Precision Picture Frame Jig | DIY Plans

[@RobRobertson1000]

Thanks Michael, just downloaded the plans. Not that they were so much needed as you absolutely deserve the small payment for taking the trouble to share your great sled with us all.

[@MichaelAlm]

Thanks 😁

[@SquirrelPaint]

I love that you left your feather board error in - it gives some hope to the rest of us for whom that's a normal part of every build! :-)

[@ditchdiggerillinois4841]

Built this sled and now have quality picture frame joints. Thanks for the video.

[@michaelyates3424]

Great video, did you know you can cut aluminum with your sawstop. There is a bypass mode that I've used when I don't want the risk the safety mechanism firing. Basically all you have to do is turn the key and hold it for 3 seconds, the saw will blink. One thing to know is you have to enter the bypass mode for each cut. Check out the manual to find the exact steps.

[@andrewFull]

Great job. I appreciate that you didn't edit out your mistakes.

[@sfm5173]

This has everything on it to make every picture frame I cam think of, thank you

[@aliciai10]

Will be making this this weekend. I have a small ryobi jobsite table saw. It's my first one so my sled will be much smaller but I am super excited and appreciate you taking the time to share. Subscribed!

[@billybike57]

One of the best jig making videos I’ve seen. Thanks for sharing and I’m gonna attempt to reproduce this jig. Thanks for sharing!

[@jameshart4842]

Fantastic jig and video. Just finished mine and the first test frame is flawless. I just wish I paid more attention as to which side the ruler should overhang as my ruler now reads in the wrong direction. Thanks!

[@CarlYota]

This sled is awesome but for those who don’t make enough frames to justify it here’s a tip. Remember that the difference between the inside dimension of a frame and the outside dimension is exactly twice the width of the front facing material. This is obvious when you think about it as there is exactly one board on each side of the inside space. This means all you have to do to work with outside dimensions instead of inside is add twice the width of the board to your desired inside dimension. Then do all your work with the outside dimension since that’s way easier to do unless you have this sled.

[@Geeksmithing]

Great sled man! I have resisted making frames for so long but it seems I can resist no longer! Thanks for putting this up! Hope to see you at Maker Camp!

[@jackdotzman2908]

Excellent idea for your miter sled specifically for the function you designed it for, picture frames. Very nice vid., thank you. From Missouri

[@philippeterson9512]

I like it, but have a question about the 45 degree stop block. Would it be better with a 90 degree? That way the tip has a hard stop. Yes, you would lose the ease of the ruler scale but eliminate any slop of the two 45’s shifting.

[@woodfather]

Top class jig! I used Picciuto's design as well a few years ago, (but did it in a cheap way cos I'm cheap 😄), one change I made after using was I ended up dropping a block behind the kerf, and then screwed an offcut of clear acrylic on it, that way I can still see, but don't have to worry that the ends of my mitres are going to fly into my face. Might be handy here too.

[@LiloUkulele]

The problem I ran into was cutting the frame material on edge...the frame is balancing on edge...any wobble or tilt resulted in a miter cut that was not 90 degrees to the frame edge. I am going to add a block to support the face and keep the material at 90...maybe more tension on the feather boards would solve this? Great video!!!!!!!

[@tonydavis6487]

"just rotate that board overrrrr, and I messed up" 😂😂 Great video..definitely got a new subscriber. Thanks for the great content!!

[@MichaelAlm]

🤷🏼‍♂️

[@gforce1930]

Nice sled! Wish I watched this two weeks ago because I *just* made a new miter sled to replace my old one. Like your use of the aluminum scale and the wooden zero clearance block. My main issue with my old sled was the weight/balance issue that you mentioned also.

[@TheGrantAlexander]

I like the addition of the feather boards, I might need to do that too mine. 👍

[@barryallin8161]

Having watched this AND David Piccuto's updated jig, I'm going to make mine with a mix of the two designs (I like David's simple use of toggle clamps to hold the stop block in place), but things like the replaceable zero clearance insert on your design is cool too

[@TheNateLion]

Same here. I like David's toggle design better for the stop block but Michael's overall approach better.

