Great Video! I now glue the wood stock before cutting: wood glue and clamp your side lumber to the base frame lumber first. Then cut once on a mitre saw. I also find gluing up frame stock beforehand keeps the lumber from warping in storage.

You know what the viewer wants- see the finished product at the start of the video and then show the process.. good job!

Hello Mike, I commented quite some time about pre blackening the edges first and then doing the assembly. Well, here I am 4 years later and with my dad's old 9" sear craftsman, I have been trying different methods. I have plunge ripped 2x material at right angles to make the L for the frame so both the base and the sides are one part. That went ok, but still error induced cuts where not all the thicknesses were uniform. I use the scrap for smaller frames or other projects. I have been doing ok ripping to a 1-1/4 x 1-1/5 "dowel", then making the shallow plunge cut for the 1/4" panels, and then deeper one for the 3/8" panels I use of MDO. Now, The larger frames required some stepping back to your process, but I make rip the base frame material in a length, say 36". Then I rip the side frame the same length, but 3/8" thick. I glue and brad nail the pieces together. (oh, I have pre-blackened the base frame leaving the inside wall natural.) I should say I did paint the inside walls on some and skim cut them depending on the recess I need. That works fine. The edges still need re-varnish though. I made a 90 jig for my miter saw. I don't change the angle. It stays set. The have a rail parallel to the fence on the saw, and then another rail 90 degrees from that. Cut one is against the fence, (with the inside edge of the base against the rail. Cut two is against the side rail with the sharp edge on the outside away from the rail. This cut results in two 45-degree cuts. Also registering the inside face of the base. (I'm cutting the assembled base and sides it this point) I have a stop for the last cut for repeatability. I have an adhesive measuring tape parallel to the second cut rail. It lets me use values that can be recorded for future cuts as it's not correct for actual distances. I haven't figured that out yet. I tried your method and struggled making the cuts over and over to get the edges just right. I have some extra assembled stock ready for more frames. I varnish them before I miter as its time-consuming working with a frame in your hand and not messing up the varnish. I have thought to use spray varnish. So, that's my report. It's a learning experience for sure and I don't have a super shop. Just a table saw, miter saw and some power tools and having fun. As they say, "It's a pleasure to create a treasure." Best in painting, Paul PS: I have used 1" flat black gaffers tape on the frames instead of paint. Its quicker but maybe a little more costly. Some frames I don't blacken at all. The black on the base is sufficient to show off the painting. It all goes away if we paint the whole thing black. Not my style.

Wow…I’m a new wood worker, and have a well known artist sister. Both of us naturally have spent a fortune on framing thru the years. We had a conversation yesterday about floater frames, and I’m going to build some. Your video is just really great! Thank you for the inspiration of your art, and your framing. You have amazing talents (plural) , and so well spoken to explain the process better than many wood workers. All the best to you !!

I have always wanted to know this! I just LOVE how your frames look.

I’m wondering if you have tried glueing the inner frame lengths to the outer frame lengths, THEN making the mitre cut and THEN joining. Would that alleviate that problem of the possible mismatch in fit?

Excellent advice, especially on why you poly the inside of the frame. Thanks for making a useful and informative video!

Thank you for showing your frame building process. I just saw one of your videos and searched for this one because immediately noticed your frames are very cool, I'm glad you had made this video

That, my friend, was a clinic! Very well done. Also loved seeing the dog!

I use to simply nail a deeper poplar strip to the painting. Right through the canvas and into the stretcher bars with small head estutcheon (sp?) nails. It was just okay. I like these floater frames so much more! I've got most of the tools...just need a planer.

Honestly, ty for this video

Great vid thank you. In just starting making my own frames. Made my first one today. Mis measured. Still going to find use for it. I am a new painter. Water color and acrylics. I’m 68 so no rush in learning anything. I have been a maker all of my life. Now i make things slow and easy winds my own race.

Those frames are so beautiful! I don't have all those machines and I'm not sure I have the confidence to go for that kind of work. I bought some wood this summer but never got to try to make one!! So cool that you share your method! Cheers!

