The plan; a simple, mission style oak mirror that will last a lifetime.
16" x 60", oak, no bevel.
Step by step;
Buy 1 x 4 oak from HD long enough to have a few inches left on each board
- Cut the stiles (sides) to 59 1/4"
- Cut the top and bottom to 22 3/4"
- drill 2 holes using Kreg Pocket Jig in the top and bottom of each side
- Sand all the wood with 80 grit, then 120, than 220.
- I also used a scraper to burnish the wood and get it super-smooth, but that's optional.
- line up the frame on a workbench/table so that the tops and bottoms overlap the sides by 1/2" on each side. This gives it that mission-style, rather than just a plain, picture frame.
- hold each joint in place by clamping it to the workbench with the Kreg clamp so that it is centered on the joint
- drill the holes into each joint to create the frame.
* This is much easier if you have pipe clamps to hold the joint together, or use the new clamp that Rockler has, but I didn't have either so I just used hand pressure from one side against the pressure of the drill. The great thing about the Kreg jig is that the flat-bottom hole it creates helps to pull the wood together. I managed to get 4 tight joints after a little practice with it, and one minor bruise on my finger. I had my girls kiss it better though, so all is well ;)
- Sand everything down, especially if you ended up with any wood raised higher than another piece at the joint. This happens because the wood at HD is not perfect and unless you have a planer you just have to deal with it.
* Don't use a powered sander too close the the inside corners or you will leave a insightly indent on the vertical piece you are going against. How do I know that? Uggh. Learned it the hard way on a my shop cabinets.
- clean off your table and then turn over the frame
- clamp it down in diagonal corners
- use a 3/8" x 3/8" rabetting router bit in a hand held router to create the recess for the mirror
* remember to go clockwise when routing the inside of a frame. Don't go counter-clockwise because you'll tear up your wood and have to spend a bunch of time fixing it with a chisel to make it look nice again. How do I know that? Hmmm...
- You will have to stop and move your clamps, but it's easy to get started again. Just start an inch back from where you left off and ease into the uncut wood again.
- Once the routing is done you are left with rounded inside corners
- Use a VERY SHARP chisel to square the corners by lining up the chisel and tapping with a rubber maller or "dead-blow" hammer. Use the hammer as little as possible, but with oak you will almost definitely have to use it. Don't use a dull chisel on your nice mirror frame. Don't. Learn to sharpen it or have someone do it for you. Take your time with this. Enjoy this part of the craft that is as old as...well, it goes way back.
- Sand the areas you routed
- I like Watco Danish Oil so now is the time to apply your first coat. The way I do it is to put on a good amount with a brush and then use #0000 steel wool to work it into the wood until it looks almost dry.
- let that dry overnight while you go get your mirror
- Measure the inside dimensions down to a 16th of an inch. Why? Well, just in case you are not perfect, and may have misscut the ends by a tiny bit you want to make sure now.
- Take those dimensions to a glass store and have them cut you a mirror that is a 16th shorter on each side to allow for wood movement. Mine cost $51.
That where I am at right now. Tune in tomorrow to see how it ends!
After a few more coats of Oil it's ready to hang.
I used to make my own wooden cleats to hang things by cutting a piece of wood at a 45 degree angle and attach one part to the wall and the other to the thing I was hanging. However, Hangman Products came up with an aluminum one so I used it for the mirror and it works great! http://www.hangmanproducts.com/hangman-system.html
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