[@Jworonow]

Nice, love the feather-boards. One thought: the mitre slot with a speed square to get the 45 angle. My thought is that the mitre slot is the reference point not the saw table. Again, great vid and upgrades that Iwill be making pronto!

[@kenmulvihill1230]

Very cool. Thanks to Jay Bates for recommending your video.

[@gregchristineharris7207]

you changed my life bro.

[@JWimpy]

That is the best-looking miter sled I have seen. I have tried several but never kept them around.

[@danielwebber1635]

Love your frame sled! It is near the top of my list of shop projects. The 48” ruler that you use.. etched increment markings or painted? Brand? Always enjoy your self deprecating humor. I appreciate someone who does is only half full of himself! So, so Seattle. Go Sounders! Dan Puyallup

[@charlesosborn3470]

Great video as many others have suggested. As you mention, the weight is over the back of the sled which is also in the way for longer frames. How do you think it would work if the plan was inverted and rotated such that the long boards would rest over the larger portion of the table top and off to the left of the blade?

[@classifiedinformation6353]

Subscribed! Ok, I am going to order plans. Thanks Michael.

[@Tinkery]

Well, you just put another item on my to-build list. Thanks for the great video!

[@Valtrach]

Super interesting. Well made high quality video. Thank you for your time and work.

[@erictroutman1571]

Nice space. I like that you haven’t gone overboard on expensive tools. Very relatable to us hobbyists. Thanks for the video.

[@c90sf]

BRILLIANT is the word bud.

[@kennethboucher6073]

i think the transparent plywood in a picture frame in patterns like you do would be awesome, please do a video for us, THANKS Ken!

[@VictorSedinger]

Thanks for this video and the plans, Michael. I made the jig. However, having used three different squares to gain the 90 degrees between the rules on the sled, I’m still getting minute gaps at frame corners. Tried to send a photo but not allowed on Comments post. Do you have any suggestions about truing the miter cuts? How can I make micro adjustments and not have to make a new sled?

[@Ministry_Of_Silly_Walks]

That was really informative and innovative. Thank you.

[@vtavares00]

Very cool. Btw, there is an easy way to temporarily disable the sawstop from triggering on metal or very wet wood. Useful for things like this.

[@BJames-lm9uk]

"Disable it" is the first thing I thought when he said that.

[@MichaelAlm]

Thanks! On the Sawstop, you have to disable that switch every time you turn on the saw. I'd be worried I'd forget one time and ruin my blade and cartridge

[@evanbarnes9984]

@@MichaelAlm I've done that a fair number of times on my sawstop, and I was worried about the same thing. However, I found that cutting aluminum is so out of the ordinary that it serves as it's own reminder to put the saw in bypass mode.

[@doneubanks2665]

@@MichaelAlm I think he meant you could use bypass to do the couple of cuts on the ruler itself (2?) making the jig.

[@stuffoflardohfortheloveof]

Very good, well explained too. Thanks. 👍🙂🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

[@iprangem]

A nice jig I make quite a lot of frames and find my second hand MORSO frame cutter (£185) makes the job really easy.

[@ki6ada2005]

Thank you for an awesome video. I am first building a woodworking station for my garage. I am very active in photography and want to build my own frames for family and friends..

[@denisredfern2976]

Thank you, Michael. Great video - I will make one tomorrow.

[@mmcl1312]

Its a great sled I too made one a while back, but I like the additions you've made... might be time to redo my old sled.

[@aussiechippie7462]

Top effort Michael, I'll definitely have a crack at building one, Thanks from, Aussie land.

[@travishead7207]

Excellent video and plans (purchased them to support you though I agree with many others tht your video is so good you can get by without)! Curious if you see any reason against adhering 1/2” plywood under the ruler as opposed to the 1/4”? Possibly help with taller framing stock by raising the reference edge a bit.