I build a similar frame although I begin by attaching the "decorative" outer trim to the edge of the support molding before cutting the miters

Michael, I love the quality of your frames. If you ever decided to build palette boxes like the one you use, I would totally buy one and I'll bet other would as well.

Brilliant I love it ,, love the way you do it outside to loose the saw dust . I would love to do it

Those frames are so beautiful. I'm looking into making my own because I have a couple of oil paintings that need frames that are odd sizes. But I think this technique is way beyond my skill level and also I don't have all those saws! Thank you for sharing your technique, I love how the simplicity of the frame lets the art shine.

As a fellow Artist , Painter , Hobbyist Woodworker and recently youtube creator, This info is Priceless! thank you so much for sharing it, This gave me a simple and well explained way to start experimenting with frames!

I recommend this types of videos. Also Ty for the video 😇💛

a true fav

I’m just here to say SO HAPPY AND PROUD OF EMMA!l and CHAMBERLAIN COFFEE! ☕️🤯♥️ 🙌🏼. Hope all is well! Happy Holidays!!!

Amazing work Mike...all those tools and machines are great. When I moved to France I took all my paintings off of their canvases, rolled them and put them in 2 plastic tubes (I also had to do all the paper work to export them)...so when I arrived I made all the canvanses again myself to mount the paintings...it was a pain in the ass (and hands literally lol, stretching properly the cotton or the linen was hell)...so now I just buy the complete canvases (primed cotton smoooth tooth) for a fair price and If I need to I just paint the border of the canvas. But it's because in here there's no need to present your paintings framed to the galleries or shops.

Yes new video

Thank You For Your Valuable Tips In Refining This Framing Project. Your Honesty Represents True Character! A Bit Hard To Come By These Days!

Thanks for posting. I am gearing up to frame a big 4ft x 3ft canvas art. I like your design best from what I've seen. Very streamlined. I tend to overdesign.

Thanks for the inspiration!

Since I don’t paint, I am just here to wish you a great day and to support your channel ☺️

Hi. I watch Jon Peter's who is a woodworker. Now he makes his own frames for his art work and he's been doing that for 2 decades. I was watching him do different floating frames. He actually paints his base frame and outer frame separately before assembling it.

Thank you!

I frame all my paintings and framed 28 paintings last year for others. I sold unframed paintings to friends in the past and they sat on the floor unframed. That perturbed me so they all get frames. As time goes by it can get more fancier with experience.

Great idea!

If you have gaps just fill them with wood filler; you’re painting that area black anyway. Thanks for sharing!

Thank you so much. Very useful info.

Thanks for the tips.

Ever consider a thicker square material equal to your current outside wall and cutting a wall and floor that would emulate the two piece assembly. For a panel, the first cut is 1/4" deep set for 1/4" off the fence. Flip 90 and plunge to this cut. Mitre and join. I did this with 3/4 pine thus the outer wall is 3/4.

Great video! Thanks 🙏🏼 a million !

The frames look really good. You could quite easily sell them for artists Mike 👍🎨

Another upload 🤭 yaaaaay 🥳

Beautiful frames! Can you also show how the canvas is mounted onto one?

You are so clever Michael! I bought a couple of sawhorses and saws.

Love your videos...so much information !!

wow, i dont think ive ever seen a floater frame. I totally want to do this.

Another great video. Thanks. Please show how you secure the panel or canvas into the frame.

I wish you had it also in centimeters! Thank you for the video!

Hi, just want to say that I hope all is well with one of my two favorite Tubers!

That's precisely I was looking form. Thank you very much. Greetings from Bogotá, Colombia!!!

Thanks for the great video Mark. I was wondering would it be the same process for framing an MDF board painting as opposed to a canvas painting?

This is such a useful demo ,thanks for sharing it and giving the specifics. Will you be back on KZfaq and your Patreon channels after the New Year?

Hi, thank you so much for this video. Its so helpful. Can you explain how you determine dimensions for the "perimeter wood "?

Nice, thanks

yee

Thanks you much!

Thanks for the information - very helpful. It would be great to be 100% perfect everytime when building a frame, but I imagine there are those times when you may need to correct a problem rather than discarding the frame. Any fixits you've encountered that you'd like to pass along?

