Half-Lap Miter joint frames

[Rob Franz]

Does anyone else have a hard time building these?

Over the past year, I've made quite a few out of walnut, for my baseball collectables.
But man, even with a pretty good homemade jig, I still find my self making a cut, then flipping the piece over and over again, end over end....trying to make sure I make the right cut on the right side of the stock.

I don't ever think I could mass produce these frames. I'd burn too many brain sells.:D

Rob

[Doug Shepard]

I usually take a Sharpie and put some X's in the waste area for stuff like that. Then it's pretty obvious if I'm getting ready to cut the wrong side.

[J. Z. Guest]

I haven't tried it yet, but I just built a frame with splined miter corners. Very neat looking, and probably easier than the half lap ones you're doing. Give it a try next time!

The ones I'm talking about, you build a regular old miter frame & glue it. Then, using a slotting cutter in your router table, cut a slot and glue splines in after the fact.

http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q112/jzorns/Woodworking/Complete1.jpg

http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q112/jzorns/Woodworking/corner.jpg

http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q112/jzorns/Woodworking/splinedjoint.jpg

Got pix of yours?

[Rob Franz]

Nice job, Jeremy.

I've made several frames that style as well. Using my mitering sled, they finished right on. I've made several standard half lap " craftsman style' overlapping frames as well. With doweled corners.Really like the looks of them.

Rob