[@JimHester]

Like the sled. I'll have to do one of these soon to make some holiday gifts. Not sure why you couldn't make the ruler cuts with the SawStop, though. You can disengage the safety mechanism and cut the aluminum without activating the brake.

[@TheNateLion]

I was thinking the same thing! Maybe he doesn't know how to enable the bypass mode? The one advantage to doing it the way he did is that he was able to cut the ruler a little short and so that he could put in the wood insert for zero clearance which will ensure that he doesn't accidentally trigger the brake when using the sled.

[@JimHester]

@@TheNateLion I'd be surprised if he didn't know what the key is for, if for no other reason than curiosity. Good point on the cutting short, tho.

[@AngieWilliamsDesigns]

This is great. I made a miter frame jig for my last table saw and I haven't done one for my current. I was going to do Davids version but I like your updates. I really like the featherboards and the t nut head to keep it locked into place.

[@Ellwoodblues27]

Pm pm

[@HWoodCreations]

Without a Sawstop, you wouldn't need the zero clearance block because you'd be cutting the aluminum directly on the tablesaw right?

[@greggmiller6623]

Michael, great sled. What is the maximum thickness the featherboards will allow against the ruler? I like to make frames that are potentially 1-1/2" wide. Will your featherboards allow that width of stock?

[@MichaelAlm]

Thanks! The feather boards are only designed for thin frame stock 3/4" or less, but I've found that the wider frame stock is more stable and doesn't need them. The feather boards can easily be removed.

[@BruceAUlrich]

I like the improvements a lot!

[@bobmitchell5997]

Just to be clear: Once you've made the sled,, can you cut frame pieces without putting the Sawstop into bypass mode?. That is, are the aluminum fences far enough back from the blade that it won't trigger the Sawstop brake?

[@ShaneCarrigan]

Awesome sled Michael! I will definitely take a stab at this.. and appreciate learning subtle techniques and ideas I can apply to other sleds to add to functionality and ease of use, with that Rockler/T hardware, the shuttle, using aluminum, leather, zero clearence inserts etc. gets my mind going!

[@steveszabo7305]

Nicely done video.

[@ekligge]

Will be making my first frames this year. What is the advantage of building one of these sleds vs using a miter saw with a stop? One advantage I see is the built-in measuring. Are there others?

[@noahshroyer4609]

Would using a large aluminum framing square as opposed to the straight aluminum ruler be a good idea? In that case, you could mount the ruler and then do the kerf cut afterwards? 🤔

[@narawallteague5777]

Another woodworker did it an is brilliant

[@9bnmadden]

You need Izzy Swan's new clamp on infeed table! Solves tippy sleds completely!

[@MichaelAlm]

Haven't seen that one! I'll have to check it out

[@KRWoodworks]

@@MichaelAlm kzbin.info/www/bejne/iIvQk42Cj7GlmJo

[@jdhannan]

I saw that video, then I saw another video on making an extension bed that was much easier. Does it go on and off as easy? No. Do I ever want to take it off again? Also no

[@yanhe4484]

朋21

[@JustaPilot1]

@@jdhannan Izzy's goes on and off in seconds. Link to that other video?

[@MichaelScottPerkins]

Awesome video! I love how, unlike SO MANY woodworking KZbinrs, you always give credit every time you do something that you learned from another KZbinr. Jon Peters veneer, David P's sled... it's cool that you tip the hat. A lot of folks just try to pretend that their video on [ insert topic ] just came to them, as if from a dream. For those of us, like myself, who watch an embarrassing amount of KZbin... we always know. Ha! I do have a question though... HORWEEN LEATHER!?!? You glued down Horween leather to make a jig? Isn't that kinda like cutting up a hand woven silk gown to use as a bath mat? Ha! All jokes aside... I have been trying to find out where I can buy small amounts of horween leather for years. You always have to buy huge sides and/or spend big $$$. Where did you get those little bits?

