I know how not to make picture frames...

[tvrgeek]

What I know.
Compound miter saw is barely good enough for crown molding. Darn near useless for any cabinet work.
TS miter gauge with sacrificial backer board is better ( Osbourn) but not great. I see some fancier ones out there too.
Grizzly clone of a Lyon trimmer is getting there. Larger stock does tend to slightly move. Hate to put sandpaper on it as that may mess up prefinished stock. It does have some play in the ways. ( Maybe a real Lyon doesn't)
Could be, a better dedicated sled and a fine tooth 8 inch blade is the machine tool answer.
Or is a shooting plane really the only way to get perfection?

I am doing OK with stock less than about an inch and a half. Wider is still showing me that tiny imperfection.

 

[Jerry C]

I have never made a perfect picture frame. I try for not wonky.....Definitely a lot more difficult than most woodworking projects....You just can't hide a hair out of square on 4 joints.

 

[ScottM]

I am no expert nor are my frames perfect but I have gotten pretty good. If you are using a miter saw try stacking cutting in pairs. For example stack cut the two side pieces as a pair and the top and bottom as a pair. To assemble I use a Merle band clamp to pull everything together. I use glue plus V-nails to hold it all together.

 

[tvrgeek]

Cutting to same length is not the problem. I can do that where your finger can't tell the difference. It is that .01 degree imperfection.

Decent clamps are another problem. Used a lot. All stink. For one thing, most are molded and the faces have a mold release angle so they tend to twist the boards. I had a cheap version of the Meryl. Trash can. Well, you can never have too many clamps, so maybe another set.

 

[tvrgeek]

Alas, like a lot of woodworking tools, backordered for months. They look easier than my current web clamps and corner blocks

 

[Joe Scharle]

I think you'd like Merle clamps. I have extra corners and have clamped 8 sides frames w/o problems.
Also, I've found a sled on a TS to work best for me. Used to have some pics on this site showing setup, but there's probably something on Utube.

 

[jlwest]

Professional framers use a miter trimmer. It uses sharp knife blades for final cuts.

 

[tvrgeek]

Jeff, that is what the Lyon is. Now, I understand professional shops have much bigger heavier ones. I see the same basic castings sold under dozens of brands. What is not known is the precision. How was the iron left sitting to relax? How well are the ways machined. Quality of the blades and on and on. Like all Chinese tools, they castings may be the same ( basically stolen design) but the fit and finish is what the brand name pays for.
One example: Miter Trimmer

 

[kevin waldron]

If your going to be doing a lot of 45's/? or you are going to be doing a lot of furniture pieces/picture frames where crown molding or the like is going to be used probably best to find a good new or used Morso trimmer. They are one of the best... I've had one for years. I personally discovered a long time ago when doing large display/curio/china cabinets that I couldn't make true 45's or anything in between without something more precise than a compound miter. Typically I'll cut 45/? degree on miter saw and then trim to line on the Morso trimmer. (I've also owned a 45/? degree Pistorius and it worked alright but still didn't think it had the precision of the Morso trimmer.)

Shopping: Used Morso DK8900, Morso Foot Manual Chopper For Sale

The Razor miters do a fair job. The key is to keep what your trying to trim to as small as possible before you try to cut with the Razer slicer. Found it best with these as well to cut as accurate a 45/? as close as possible prior to trying to shave the exact degree.

kw

 

[junquecol]

Again, look at the Dubby. Don't just take my word for it, ask McRabbet

 

[Billm0066]

I have the festool kapex miter saw (bought used for $700) I make my wife a picture frame every year and make some for family. This saw cuts as close to perfect 45 as you can get on a miter saw. I rushed through my wife’s frame this last Christmas because I was running behind but the miters were perfect. Great saw but I would be very hard pressed to spend retail on it.

 

[mrmilburt]

I make a lot of picture frames. It got a lot easier after I made a sled for the ts to cut the miters. Then get a set of pinch clamps to help glue it all up!

 

[tvrgeek]

If your going to be doing a lot of 45's/? or you are going to be doing a lot of furniture pieces/picture frames where crown molding or the like is going to be used probably best to find a good new or used Morso trimmer. They are one of the best... I've had one for years. I personally discovered a long time ago when doing large display/curio/china cabinets that I couldn't make true 45's or anything in between without something more precise than a compound miter. Typically I'll cut 45/? degree on miter saw and then trim to line on the Morso trimmer. (I've also owned a 45/? degree Pistorius and it worked alright but still didn't think it had the precision of the Morso trimmer.)

Shopping: Used Morso DK8900, Morso Foot Manual Chopper For Sale

The Razor miters do a fair job. The key is to keep what your trying to trim to as small as possible before you try to cut with the Razer slicer. Found it best with these as well to cut as accurate a 45/? as close as possible prior to trying to shave the exact degree.

kw

Yea, that is the full size jobber. I guess what the pro's use. A bit out of my league, both in price and space. I am going to look at my Grizzly and see if the ways can be made more snug.

My wife does cross-stitch. About the only way to sell them ( get rid of them) is framed, so I need to be able to make frames for only a couple bucks. Probably a backlog of 50 or so and all unique sizes. The sled is probably the way to go.

I have seen the pinch dogs you hammer into usually end grain for glue-ups and I remember some wire "C" clips that punch a 45, but always figured the damage to the wood was a bother.

Fasteners always plague me. I always mess up the corrugated jobs. The last commercial frames I just bought had a better V shaped things but searching shows them no longer in production. I found a reference to a 'V-nail" that is similar. Might try some of them. I usually use my brad nailer through the side, but sometimes the nail takes off and curves. I also saw a comment about what looks like another PVA glue called "Corner Weld"

Just led me to a company "Logan Graphics" that has presses for V-nails. But a miter clamp and my arbor press may do just as well for a lot less. Guess I never really looked into it. They also have hand crank "precision sander" I think some iteration of a shooting board with sandpaper would work too. Need to mill some stock and play.

 

[ScottM]

For V-nails I use this tool. A lot cheaper than a V-nail press.

V-Nail and Brad Driver - Lee Valley Tools

 

[joec]

I bought the Incra 5000 sled and it helps get the exact same length and a good 45. So far so good.

 

[gator]

I try to work complimentry angles. If first cut is with stock from the right the mating cut (mating piece) cut with stock from the left. If first cut is 43 degrees then mating cut from the other direction is 47 degrees and will meet with a perfect 90 degree corner.
George

 

[tvrgeek]

I try to work complimentry angles. If first cut is with stock from the right the mating cut (mating piece) cut with stock from the left. If first cut is 43 degrees then mating cut from the other direction is 47 degrees and will meet with a perfect 90 degree corner.
George

Not sure I see what you mean. If yo make a sled, and it is 90 degrees Right to Left, are you suggesting if it is off a degree to the blade, it is still 90?

 

[gator]

Difficult to explain with being able to draw pictuires.. Suppose you set your miter gauge to 45 degrees but in actuality it is 43 degrees. You cut a piece of frame with the cut to the right end (vs left end) of the work piece and the angle of the cut is 43 degrees. Take the mating piece and cut the left end on the same miter gauge. It will come out at 47 degrees. When you glue the two pieces together the total angle is 90 degrees.

 

[tvrgeek]

I see. Using the regular gauge on the other slot.

 

[gator]

Don't need to change slots. Just feed the mating angle in reverse. I made a sled with a 90 degree angle with the apex on the cut line. I cut the first piece on the left side and the mating piece on the right side.