Gifts, as much as I like making them I also like receiving them. My partner, who is awesome at getting me things I would think to get myself, got me a scratch off world map and since I don’t put posters directly on the wall, I needed a way to present this large map. I found inspiration from an older project <my DIY floating frames> and figured the best way forward was to continue the floating frame motif-- this time with a larger art frame. This straightforward idea took the better part of a year to pull off but was well worth it.
Google showed me that all of my store-bought options were forgettable frames meant for movie posters which would not be attractive to look at nor large enough to create the desired floating effect.
I scoured Craigslist for a frame to house my 23" x 30" poster. I wanted something with an internal size roughly 26" x 33". I also desired that it be ornate enough to draw a second look. After weeks of combing through listings, I acquiesced to the idea that the perfect frame was not going to fall into my lap(top) and that I would need to be flexible on at least one of my criteria. I decided that it would be easier to adjust size than it would be to embellish a frame. So when I saw this large (45”x33”) milky white frame with ribbon-like arches connecting ornate design elements from the corners and midpoints I decided to go for it.
After doing the craigslist dance, I exchanged money for goods in a rando part of town and soon was in possession of a frame that barely fit in my car. In-person it was thick and heavy and I immediately thought I was in over my head. A looming feeling that I might have wasted my money washed over me (see photo to the left). So I put the frame in the basement as I contemplated my next move.
All that was in early August, before I knew that my new teaching position would include a wood shop and before I had the experience woodworking and making the <adirondack chair>.
Fast forward to May, I have the needed experience and am now racing against the clock to use the space and tools to complete all of my personal projects. All while preparing for the end of the school year which includes packing and cleaning. The end of the school year also marked the end of my tenure with this school and school system, at large. If I was going to do something with this frame it was now or never.
I brought the frame to work with the initial thought that I would simply need to run the frame over the table saw to get the size I wanted. Doing this at the “quarter-point” (or halfway of halfway) along the frame’s length/width would be enough to bring it down to size while preserving the design. Simple right?..
NOPE! When I began to measure the frame, particularly the arches, I quickly learned that this frame was an optical illusion. On the surface, what seems symmetrical was far from it. Each of the eight arches was a different length which means that each has a different center point. And, if I wanted a seamless arch pattern I was going to have to treat each arch individually.
A slight panic set in as this simple frame project just turned into open-heart surgery. If my measurements, calculations, or cuts were wrong my arches would not match and this frame would be irredeemable.😨
Using measuring tape and my new MVP (a set of digital calipers) I measured every inch of this frame.
Internally the display space was 25 ⅜” x 37 ⅜”. My poster 23” x 30” would have a ton of space on the long side that needed to be removed.
I was going to trim down both the frame’s length and width but with the increasingly complex dimensions of this frame, it was clear that the fewer cuts I made the fewer chances I had to mess it up. So the width (the shorter side) would be left alone and all cuts would be on the length (the longer side) to match the extra floating space of the width.
That meant I needed to remove 5” total from the length on both sides-- 2 ½” from each of the four arcs.
Before cutting, I started by giving each arc a letter. Then marking off my frame at the quarter points knowing they would not match the center of the arc.
Next, I marked the center of the arc --they indeed didn’t match. However, this informed me of how big the offset for each arc was.
I also marked 1¼” to the left and right of the arcs' center. This is the area I would need to remove.
Now that everything is marked up, I could now answer important questions about how to slice the frame.
If the quarter-points fall in between the area needing to be removed I can make an initial cut straight across the frame without endangering the curve -- separating my frame into four large sections.
If not, I would need to find a point where the removal portions overlap. Otherwise, I would have to cut the points individually, which would be a lot to manage on the table saw with no sled. I even made a rudimentary computer model to see how my points lined up.
After more math 😔 I found my initial cut lines and prepared the table saw to make my sections. I was so nervous to make the cuts that I put them off until my last day of school (late June) while everyone else left to begin their summer breaks.
NOTE: I always use the safety guard on the table saw. However, because of the size/shape of this project I was forced to remove the guard to complete the cuts.
Then it was a matter of trimming each piece according to the removal area. I had to trust my math was right because I was out of time.
I was super paranoid and made sure the saw blade lined up with my marks. The margin for error was 0. I needed to make sure my cuts were straight and clean.
When they were all cut and trimmed, the only test to see if they work was to put the pieces back together.
Success!!!
Now to cut the plexi glass. It is probably best to wear long sleeves when cutting plexiglass because the shards are hot, sharp, and moving through the air very quickly.
This was the only piece of plexiglass large enough to fit the frame so I had to hope my math was correct once again...
...and It did! So far everything was great, but I didn't have a way to reconnect the pieces. I had been considering this problem and had come up with nothing. But looking at the pieces on the floor it just clicked! I would bore holes into the frame and use dowel rods as pegs to attach the sections to one another. This would also allow me to disassemble the frame for easy transport.
However, this created another problem: if the holes didn't line up my frame would not fit together and I didn't know how to ensure that they would. But again, looking at the scraps from the table saw an idea emerge… ( Apparently I'm full of them! 😉
I would use a thin piece of scrap from the frame as a stencil. It was simple, elegant, and made perfect sense! #thanksbrain 🧠
I drilled the holes using a rigged-up drill press. Each hole was bored a half-inch deep. Then cutting a dowel rod into inch-long segments created a simple way to connect the pieces to one another.
With this part completed, I could say my final goodbyes to the classroom, and pack up my travel frame, which now fits easily in my car, and say hello to summer!
Summer is the best time for painting. I had been debating on colors like copper, gold or bronze but thought they might clash with whatever color the countries on the poster were. So, I settled on a hammered black instead.
I love these textured spray paints! Not only do they look great, add depth and dimension to a surface but they are also ideal for hiding imperfections. I used a hammered gold on the <infinity shadowbox> when a flat color just wouldn't do. They are not appropriate for every project, but the times I do use them I am never disappointed.
A coat of paint and this frame is low-key dazzling! It has come a long way from looking like Tom Sawyer’s white-washed fence to a sleek, modern - and dare I say - sophisticated piece of art.
The plexiglass fits into the lip of the frame with small screws and hangs on the wall with LOTS of 3M strips.
WHEW! I may or may not be having heart palpitations thinking about the intricacy (and math) of this piece. But I also feel a great sense of pride that the final product was so much cooler than I thought it would be. When I look at the map and scratch off my travels l feel a doubled sense of pride knowing where I've been and what I can accomplish. Plus --let's just be honest-- the frame is SEXY AS HELL! I'm not a braggart but I did the damn thing on this one! Why? 'Cause I do thangs! Do I even need to question if I've crafted intrigue on this one?
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