results may take a little more patience, though.

Thanks for your help.

Knowing that this might take a while, I'm wondering if I should post your comments on my blog now and then embellish when I can. May I copy your comments into the comment section of that blog post? May I give contact information? Or should/could I just post a link to this thread?

 

[Bruce Moreland]

OK, I jumped ahead to the main article promised in the preface. It is now finished, and can be found at https://www.beehappygraphics.com/blog/2021/weird-wood-part-5-of-5/. I'm interested in critiques (especially possible improvements).

I'm not sure about proper etiquette, here. Since this is about a different (but partly related) subject, should I have posted it as a separate thread? I guess I'd better look into that.