American chestnut

[Gary Tanner]

Just enough to make a small frame for some little treasure I must have somewhere:

Gary

 

[wpfay]

I've got a few sticks of exotics laying around like that. Deciding on just how to use rare wood is always a challenge.

 

[framah]

How will you make it look old where you cut it?

Frames from old barn wood have that same problem. The old surface looks great and then where you cut is fresh wood.

No stain will match the old weathering unless you stain the whole thing.

 

[Gary Tanner]

How will you make it look old where you cut it?

Frames from old barn wood have that same problem. The old surface looks great and then where you cut is fresh wood.

No stain will match the old weathering unless you stain the whole thing.

In the past, using old barn wood, I've been lucky enough to have enough so that after milling the rabbet, all that showed was old barn wood. I was essentially able to use both edges of a long board. I've attached a pic of one that worked out that way (don't hate me for the dasterdly white margin!) This little piece of chestnut will be a different animal. Rather than try in vain to stain/weather the milling that shows, I suspect I'll just leave it as it is, and compliment myself on the lovely contrast I've created (lol).

Gary

 

[Prospero]

I love old bits of wood that just cry out to be made into frames.

The problem is that they can't always be joined in the conventional way if they have developed a twist.
I did one not so long ago using some old floorboards that had been in the house next door for about
200years (maybe longer). They had been propped up the side of my shed for about 20 years in the wind
and rain. One day a painting came in for framing that was ideal for a 'rustic' wood frame.
The boards were about 12" wide and 10ft long. The edges were a nice filigree with many years of woodworm
munching. That year the weather was very warm and dry, so I chipped off the crumbly parts and ripped the plank
down the middle. The wood was sound on the inside. I treated it with woodworm stuff and when dry gave it a good
coating with shellac, which didn't obscure the patina too much. Also scraped off the moss and lichen.

The frame was quite big and I doubted I could get a good join, so I made a subframe from two layers of 3/8" pine
cladding which enabled me to form half-lap joints on the corners rather than a miter. Very strong.
Then I simply perched the rustic rails on top and screwed though the subframe to hold them in place. A few slight gaps
added the the effect. Fitted a narrow moulding on the inside to form a rabbet and a liner.