[@MichaelAlm]

Hahaha! Thanks Michael. Honestly I had no idea is was really nice leather. I bought a big bag of leather scraps from a materials coop in Portland. The place is called SCRAP and I highly recommend it.

[@edwardanderson5422]

any thoughts on alterations to this jig to make it work while making floating canvas frames? maybe a vertical zero clearance insert?

[@57Sauce]

I purchased your plans for both the frame sled and the spline jig, thank you! The frame sled plans do not show how long the initial cut into the sled should be. Does it matter how long or short it is? Thank you again.

[@jdhacker]

Great sled. When I click the link to download the plans. It is saying the site is private. How can I access the plans for this build?

[@davebauerart]

Great features on this sled. I need to go get some supplies to get started!

[@robertobarrozo289]

Sou brasileiro e acho seu trabalho maravilhoso,vejo todos os vídeos.

[@fingermand]

Would you recommend using this jig for at floating frames aswell? Awesome video btw, really great build :)

[@RamKumarSunuwar-k9t]

good workshop .

[@kennethboucher6073]

good job, Michael your the plywood wizard right? have you tried the amazing transparent plywood?

[@cilantro8880]

Almost finished building mine. First project I’ve ever done. Can’t find regular double sided tape at the big name stores. This is driving me a little crazy. Found a fiberglass carpet tape, supposed to be non conductive but I’m worried it might activate the sawstop based on an online comment.

[@BigmoRivera]

Great Job Nicely Done 👍🔨📐

[@markkoons7488]

First rate narration. Subtle use of music. Especially appreciate the initial explanation of what you were about to build and why. So many content providers name a project, record 15 minutes of drill and saw footage then show the design at the very end. I'm subscribed and will be sure to watch whatever lies ahead. Thank you.

[@ToddMitchell62]

Could you shortcut the front end of this process a little bit by starting with a 24-in aluminum square?

[@SaltyPineCreations]

Hi there Michael -thanks for this video. I purchased your plans, but the detail is definitely in the video instead. One question I have - what's the reason for the epoxy? Could I use a CA glue and accelerator? or spray adhesive for wood? thanks for your help!

[@MichaelAlm]

Thanks for picking up the plans! I don't recommend CA glue. It will not hold over time. The only thing that I know that will reliably hold metal to wood is epoxy. Hope that helps!

[@SaltyPineCreations]

thanks so much!@@MichaelAlm

[@tomrooney4906]

Great video!

[@RyanMackPhoto]

what would you recommend when you're table saw top is too small to line up with jig and speed square & fence? Could I line up with blade and do 45's off the side of wood? Thanks

[@davidpennington8770]

Awesome! Thank you for sharing

[@philromney5987]

Hi Michael - bought the plans but didn't see anything in there about the placement of the runner(s). Can you please let me know?

[@borismakesart]

Wont the washer you make for the front of the t slot bars not scratch up the t-slot over time?

[@ringeradi]

I just found your channel, cool stuff! I like your upgrades on the picture frame jig. I have a question: I was surprised you used the framing square to make sure it's "Exactly" 90° (5:42). I have yet to find a framing square that is accurate. Is there a specific brand you found to be accurate or just luck? Thanks

[@proft1942-y7n]

Starrett?

[@pijnto]

"Blue Tape Method" has been around long before Blue Tape. I think I may build one of these thanks for the information.

[@gabrielamadeus]

I'm doing some pretty deep rabbets and having a hard time holding them perfectly vertical when cutting the miters. Any hacks for squaring up on the vertical plane? (Something easily undoable so I can use it for normal rabbets again)

[@davidbuffington9644]

I love how a week after this was posted David Piccuto updated his sled. I like your improvements better, however.

[@nukert658]

p205, this guy knows whats up... I love this damn pencil in my shop

[@evancohn7829]

Just making sure that the double stick tape on the zero clearance insert won’t set off the saw stop

[@Xray.71]

Will a slightly warped table saw blade cause a bad miter? I just bought a new one today and still has a slight wobble… the arbor is good…

[@Suileabhain]

Excuse my ignorance but, why not use the miter saw to make frames?