The frames look sharp. One thing I'd do though is glue the decorative and baseboards together first--like in long sections--then miter them together. You'd reduce the cuts and glue time by half. I do something similar for making canvas stretchers. There are some other comments murmuring about this, too.

Enjoying your videos. You are a good cabinetmaker. ( I was a professional cabinetmaker for a few decades) I happen to prefer a float frame over a typical ornate plein air frames- they look more contemporary to me. My issue when traveling to a plein air festival is this: I like to carry a bunch of simple masonite panels to paint on- unstretched. If I am home this is no problem- I can add stretchers to the paintings i want to frame. But on the road, this is difficult under the time constraints. So how do i attach the panels to the float frames? They are too thin to screw into from the back. I have brought float frames i have made with integral stretchers, but then I have to glue in the panels, which is not really that satisfactory. Any suggestions?

Nice painting.

Thanks for sharing

Fun to see this process step by step! Do you use progressively finer and finer grit sandpaper?

Should the black paint be satin also, or flat? What do you find works best? Thanks!

Michael, Do you find gluing the outer pieces to be sufficient, and have you seen any issues sending framed work to drier climates where the wood moisture can shift? I know some videos show guys using a pin gun there. Really enjoy your videos and thanks for all the details you supply. Jake

Interesting... My wife is doing some painting and has asked me to build some floating frames for her. One thing that came to mind while watching: you mentioned it's difficult to get the poplar outside strip to fit the inside properly; have you tried attaching the outside strip to the face boards before cutting and gluing the faceboards together? Might end up with some addtional waste, but... I'm gonna have to think on that a bit. Thanks for the video; very helpful!

Hey! Hope all is well with you. I just bought some Chamberlain Coffee and I’ve always wished making coffee could be as easy as using a teabag and I am beyond excited to find out how it goes! Also, I’m a 50 year old Emma stan (learned that word this year) and I swear I’m not embarrassed by that at ALL. It’s a MOOD! (Chamberlain Paintings stan as well of course but that is age appropriate so not as wack). 😂

cool.

Beautiful frames! Do you ever change the frame's wood type based on the color scheme and feel of the painting?

What thickness are your panels? If only 1/4" panels, how do you mount the panel into the frame? Thanks

You should try opening up the black area a tiny bit to reveal more black area and painting it with "vantablack" its equal is called "black 3.0" i believe it'll make your paintings pop even more

Thank you, thank you and thrice thank you.

Nice al fresco workshop you have there, Dude. Must be a bummer when it rains. 😉 [Good frames, though]

Mike, have you tried a skim cut on the outer face if paint gets on it? Of course, it would mean accommodating that removal of material. That would require a coat of poly of course. Seems there would be a way to do that. Masking that face perhaps? Always find your videos informative. What is your cradle cross section? Paul

Hi guyz,,,, for larger frames,,,is there any preference in woods that I should know about..???

have you ever use different colors in the inside of the frame, beside black...? maybe gold or something complementary to the painting?

BTW, where did you do that painting? Looks like Marshall Point, Maine. I have painted there.

I’d like to know specifically what type fasteners and bits you’re using to fasten the outside frame together. The video shows several frames clamped together on a table. Looks like a pilot hole is drilled, then a bit change, and the fastener is drilled into place. Do you sink the head of the fastener? How do you cover the fastener, is wood putty applied? Otherwise, love this video! I’ve subscribed to your channel and now following you on IG😊

When you say 1x4, is that actually 1inch x 4 inches or more like a "1x4" that you find at Home Depot, which is really 3/4"x3.5"? Cut in half you would get 3x4"x1.75" minus a little kerf. Thanks! Love your videos.

What is that green machine/sander thing you run the wood through?Is it important to have one when building your own frames? Your method looks pretty easy...I hope! Thank you.

