Weekend Picture Frames

Weekend Picture Frames

Create extraordinary frames with ordinary router bits.

By Tim Johnson

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Here’s a fun way to save money, be creative, make something useful, and use up scrap stock: make your own picture frames. You can start from scratch and have finished frames in a day or less, and the only tools you need are a tablesaw and a router table. The challenge is to create unique profiles using the router bits you already have. The frames and instructions that follow will get you started. You probably don’t have all the same bits, but that doesn’t matter. Just substitute and experiment. You’ll find that a little tinkering yields an amazing range of profiles.

Most frames are made using small stock, so be sure to work safely. Always use guards, featherboards and push sticks. Never use stock less than 12” long. Create profiles on long stock; then cut individual frame pieces from the profiled stock. Similarly, use wide stock to create thin pieces; rout the profile, then cut to final thickness. Rout large or deep profiles in multiple passes, raising the bit or moving the fence in small increments before each pass.