Since I didn’t start this project before Christmas I (obviously) didn’t get it completed to give as a gift last year. One reason I pushed it off is that it has miter joints and I haven’t successfully made precise miters. Gaps in a miter joint are horrible.

There’s no way to learn without getting into the workshop and doing it so I started the frame. Below are the pictures of what I have completed at this point:

4/4 quarter sawn white oak stock I’m using for this frame.

I cut off a piece just long enough to make the pieces I need.

The 4/4 stock is thickness planed down to 3/4″ thick.

The edges go throughout the jointer to square them up for sawing.

2″ strips are cut front the stock.

The pieces are miter-cut to length and dry fitted.

A 1/16″ deep, 5/8″ wide relief is dadoed into the face of frame.

The frame is dry-fitted again. Small gaps are present in the miters.

I used the dado blade to cut insets in the back of the frame to hold the glass.

Dry-fitted again; gaps still visible.

There are very small gaps in the miters joints. I’ve got a couple of options for repairing them but I’m leaning toward using a table saw miter sled I saw Steve Ramsey on Wood Working for Mere Mortals (click here to see his solution) use.

One overarching lesson I’ve learn while woodworking is to not panic or get frustrated on a project. Calmly think it out and come up with a solution. Rarely have I had to scrap an entire project. People who know me know it’s tough for me to accept less than perfect. It’s sort of a sport for them to find the flaws in my projects because they know I’m having to bite my tongue not to point them out.

Eventually this tiny issue will get solved and the frame will look pretty good. In the process I’ll have new skills for making miters without gaps.