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This adjustable, shop-built jig holds picture-frame corners under band-clamp pressure while glue sets. WOOD Magazine’s design uses a 27-by-32-inch plywood base, sliding corner clamps and a 1-inch-wide band clamp to help keep miters tight and the frame flat during glue-up. It is a plan for making a jig, not a finished clamp: see the official WOOD Magazine project listing.
How the adjustable picture-frame jig works
Four corner clamps sit at the frame’s corners. Each clamp can slide along a slot in the base, so you can position the supports for the frame being assembled. A band clamp wraps around the corner clamps and tightens the frame joints together. Braces beneath the base help it stay flat under clamping pressure.
The design was devised by WOOD Magazine reader Dennis Parrot of Greenfield, Massachusetts, and appeared in the magazine’s April/May 2005 issue. The official plan listing describes its purpose as helping produce seamless miters and a flat glue-up. The listing was updated January 12, 2024.
Materials and basic dimensions
- Base: 1/2-inch plywood, 27 by 32 inches.
- Braces: three pieces beneath the base; the article specifies #8 × 1 1/4-inch flat-head wood screws to attach them.
- Four corner clamps: each is assembled from two plywood pieces and one hardboard piece. The hardboard overhang captures the band clamp.
- Sliding hardware: a bolt, fender washer and wing nut for each corner clamp.
- Glue-up supplies: a 1-inch-wide band clamp and waxed paper to place beneath the frame corners.
The small-part dimensions in available scanned text are ambiguous. Use the original plan drawings for exact corner-clamp measurements rather than estimating them from extracted text: WOOD Magazine’s original Picture Frame Jig article (April/May 2005 PDF).
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Picture Frame Stapler Machine Kit, Art Picture Frameing Jig/Making Tools
- Easy to Use: This frame machine is simple to operate and requires no external power or air supply. Once assembled, it's ready to go—just press down using the lever mechanism to nail frames together, giving you a smooth, professional-grade experience.
- Adjustable Corner Clamp:This woodworking corner clamp for the frame joiner features an adjustable expansion design. Simply twist the knob to tighten and secure two wooden strips of different widths at a perfect 90-degree angle, ensuring fast and precise connections every time.
- Durable Construction & Portable: The worktable and core components of this picture framing tools are built with high-quality metal, ensuring both lasting durability and excellent framing performance. Its compact and sleek design makes it easy to store and move around in your workspace.
- Seamless and Secure Assembly:This picture frame making tools fits most V-nail sizes and comes with depth adjustment and a magnetic tip. Just press down on the handle to effortlessly drive V-nails into the frame, streamline your workflow, and achieve seamless, rock-solid assembly every time.
- Cleverly Designed: This picture frame jig features a comfortable, non-slip rubber handle that naturally fits your grip, enabling quick installation and fastening. It also comes with a rubber support pad that adapts to irregularly shaped molds, ensuring safety and stability during operation.
Build the base and adjustable slots
- Cut the plywood base to 27 by 32 inches.
- Attach three braces beneath the base with #8 × 1 1/4-inch flat-head wood screws. The braces help resist bending when the band clamp is tightened.
- Lay out the slots for the four corner clamps. For each slot, drill a hole at both ends, draw straight lines connecting the outer edges of the holes, then cut along those lines with a jigsaw.
- Make four corner clamps from the plywood and hardboard pieces shown in the plan drawings, positioning the hardboard so its overhang contains the band clamp.
- Fasten each corner clamp through a slot using a bolt, fender washer and wing nut. Leave the hardware loose enough for the clamp to slide; tighten it after positioning.
Set up the jig for frame glue-up
- Slide one corner clamp near each corner of the frame and arrange the frame parts on the base.
- Place waxed paper beneath the frame corners so squeeze-out does not glue the frame to the jig.
- Wrap a 1-inch-wide band clamp around the four corner clamps and tighten it to bring the frame joints together.
- Check that the frame sits flat and the miters meet evenly as you apply tension. Adjust the corner clamps as needed, then secure their positions with the wing nuts.
Plan details and availability
The plan is sold through WOOD Store under catalog code GR-00684. A search-result price of $2.95 was observed, but that is a time-sensitive listing snapshot rather than a guaranteed current price; check the WOOD Store plan listing for current price and availability.
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