# Choosing a suitable wood



## bkukyjt (Mar 6, 2014)

Hi everyone, could anyone inform me of the best type of wood for making picture frames? The wood measurements I wish to buy is approx. 70cmsx30cms and hopefully straight. I am asking this because having never used a bench router before, I would like to avoid some of the pitfalls which no doubt are out there ready to ensnare me! Also the cost of the wood will also have a bearing on my final choice. I will be very grateful for any expert advice, thanks from Brian


----------



## bluewood (Nov 26, 2013)

I think a lot depends on the subject matter of your pictures. I'm an amateur photographer and I have used everything from old barn board for rustic pictures to exotic woods for more artistic pictures. If you want acid free mounting you need spacers to isolate the picture from the frame and the glass. You will also need to seal the wood. Choose your wood, choose how you would like to join the corners. then ask how to rout that wood. 
Sorry but you question has too many variables.


----------



## rwl7532 (Sep 8, 2011)

My first frame was done as a prototype and I selected pine. The next immediately after was maple. I have a band saw, INCRA miter gauge for my bench saw and a jointer. 

It was relatively small: 5" x 7" (12.7cm x 17.78cm) overall and will handle a 4"x6" photo.
I'll post a pic when complete.

Clamping in the future will be done with my newly acquired MCLS Merle band clamp.


----------



## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

There are probably hundreds of woods that would make frames out of the 20,000 or so that exist. As long as they are fairly stable when dry. I would guess that oak is probably one of the most common. I've made some out of white birch and white pine. I've also seen them made out of cedar, Douglas fir, other pines, spruce, and walnut. One of the main considerations is whether the wood will compete with the picture for attention. Then it becomes a choice of whether you want to just varnish the frame, or paint or stain it. If you check my downloads you'll see one I made of white birch. The birch was too light coloured to go with the print so I stained it with a water based stain to complement the colours of the print (SamaN brand stain).


----------



## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Brian; hopefully one of your Aussie mates will offer some advice based on what's readily available down-under. As Richard suggests there are a LOT of choices up here, but they won't necessarily be available where you are(?).
Go to a framing shop and ask them what they offer as custom framing option; that should give you a better idea of what the commercial millwork shops work with.
Or you could just go right to the millwork plant and ask them, maybe they'll sell you raw material... 'nothing ventured, nothing gained,' eh?


----------



## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

*Timber species.....Oz.*

Hi Brian.

Whereabouts in our great wide land are you?

IMO, any dry stable timber can be used for picture frames. As you will see from the attached list, there are many timbers available in Sydney.

This is just a list from Trend Timbers in Sydney.

I would start with Mountain Ash.


----------



## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

!...You guys have Mountain Ash?!


Well, blow me over...
Searching PlantFiles
And that folks, is the problem with _'common names_' regarding plants, and why Latin botanical names are used to describe a particular plant. I had _no_ idea there were so many varieties of 'Mountain Ash'.
So which one is harvested in Oz, James?


----------



## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

LOL...

I don't know, Dan. I just cut it. I will do some research and get back to you.

I believe it is a type of Eucalypti.


----------



## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

Hi Brian...and others.

refer to below.

Eucalyptus regnans - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Giant ash, mountain ash, Victorian ash, swamp gum, Tasmanian oak or stringy gum all seem to be the same>

Bunnings used to sell Tassie Oak.


----------



## Danman1957 (Mar 14, 2009)

Hi guys,
That is an impressive list of the different types of timber available.
To my fellow Canadians, do you know of such a list for here?
Cheers,
Dan


----------



## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Dan; when you say "timber available" do you mean commercially? A lot of stuff that's theoretically available on the 'I know this guy' network wouldn't ever see a wholesale, let alone lumberyard. 
On another thread last year, i had mentioned a friend who lost two mature _Sequoia sempervirens_ in a storm. 
She couldn't find a buyer that would buck them up in her yard, and haul them away for sawing. *They all claimed there was no local demand for Redwood!*
She finally caved and _gave_ them to a local sawyer with a self-loading logging. truck. He very magnanimously agreed to take them and waive the trucking fee.../sarc off
So yeh, you need to network if you want deals in off the book lumber.
Otherwise it's what's available at wholesale:
PJ White Hardwoods Ltd.


----------



## bkukyjt (Mar 6, 2014)

Hi there James, I'm just south of Brisbane. When I first asked the question about which wood to use for framing I was more interested in finding out which woods to avoid due to splitting and cracking when being worked on the router. The items I will be framing are classic landscapes and seascapes but I want to avoid the very ornate type of frame. I would like to thank all the members for their very welcome input. Brian


----------



## Danman1957 (Mar 14, 2009)

HiDan,

Thanks for the list. I see this co is a division of Richelieu hardware that has it's head office minutes from me. They used to be located on the same street I worked and I used to be able to buy from them. The only place we have in the Montreal area is Langevin Forest and they are ridiculously expensive. I usually deal with the local saw mill just down the road from me and he usually has good prices for local woods. When it comes to imports though, he is either expensive or doesn't stock them. There is another sawmill in Eastern Ontario that I've heard of that apparently has a good selection. If anyone knows the name I would like to check them out.

Cheers,
Dan


----------



## Garrick (Apr 10, 2009)

An inexpensive and easy to work wood is red cedar. It comes in a variety of colours, including multicolours. Often picking through fencing lumber will yield some very nice patterns for frames. I try to get straight grained with variable colour stripes. (The stripes can be at somewhat of an angle to the length of the board if it is wide enough to trim.) 
Although cedar is soft, hanging on a wall, it is unlikely to get damaged.
Sand it carefully to at least 220 before finishing.


----------



## asicign (Aug 15, 2011)

I just made 15 frames from hard maple. Never made any frames before this, and was worried about how easy it would be to rout the rabbets, and mill the faces. Turned out to be fairly simple, and they sure turned out gorgeous.


----------



## Barn Girl (Nov 1, 2013)

*Reclaimed Wood or Old Wooden Windows?*

I always love the look of reclaimed wood. Also you could use old wood windows and just clean them up a bit. They seem to work well too. You can find both here. (realantiquewood) dot com


----------



## RogerInColorado (Aug 29, 2013)

I think the most suitable wood for picture frames is one you like and that you can get without breaking the bank. Making frame stock on the router table is fun and a really good, creative outlet. I have used the American Woodworker site (once there, look for "Week-end Picture frames") as a resource for making frames from mixed stock and using a couple of common bit profiles. I think it's a great starting point for experimenting with profiles. It proves you don't have to make a big investment in exotic bits just to make something that really looks great. Just don't let it limit you.

americanwoodworker.com/blogs/projects/archive/2011/03/07/weekend-picture-frames.aspx


----------



## bkukyjt (Mar 6, 2014)

Thanks Roger for your very informative thread, I intend to go to 'The American Woodworker', tonight and scrutinize it with a very intense scrute!, By the way how is your very beautiful Red River? Brian


----------

