Dowelling small softwood picture frames.

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oakmitre

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Hello - I've lurked for ages on the forum and found it very helpful, but this is my first post :)

I have been making small picture frames using white wood and a mitre trimmer. The whitewood is planed all round 12mm * 32mm from the local DIY store. The outside edge of the frames are roughly 15.5 mm in length. Sometimes the wood is not quite 12mm - more like 10.5mm.

I have made a small jig using straight notched pieces and clamped across the four corners, making sure the clamping pressure is fairly high. I apply the glue to both surfaces and leave for two minutes before clamping up, to avoid a dry glue joint between the end grain.

Weeks later - I still cannot pull the frames apart - so I presume it's a decent enough joint for indoor use - despite being end grain to end grain.

However I would like to make sure and add a single dowel to each mitre joint. I think I need a fluted dowel @ 4mm, but I can only find smooth dowel at that size. I would prefer not to cut my own.

Can anyone offer advice I were I can find them. Or are there and recommendations to strengthen in a different way.

Thanks Matt.
 
Smooth dowel will be fine. Personally I'd buy it in 8' lengths and cut to required length using snips. Much cheaper than buying them in bags of 100.
 
Thanks for replying so quickly :)

I did wonder that if the 'walls' of the dowel hole are quite thin, will the hydraulic pressure cause the wood to split.

Do I need to use a larger size hole for smooth vs fluted. I know 5mm fluted are available - but are they too thick ??

Thanks Matt.
 
Fluted dowels are a modern invention and you don't need them. Assuming you are planning to dowel both pieces before assembly, put a small countersink in each hole, chamfer the ends of the dowel with a pencil sharpener, run a single saw cut along the length of the dowel to let glue out, and don't use too much glue - a thin smear is plenty. Also, don't cut the dowels too long. If the plan is to glue the mitres then add a dowel ( much easier but the end grain will be exposed) then jus remember to put a single groove in the dowel.

But if the frame is flat, you could also use underpinner nails (Lion framing supplies sell them). They are intended for use in a special machine, but can easily be pressed or tapped into a flat frame from the back, and are what the professionals use.
 
An easy way to turn smooth dowels into fluted dowels is with a set of pliers with the round serrated grip in the middle.Just go along the dowel squeezing it with the middle part of the pliers and then you`ve got a fluted dowel.
Easy peezy lemon squeeze.
 
I have used bamboo skewers to reinforce things they are very strong and the smaller diameter might make things easier for you.

99p for 100 in Dunelm mill.

Pete
 
Like Pete I've used bamboo skewers but there is always the old standby of thin slips glued into saw cuts at the corners.
 

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