I've decided to take some time off. We recently moved and I've taken on a new job that demands more of my time. The new house is also hungry for my attention. Since I can't make frames right now, I'll share what I've learned about building them. I'll update this page as I have time, with more and more details, but here's a good beginning.

I'm sure there are folks who have the tools, the skill and passion for the art that one needs to turn out a printing frame as good or even better than the ones I've made for the past few years. Although wooden frames have their technical limitations, they have a kind of tactile and visual beauty which is something we artists appreciate.

I hope those of you who have one (or more) of my frames continue to enjoy them for a long time. Many thanks for your patronage, and for your kind words. And to those of you who decide to take up the craft - best of luck. Don't hesitate to contact me if you have questions that are not covered here. Dan

Chapter 1 - Materials

I prefer cherry hardwood for my frames. Oak, maple and walnut would probably be good choices as well since they are all very tough and durable, but cherry is the most beautiful in my opinion. Pine and poplar are fairly soft woods, and although less expensive, frames made of these materials probably won't maintain strength in their corner joints as long. For small frames, you can use 4/4 (four-quarter) S2S hardwood. 4/4 implies one inch thick, but only before surfacing. S2S means surfaced-two-sides. Surfacing is done with a planer which removes some of the rough wood from the 4/4 board. The result is usually in the neighborhood of 13/16" thick lumber - just over 3/4". Larger frames will require 5/4 stock which finishes out to about 1-1/16". Steve Wall Lumber Company in Mayodan, NC ships small (20 board foot) packages of selected hardwoods by UPS.

Backs don't require the same level of durability as the sides. The job of the back is to remain stiff and flat and press your negative evenly against the printing paper. For backs, I use good quality birch plywood. It is the one material I find most difficult to obtain on a regular basis. I have found that local cabinet shops sometimes have good birch plywood in stock. They are also sometimes willing to sell it. Otherwise, I have found that the 2x2 and 2x4 foot birch plywood panels sold at Lowes, if carefully selected will work fairly well.

I love the appearance of shiny brass hardware. For that reason, I've always insisted on using only solid brass metals (with few exceptions) in my frames. The McMaster-Carr company is without a doubt my favorite vendor. I buy the hinges and all washers and screws used in my frames from them. I was asked by Michael Smith if I could think of a way to keep the tips of the springs from rubbing against and splintering the wood. I decided that a metal channel (brass of course) would be the best solution. The only supplier I could find for such an item is Small Parts, a Miami , FL based company that specializes in unique and hard-to-find...uh small parts.

The few exceptions to solid brass are as follows. The tee nut that holds the spring screw is steel. It is invisible unless the felt is removed from the back. The other exception is several frames I made that use bronze springs. Bronze is not quite as pretty as brass, in my opinion, but it makes a better spring. MSC carries bronze and brass sheets. Although .040 thick stock is adequate, I recommend the .050 thickness or even .0625 (1/16"). Before you go out and invest in sheet stock, which is fairly expensive, check with your local machine or sheet metal shop to make sure they can shear the material into strips you can use for the springs. Hand shears will not make the cut.

The only fabric part in a contact printing frame is the felt pad used to cushion and protect the negative. You can buy felt pretty much up and down the street. I made a few frames with 100% wool felt, but I don't find any real advantage to using the pure stuff. I think the standard 35% wool and polyester blend works just fine.

Normally, I use 5/32" float glass from Lowes - their standard stock glass. It is reasonably priced compared to most local glass shops, and I find the quality excellent. Remember that shipping glass is pretty much the same as shipping rocks, except that glass breaks. Mail order doesn't really work well for glass, so find a local source. In some cases you might find that your prints suffer from a fringing effect known as Newton's rings. Google for details. If this is a problem, get a piece of non-glare glass from a good picture framing shop. Install it so that the etched side contacts your negative. That should eliminate Mr. Newtons interference.

I tried a few different finishes and found that the easiest to use, most durable and prettiest finish is Minwax wipe-on polyurethane. I apply the first coat with a small brush and let it dry for 2-3 hours. I rub with #00 steel wool and apply the second coat with a cotton ball. Repeat step 2 one or more times for a deep lustrous and silky smooth finish.

I use 3M Super 77 Multipurpose spray adhesive to attach the felt to the back sections. I use no adhesive for the corner joints, and a couple drops of Elmer's or Weldwood to hold the brass channels in place.

Design

Over the years I have collected wood contact printing frames. These old frames all share a similar design where the corners are joined with a "finger" or "mortice" type arrangement. Alternate slots are cut at each end of the frame members, parallel with the plane of the glass and interleaved to form the structure. All have a lip to hold the glass, secured in place by spring tension and a two piece hinged back. The springs are usually made of steel, are compressed and held in place by slots cut in the inside edges of the frame members, or by steel washers. An interesting feature of most of these frames is an indentation providing easy access to the back.

Tools

Use a good quality table saw. It doesn't have to be the most expensive one made, but it should have adjustments that stay put for at least one work day. The blade should turn without wobbling or vibrating excessively. Vibraton could be caused by either the blade or the saw. Check the arbor, the arbor washers, and arbor nuts. If the nut is loose, or the washers have dirt or sawdust under them, clean the whole assembly and apply a little light machine oil.

Spend the money on a good carbide blade. I recommend a 40-60 tooth for a 10" blade. Although this is considered a crosscut blade, if done properly, you will get results that rival a sanded finish.

Spend considerable time making accurate adjustments to the blade angle and the rip fence alignment. Your rip fence should be perfectly parallel with the blade. The only way to do this is to use a gauge or caliper capable of displaying increments of .001". Lock the fence down about 1/2 inch from the blade. Measure from either side of the blade to the fence at the front and rear of the blade. The measurements should be no more than .003" different from each other, front to back. If they are, you will burn the wood or leave blade marks that will take much effort to sand away. Most rip fences have adjustments built in. Consult your manufacturer's specific instructions.

Use a tri-square to set the blade angle. Never assume that the markings on the front of your saw are accurate. Most saws have an adjustable stop for the 90 degree position, but it's adjustable and that means it's usually out of adjustment. UNPLUG THE SAW, remove the zero clearance insert, and place the cast arm of the tri-square on the clean top surface of your saw's table. Without pushing too hard place the ruler edge against the body of the blade, between the teeth, and near the arbor. Observe the gaps at top and bottom of the blade. If, like my saw, it's a little dark under there, place a shop light or even a flashlight on the floor, shining up. Adjust the blade angle until the gaps disappear and the ruler edge of the tri-square touches the top and bottom evenly.