I do love these frames, Michael! What do I do if I cannot afford a planer and/or table saw and the local Home Depot and Lowes do not offer 1-3/4 x 1/4 side panel wood? All I can find is 1-1/2 x 1/4. *Update: Have you covered this topic on Patreon? I have been painting with canvas, but have painted on 3/16 Masonite before and liked it too, and I could switch. I could use a thinner wood for the base-frame portion? It would be very helpful if you could write down the dimensions of wood, off the shelf wood, we could use if painting on either board or canvas. I understand ripping your own wood is much more affordable but not all of us can afford the expensive tools. Thanks for your great plien-air painting videos!

Hi Michael, very informative video! Thx! Is it really necessary to reinforce the base frame with screws?

I make layered art with wood. I have been dying to learn this. You have given me the motivation to do this myself. Can i ask should the art work be level with the frame or does it not matter ? Thanks

Amazing video! What would be the best way to attach mdf board paintings to this?

I've been making similar frames for years, but have not painted the inside edges. Generally the rule of thumb is don't paint acrylic or latex over oil. Do you use water-based or regular urethane? Or, is that perhaps not an issue with urethane (as opposed to oil paint)? From what I have read online it's OK to paint latex over polyurethane as long as the surface is lightly sanded first, but any further comments your experience would be helpful. Your videos are very helpful and clear. Thanks.

I totally laughed when you were talking about the masking tape… whatever that colour is.

Wondering if it's necessary to paint the sides of the canvas/panel (would it show ?)

Wonder how it would work if the outer strips were painted black first as well as the other back frame. Then, take a skim cut on the strip to clean up any paint. But, still a good idea to seal the wood first. It's possible to skim the frame face after assembly I'd say. Thanks for the video. What do you do for panels?

Newbie question: How is the strainer attached to the exterior frame?

Wow. All those different power tools must have set you back.

You mentioned that you have a bunch of gold frames hanging around which you use to use for your artwork. I like a good gold frame depending on the painting. What I cannot find, however, is a warm, Mexican gold spray paint on Amazon, or at Lowes, etc. Do you know where I can source this color? It looks like gilt gold--warm gold. Thank you. Good work. I used to live in SF so some of the paintings in the background make me homesick.

Great videos. For some years I have been making my own painting panels, canvass glued to baltic birch. Lots of steps. I like your frames and may add this to my to do list, but plien air painting, nearly every day is now my goal. At 72 years of age I need way more paintings under my belt. I do have a question. How do you attach your 1/8 inch panels to these floating frames? You mentioned this so quickly that I did not catch it. Like I said at the start, you do a great job with these videos and I hope to watch many more. Thanks.

G'day Michael. I have been having a go at building some frames based on your process, and I am wondering more specifically about the process for painting the black inner portion of the frame as this part is where I'm struggling a bit. You mention wiping away with a rag in order to obtain a sharp edge. I have tried this and it I am finding it quite tricky to get a sharp edge. I have also tried masking the face of the frame with tape and then painting the black, to varying results. Could you maybe give me some more detailed insight into how you achieve a clean edge there? Would be great to see how you do it in action, but I understand that's a big ask!

What are you doing at 4:22 drilling and then screwing the base frame. What size screws?

have u ever painted the dogs that would be so cute

How do you attach the panel to the frame? Love your videos!

Mr Chamberlain, I can recommend an easier way. . . put your outer frame on your base frame in the long lengths then cut your miters and you save time and the trouble of getting the outer frame to line up at the corners! Love your art work and hope this helps.

I think I missed something...when you drilled and countersunk for screws on the base frame, did you plug the holes with dowels or did you fill with wood filler? Thanks in advance....

I sometimes use canvas on panel ,do you frame those also ?

Michael, always like your videos. I make my own panels from eigth inch Baltic Birch ply covered in Linen. They work great and now I want o make my own frames. Yours look excellent. I remain on clear on how to attach my panel to your frame. Clearly mine are not thick enough to receive a screw. I may use double sided tape. What is your process/ I can't see that step in your video. Thanks

how do you attach painting that are on 1/4" hardwood panel?

These are easy to make.shapen your blade man..such burning.

I notice you didn’t reinforce the decorative part of the frame with nails or screws. What about larger size frames, 36” x 36” or larger, is it still the same process? Thank you!

So the outside piece is only glued , not pinned in any way ?

How do you attach a thin panel onto your floater frame?