Be sure to read Office Makeover Part 1: My Current Office to get the first part of the story.
I purchased a replica of the US Constitution from the Liberty Bell Museum and planned to frame it and hang it above my desk. The problem is that these documents are 16×14 inches. And you CANNOT find a pre-made frame in those dimensions. So I tried to go the custom frame route. It only took one quote at $140/frame (and that was on a 50% off weekend sale) that I said “No way!”
Instead, I decided to build my own frames. I priced out the wood, class, and hardware at Home Depot. I already had some wood stain and clear coat because I’ve also got a piece of furniture I plan to refurnish. All told, the materials cost me a whopping total of $85.
Building the Frames
I chose pre-cut trim that had a notch cut out of the backside like the small picture. This notch was perfect because it is the right size to hold the glass and backing inside the frame. Four frames with dimensions of 14×16 inches equal a total of 240 linear inches, not including the amount of wood I would be cutting away to get the 45-degree corners. In addition, the actual outside width and height of the frames would be more because the frame surrounds the pages, and is not equal to the page dimensions. I used four eight-foot sections of trim, making a frame out of each section.
To get the corners right, I used a miter saw to cut alternating 45-degree angles and measured so that the inside of the notch was just a little bigger than 14×16, which would make the final inside dimensions slightly smaller than the replica Constitution pages – perfect to cover up the eduges of the paper.
At first, I tried to move the wood around which resulted in a completely backwards cut, and I almost didn’t have enough trim to finish all four frames. To keep it simple, it was easier to alternate the miter saw blade 90 degrees (45 left then 45 right) so that the notch on the trim was always facing me. That was MUCH easier.
Then I put wood glue on the corners and clamped them into a jig until it dried. Then I nailed small metal brackets into the back to give the joints extra strenght. Here are a couple of the assembled frames before I put any finish on them:
After that, I used a dark walnut stain, here:
I only put on one coat of stain and let it dry for a full day. Then I put one coat of laquer on and let it dry for a full day. By Sunday afternoon, all four frames were completely ready to put together.
Final Assembly
At this point I had fully assembled, stained and coated frames. The only task that I was really worried about was cutting the glass to the right size for the frame. I own a glass cutter, but have never used it, and I’ve only seen glass cutting done a couple of times on TV. I was actually a little concerned about cutting the glass.
As it turns out, cutting glass is easier than I expected. All I did was score the glass using medium pressure – I didn’t even use any glass cutting oil like suggested. I put a little pressure on either side of the glass, bending it upwards on either side of the score mark, and POP! The pieces came apart just like I wanted them to. This is one of the frames with a cut piece of glass inside it. And here’s the tiny little glass cutter that made it possible.
All I did then was put the glass, a page of the Constitution, and cardboard backing into the notch (you can see a good pic of the notch in the back of the frame in the picture above). I used furniture tacks to keep everything in the frame, and nailed in a small hanger at the top of each frame.
All done. I hung them in the office Sunday night, so stay tuned to the next post to see the before and after photos of my office.
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