[@KpxUrz5745]

Most miter saws are not accurate. I've found that is a huge waste of time playing around with testing angles to approach true 45 degrees, and this has to be redone every time. Table saw jig solves this problem.

[@danesantos8533]

You can bypass the sawstop safety feature. Turn and hold key, red flash, (don’t let go of key) start saw, red flash let key go. The green light should be blinking at this point and you now know you can cut conductive materials at this point. Sorry if someone already mentioned this. I didn’t want to look through all the comments. Careful when you do this... you can cut hot dogs and fingers at this point.

[@MichaelAlm]

True, but you have to keep the saw blade running. It’s a lot of steps to go through every time you turn the saw on, and the one time I forget it’ll really suck.

[@adrianmeilleur9503]

Would like to order the picture frame sled plans but required info info does not include Canada options?

[@steventaillefer]

really great video!!!

[@csihair8961]

love this design can't wait to make it. what type of Table saw do you have?

[@rexseven93]

Can't you deactivate the SawStop sensing feature if needed? I thought there was a button for that on the control?

[@coreycainphotography3582]

Any chance you would sell a completed unit ?

[@arnaudperret-gentil3878]

hey Michael (or anyone who sees this comment), I don't know if you will see this. I got your plan on your website and made the sled. It seems to be working really well, stoked. But my next project is doing frames that are deeper than what my table saw and this jig allow me to cut (using a 8.5in table saw and I need to cut a frame that is 2.75in deep, and I can cut like 1.5in now). Any "simple" trick to do that? I'm thinking of flipping the frame, but I'm not sure about how precise I can be then.. thanks! (also, I don't have a miter saw..)

[@j_holtslander]

Whoa was that a Milwaukee bandsaw conversion I saw?! More info?

[@bracsim]

Amazing, subscribed

[@jschlierf1323]

What kind of blade do you use for cutting metal?

[@jayforoughi2447]

Great video, I'm using the plans to build the jig myself! Important question, though, is the one inch from the pre-cut kerf measured from the center of the kerf, or from the edge of the kerf?

[@MichaelAlm]

Right on! Thanks! The zero mark should be on the edge of the kerf.

[@jayforoughi2447]

@@MichaelAlm Wonderful, thank you so much! Really excited to use this jig and bash out a bunch of lovely frames for my Black Friday art prints! 😎

[@aisotton]

This is really cool, thanks!

[@pgfollett]

Effective design for repetitive cuts. Toggle clamps to replace featherboards would not limit the width of frame stock. Maybe a saw tune up and a different blade would reduce the burning. Just saying. My OCD goes into overdrive when I see those brown marks.

[@garagemonkeysan]

Great video, easy to follow. The build is cool and very useful. Mahalo for sharing! : )

[@NewArborLaker]

Showing my ignorance here but what about the rabbit is used for picture framing? how does that affect the measurement?

[@ozsaul]

Going to copy this sled. Thanks for the video. Saw your floor standing drill press. Have you ever benefited from it being a floor standing instead of a bench drill press?

[@baldeagle5297]

It's great for drilling mounting holes in banjo necks. I don't make a lot, but when I do I rotate the table and clamp the neck firmly in place.

[@ronnakeil9848]

Michael, I ordered the plans but am clearly not technologically astute enough to tell where I downloaded them to! I emailed you regarding this. Please help me out. I don’t want to have to order them again.

[@andrewstuber]

How would you do a similar jig but specifically for repeated box sides?

[@Tydyrium]

This may have been answered in piccuto's design. But why not just use a framing square as the base?

[@MichaelAlm]

That would work too. Just make sure it’s aluminum, and it might be hard to find one longer than 24”

[@lindaloftus8780]

How would you make a jig for making picture frames using a radial arm saw? I don't have a table saw.

[@carolesanderson6471]

Why does the sled base have to be at 45* . As long as you have the aluminium rules at 90 and pointing to the blade with 45 on each side, will this not be ok?