Whether your picture frames are made from steel or wood, they won’t appear good if the corners are not tightenough. Constructing the corners of plastic and metal frames usually is not tough because all you have to make them tight includes the frame kit. It is a little more challenging to get tight corners when you are assembling a wood framework, particularly if you made the framework yourself.
Metal and Plastic Frames
Plastic and metal picture frames normally arrive with L-brackets, and although the frames have written assembly directions, the procedure is self-explanatory. You assemble the whole frame with its inverse side facing you, add a bracket in every corner and use the screws that have the frame to secure the brackets. The holes at the brackets along with the frame will be pre-drilled and aligned to create a gap-free corner when you yourself tighten the screws. You rarely have to reinforce the corners on plastic or metal frames with adhesive; the brackets do all of the work.
Cutting Miters
If you purchased a wood picture frame in the store and only have to assemble it, you shouldn’t need to worry about cutting the corners. If you are creating yourself the frame, nevertheless, you need to miter each end of each of the four portions of the frame in a 45-degree angle. It is ideal to do this with a power miter saw. If all you need is a hand saw or table saw, nevertheless, you should construct a jig to guarantee a true cut. A plywood square with a board screwed onto it in a 45-degree angle will hold the wood at the appropriate angle while you cut flush with the edge of the plywood.
Gluing the Frame
When the ends of the frame parts are correctly mitered, they fit together tightly, and after spreading wood glue on every joint, you can hold the whole frame together with a corner clamp. This metallic clamp fits around the framework, and you’ll be able to tighten it in 2 directions to draw the framework together and carry it till the adhesive sets. Some woodworkers prefer to add an additional C-clamp on every corner to keep the leading edges flush. All the clamps you use will compress glue in the joints; clean this with a moist rag while it’s still moist to prevent extra sanding.
Reinforcing the Joints
The simplest reinforcements for your corners are brads or end nails taken to the wood with a brad nailer or tapped in with a hammer after the adhesive has put. You can use screws; a few framers countersink the screws and then cover them with plugs. Hardwood splines are just another solution. To use them, you need to cut on a groove in every corner by passing the framework by means of a table saw in a 45-degree angle. Prepare the splines by cutting hardwood to the identical thickness as the saw blade, and paste one to the groove in every corner. Trim it with a handsaw once the glue sets, then sand it flush.
