Picture Frame Jig
I get a million questions about this picture frame woodworking jig. I didn’t invent it; I first saw it in Fine Woodworking magazine years ago. I haven’t seen any detailed plans on how to make one. Since I’m asked so many questions about it, I decided to make this video and write this blog in which I describe all of the major parts of the sled and how to make it. I do not sell build plans for how to make it. It’s not my design and I do not feel right about selling plans. I also didn’t build the sled during the video because, honestly, I don’t need a second one. If I decide to upgrade my jig and make a new one, I’ll film it and put out a video.
Why do you need this picture frame jig?
This jig is amazing for one major reason - you don’t need to do any math in order to make a picture frame. Without it, you will have to figure out a mathematical formula for making a picture frame:
Width of the picture + (width of the frame x 2) – (width of the rabbet x 2) = the width of the picture frame
Length of the picture + (width of the frame x 2) – (width of the rabbet x 2) = the length of the picture frame
I don’t want to do math unless it’s necessary, and this jig makes it so I don’t have to do any math. If I want my frame to hold an 8” wide picture then I set the jig’s stop block at 8” and cut my pieces. It’s that simple. Here’s how you can make your own picture frame jig.
Rails and Plywood
The first step is to make some rails out of plastic or hardwood. Make them so that they fit in the miter slot of your table saw, and slightly under the table top surface. Mine our made from scrap walnut. My runners are approximately 24” long. The left runner will likely be way too long and that’s okay. You can trim off any extra after the jig is assembled.
I used a piece of plywood for that top that is 1/2” thick x 30” long x 15” wide. You can use any size that you want. It really doesn’t matter. I have easily used this jig to make picture frames that range from 4” to over 40” long with no problem. Turn the plywood at an angle so that the front tip is perfectly inline with the saw blade. Move the table saw’s fence so that it’s against the plywood’s back corner. Use a large square, such as a framing square, to align the plywood at a 45-degree angle to the fence. You don’t have to kill yourself to make this perfect. It’s okay if it’s a tad off because it’s not really important for making your picture frames. It really it about making the sled easier to handle when cutting the picture frame pieces.
Place a few drops of superglue on the rails and set the plywood on top of them. After the glue dries you can add some screws from the top or bottom if you want additional strength. I like to have my rails stick out the front of the jig so when I placed my plywood on the rails I’m left with about 6” of the rails visible.
Adding the ruler
Once the plywood is attached to the rails, turn on the saw and push the jig into the blade. I cut into my jig about 8-9”. Turn off the saw. This allows you to have the saw blade sticking up from the inside of the jig, which is necessary for adding the straight edge ruler. Aligning the aluminum straight edge to the saw blade is the most critical aspect of building the jig. I took a 36” long aluminum straight edge with a ruler on it and cut the tip off at a 45 degree angle. I cut the ruler in half at 27”. The small piece (28” to 36”) is used on the left side of the jig, and the large section is used for the right side. The straight edge needs to be elevated off of the plywood. This allows for a sliding stop block, plus it helps with keeping the picture frame parts stable. I cut a 1/8’ thick piece of hardboard into a 1” wide strip. I used some double sided tape to stick it to the underside of the ruler. At the drill press, I drilled holes into the straight edge and through the hardboard.
I started with the small piece first by trimming the end of the straight edge at a 45 degree angle. I put the small piece on the left side of the plywood jig, at a 45 degree angle to the blade, as close the blade as possible. A combination square helps to align the straight edge. I screwed the straight edge to the plywood, but only the one screw near the blade. Don’t attach any other screws. You want your straight edge to be tightened so it’s snug to the plywood, but you can still swivel the piece with a little force. At this point, you want to make a test cut and measure your angle to ensure it’s at 45 degrees. If it’s not then adjust your straight edge until it is. Once you’ve dialed it in, attach the remaining screws.
Note: If you have a SawStop table saw, be mindful of how close you put the aluminum straight edge to the blade. If the straight edge is too close to the blade the saw could engage the break. You may have to move your straight edge away from the blade or turn off the breaking feature when using the jig. I don’t have a SawStop and cannot advocate either way
Attaching the longer ruler is basically the same process, with one additional step. I placed a ruler to the tip of my saw blade and drew measurement marks on the plywood at 1, 2, and 3 inches. When I attached my long straight edge, I tried to align the numbers on the straight edge to the ones I drew on the jig. A combination square helps with aligning the front of the straight edge at 45 degrees to the blade. After a successful test cut, additional screws along the length of the straight edge. An alternative method is to not worry about measuring and simply attach the straight edge. Then, add a stick-on ruler after the straight edge is dialed in to the correct angle.
Stop Block
I love the stop block on this jig. It’s what really makes this process easy. My stop block is an off cut of 1/2” thick plywood. I cut a channel along one edge so that the bottom lip of the channel is 1/8” thick. This lip will slide under the straight edge. I cut off one side of the stop block at 45 degrees. Then I added a toggle clamp to the top of the stop block. Now, the block can slide along the straight edge and locks in place once the toggle clamp is engaged.
The last thing to add to the jig is some sandpaper. This is optional, but I highly suggest it. I bought some 120 grit sandpaper that has an adhesive backing. I put the sandpaper in the front part of the sled, in front of the ruler. This is great for keeping your workpiece from sliding around while cutting.
Hopefully, this article helps you to build your own picture frame jig. I absolutely love mine; it’s a huge time saver. If you feel confused, I have several videos showing me using the jig for projects. If you make one yourself, leave a comment below letting know how it worked out.
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