Best Way to Make this Framey Thing?

[Steve H Graham]

A friend asked me to make something like this for my church. It will be about four feet wide, and unlike the thing in the photo, it will be flat (about 1" deep). He expects it by February 1. I'm possibly the worst woodworker on earth. What's the best way to do it?

252224

I was thinking maybe I should do lap joints using a milling machine. I'm planning to make all the frame things the same width (the wood, not the empty spaces).

[Steve H Graham]

I guess. I was thinking about doing lap joints on the corners too. It's going to be painted, so the joints should be invisible.

[Joe Angrisani]

Depending on the size of the frame pieces, you could do the butt joints with pocket screws.

If you don't mind the look of lap joints in the corners (instead of miters), do the whole thing with butt joints and pocket screws. But don't expect half-lap or butt joints to be invisible just because you'll paint it.

[david brum]

I'm with Joe. No reason to complicate the joints any more than necessary. Pocket holes or dowels will be more than adequate. If you're going to paint, you'll have enough time in finishing as it is. If you're going to use something like espresso gel stain ( way easier) the joints won't be very noticeable.

[George Gyulatyan]

Personally, I'd go with dowels on all joints, including the miters.

[Matt Day]

I'd do butt joints with pocket screws or dowels, don't even bother doing miter joints as it will likely cause you more headaches.

[Jim Riseborough]

just put the pocket screws on the back (so make it thick enough for the pocket)

[Mike Heidrick]

Dominos...

[Steve H Graham]

Sadly, I don't have any of that stuff. Just saws, planer, jointer, drill press. I have 8 corner clamps. That's about as fancy as I get.

[Bobby O'Neal]

http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=5985&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=&utm_content=pla&utm_campaign=PLA&gclid=COqIzre8_7QCFQ4EnQodED0AoA

$20 and another purchase of the plugs (if you want) and you're off and running.

[Jeff Monson]

Sadly, I don't have any of that stuff. Just saws, planer, jointer, drill press. I have 8 corner clamps. That's about as fancy as I get.

Do you have a Lowes or Menards near you? If so do yourself a favor and pick up a small kit as Bobby pointed out, and a few Kreg screws. You will really like the simplicity and multitude of uses that pocket hole joinery has to offer. Most of the big box stores carry these.

[Joe Angrisani]

http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=5985&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=&utm_content=pla&utm_campaign=PLA&gclid=COqIzre8_7QCFQ4EnQodED0AoA

$20 and another purchase of the plugs (if you want) and you're off and running.

Yep. If ever there was a argument for the ol' "Time vs Money" thing, Bobby's $20 Kreg pocket hole kit is it.

[Steve H Graham]

I appreciate the replies. I'm thinking I may weasel out of the job. I have like 300 lbs. of junk on my table saw, and I am really not looking forward to this.

[Andrew Kertesz]

On a totally different note I like your bird. I used to have an African Grey, had a Mexican Redhead that would cuss you out in Spanish at one time as well. Bunch of other birds in there too...

[Steve H Graham]

He's a real nut. A constant source of amusement. And he's crazy about me.

[Alan Melbourne]

if its doing to be painted and only 1 inch deep. i would use 1" mdf (or 2 halves of 1/2" glued together)
then route out the squares and rectangles out of it.
you could probably use a jig saw if you were really accurate with it
a few jigs and a router wouldnt take that long. maybe a few hours cutting
if you didnt want any jigs then you could screw 2x1 s etc to the back and creat the rectangles that way for the router to follow. a bit of filler and now one would know;)

[Andrew Kertesz]

Our grey was more fond of me than the wife. I liked the Mexican Redhead the best, she was a great bird. My wife's bird was a Quaker that was an attack parrot. If you sat on the couch she would fly over to the back and run at you saying: Attack, Attack!!

[Jim Matthews]

22 half laps in ten days?

Let me guess, three other guys turned this job down,
and now it's an emergency. Pass.

If it's successful, your friend takes credit.
If it's rough, and an eyesore - you get blamed.

No thanks.

[Danny Thompson]

Sadly, I don't have any of that stuff. Just saws, planer, jointer, drill press. I have 8 corner clamps. That's about as fancy as I get.

With a drill press available, dowels make a lot of sense.

[Jim Riseborough]

can you do butt joints, and then fasten the whole thing to so 1/4" plywood and trim out the outline. Just paint the plywood color of the wall.

[Peter Quinn]

I'd go dowels, and I'd set the ground rules up front. Feb 1 is a random date at best, you are a craftsman not a short order cook at a lunch counter, respectfully it's going to be ready when it is finished. Rushing leads to danger for the workman and shoddy work for the client. Do your best work in the most efficient manner possible, but don't make promises or accept deadlines that can't be met.

[Steve H Graham]

I decided to use select 2 x 2s because they're cheap and this thing will have a thick coat of red paint that hides the wood. The big problems are 1) hiding the end grain, and 2) putting a 1/8" radius on the pieces. The radii have to stop where one piece of wood joins another, but they have to go all the way into each corner, and the end grain means I can't use lap joints. I feel like radiusing everything before I assemble it and then stuffing the unwanted cuts with wood filler.

[Matt Day]

Why do you have to "hide" the end grain if it's going to have a "thick coat of red paint" on it? Seal it and paint away.

Why not do dowels or pocket holes instead of lap joints like we've been suggesting? You can a cheap dowel jig from Rockler for $15 that will make this a breeze, or the basic Kreg jig from a big box store.

As for the radius treatment, do a test cut with two pieces joined perpendicular. I bet if you run the 1/8" bit continuously through the joint you'll like the look. Either that, or just stop the cut 1/2" or so short before the joint.

[Steve H Graham]

Why do you have to "hide" the end grain if it's going to have a "thick coat of red paint" on it? Seal it and paint away.

Why not do dowels or pocket holes instead of lap joints like we've been suggesting? You can a cheap dowel jig from Rockler for $15 that will make this a breeze, or the basic Kreg jig from a big box store.

As for the radius treatment, do a test cut with two pieces joined perpendicular. I bet if you run the 1/8" bit continuously through the joint you'll like the look. Either that, or just stop the cut 1/2" or so short before the joint.

I didn't think there was a good way to cover the end grain. Will sealer actually cover it? I thought it would show through. I wasn't worried about hiding the router cuts because they're essentially like wide cracks. Not a lot of area.

I haven't gone out and bought a Kreg jig because I didn't think it would help with all the internal intersections. As I understand it, a Kreg jig works to hold two pieces of wood together at a corner, when there is no other support for them. But I have to put these intersections together before applying screws, so it would seem to me that in order to make them at all, I'll be creating something which is glue-ready, so there would be no point in using a jig. I can see using the jig on the outer corners, but I have box clamps for that, so it seemed like a waste of time.

Maybe I misunderstand how a Kreg jig works.

As for dowels, I have no idea how to do that.

One problem with this thing is that once it starts to go together, it will be impossible to use things like the drill press or the table router.

[Steve H Graham]

I am checking out the Kreg thing to see if I can figure out how to apply it here.

[Homer Faucett]

Butt joints, countersunk screws, wood filler. No need to over-complicate things. I like my Kreg jig, but there are lots of projects where a simple countersunk screw will do the same thing. Sand the end grain well, seal and paint (or just add a few more coats of paint.

[Steve H Graham]

I ended up bailing on this thing. I think if I had had two months, it might have gone somewhere.