Frames for School Art Projects using a Compound Mitre Saw

[grumpy6165]

I have been asked by the Arts Department to make picture frames for students to put their work in for display. I need to cut mitre joints.

I have tried tilting a bandsaw table at 45degrees and using a hand mitre saw both of which produced fairly poor results.

I have a budget of about £100 to buy a compound mitre saw to give a crisper angled cut. I see models such as the Evolution Rage models come up with good review elsewhere in the forum. Are these better compared to Erbauer or Einhell models.

Do these models cut 1/2 inch aluminium rod as well?

Any advice would be welcome.

 

[custard]

You might get lucky, but I'd be surprised if an economy power mitre saw gave noticeably better results than a hand mitre saw (i.e. Nobex) with a sharp blade.

I've used a Nobex, a top quality CMS, and a cheap CMS on site work. In my experience the good CMS was the best, the cheap CMS was the worst, and the Nobex fell in the middle.

If it's just about the finish of the cut then a mitre shooting board would clean things up, although that might also exacerbate the problem of getting the opposing sides of the frame absolutely identical in length.

 

[woodchip]

I'm sorry, but for your budget you are just not going to get a good enough cut.

For picture framing I use the following

1) omga mitre saw (swing head) which cost around £2,500
2) Morso guillotine which second hand go for around £500
3) but mainly a brevetti double headed mitre saw which retails for around £7,000

You would be better off contacting a local framer and getting them to supply only, or buy your mouldings from a supplier who offers a chop service (arqadia, mainline and wessex pictures all do chop service)

 

[ColeyS1]

I'm sorry, but for your budget you are just not going to get a good enough cut.

For picture framing I use the following

1) omga mitre saw (swing head) which cost around £2,500
2) Morso guillotine which second hand go for around £500
3) but mainly a brevetti double headed mitre saw which retails for around £7,000

You would be better off contacting a local framer and getting them to supply only, or buy your mouldings from a supplier who offers a chop service (arqadia, mainline and wessex pictures all do chop service)

I wanted some frames for myself and thought I didn't have time. I went to a professional framers with guillotines etc and told em I was a little fussy cause I was a joiner. To cut a long story short I returned the frames they made after I found filler in alot of the joints- I've got pics somewhere. I remade them using a sharp blade in a chopsaw- no filler !!!! Saying you need 10 grands worth of tools to make a picture frame is crazy- perhaps for the speed you need in a commercial environment, but not for someone who wants to make some for students. My workmates making one now- I'm gonna go back and harras him for pictures.

Coley

 

[ColeyS1]

It'll cut aluminium rods o.k
Bear this in mind when you make your decision. This rage saws been used and abused. I've lent it to a bricky, cut steel and aluminium with it. It looks like I've been cutting tyres or something with it cause there's rubber or something all over the teeth

If it'll do that with an abused blade, a new one should be even better. If I were you I'd keep a blade for metal and one for wood.

Coley

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

 

[ColeyS1]

Not bad for straight off the chopsaw I'm proud of him........and slightly relieved it wasn't too gappy !

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

 

[undergroundhunter]

Seriously do it by hand, I have one of those evolution saws and it cant even cut a decent 90 degrees never mind 45. I use one of these https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nMmmD9n8gE I make a new one every time as its only from scraps and takes seconds.

Matt

 

[MattRoberts]

Why didn't the tablesaw at 45 degrees work? If it's about getting an accurate 45 degrees, you're better off spending about £10 of that £100 on a digital angle gauge and taking the remaining £90 down the pub

 

[undergroundhunter]

Why didn't the tablesaw at 45 degrees work? If it's about getting an accurate 45 degrees, you're better off spending about £10 of that £100 on a digital angle gauge and taking the remaining £90 down the pub

It was a bandsaw not a table saw.

Matt

 

[ColeyS1]

Getting the saw cutting spot on 45 degrees is only half the battle. Getting 2 sides bang on the same length as each others the other issue. Cut one end first on all 4 pieces, then somehow set up a length stop for the other - something as simple as a batten screwed to the fence with a piece of wood clamped to it should ensure repeatable cuts.

Coley

 

[Logger]

Getting the saw cutting spot on 45 degrees is only half the battle. Getting 2 sides bang on the same length as each others the other issue. Cut one end first on all 4 pieces, then somehow set up a length stop for the other - something as simple as a batten screwed to the fence with a piece of wood clamped to it should ensure repeatable cuts.

Coley

I use a morso guillotine for framing, and it solves the problem of getting the 2 sides the same length and the right internal size as it has a vernier scale so once set, you can make repeat cuts exactly the same and correct size.

The morso makes the cut using hollow ground blades, but your earlier comment is right, that you get frames done by professional framers with filler in. I see frames with expensive art in with terrible corners. Most framers use either a morso or double mitre saw, but like any machine, they still need setting up and making sure your blades are sharp. Every time you change blades, it can take 2 hours to get the blades absolutely spot on. Some framers get close and think that is enough.

I would recommend a nobex hand saw if you have a budget of £100. Your alternative which may work is to buy a second hand morso for about £500. Use it and then sell again for£500. They keep their value as Morso still make parts for all guillotines made since they started. Mine is relatively new dating from 1994. As long as you get decent blades with one, you will be ok. New blades cost over £200. I bought my morso in 2008 for £500 and the value is still the same so prices just don't change.

Cheers

Nick

 

[katellwood]

Don't make many picture frames but do a great deal of mitring of all different angles. I have a morso in the workshop but when on site for accuracy I use one of these

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Axcaliber-MT1 ... 3641.l6368

Got mine from Axminster but a bit cheaper here

You can set it up for exact 90 and 45 degree cuts and anything in between

Recently I have made and fitted a number of quality staircases and find this invaluable for cutting the angle for spacers between balusters. it will also trim the ends to within a few thou and gives a neat clean cut

I also find it invaluable when glazing or fitting beads.

In essence a nice bit of kit in your tool arsenal that doesn't need plugging in

 

[MattRoberts]

It was a bandsaw not a table saw.

Matt

Sorry, it was my typo. The digital angle gauge point applies to the bandsaw table.

 

[morturn]

Could you cut them on the band saw and then clean then up with a shooting board and hand plane?

 

[Logger]

Depending on how bad the results are, do you get a say on the mouldings to be used to make the frames. Some mouldings are pippers to cut on a morso because of chipping. There are some that framers steer clear of because even with sharp new blades the gilding chips and leaves a terrible finish.

If you can use a wood moulding which you can then paint, you can get a good finish and hide poor corners. Obeche is a good wood to use in particular. When you havr joined them, sand the frame with glue put in the gaps and you can get a smooth finish.
Then paint with an acrylic, i apply with a sponge to get no brush marks. Once you are happy, use something like liberon neutral wax and you can have a pretty good frame.