Reversable poster frame

This is the craziest thing I’ve tried building. My dad called and said he had this poster he picked up on a trip to Israel, and he wanted to frame it, but it had a picture on both sides, so could I make something that would let him look at both the front and the back?

I said I’d think about it, and here’s the ridiculous frame I came up with.

It consists of two frames. The outer frame has a deep channel on all sides for a plywood traveller which slides left and right. The inner frame is connected by a wooden hinge to the traveller. The opposite side of the inner frame has a fake hinge so it looks right. The outer frame is pinned with dowels, and they are located near the outside because the inside is more-or-less hollow. The picture is held between the two panes of glass with some small bits of double-sided transparent tape.

Brass slide bolts hold it in place. I felt very clever because I left a “hole” in the top and bottom of each hinge as a result of grooving the stiles of the inner frame. I used these holes as the receiver for the slide bolt. (The hinge is one piece with the inner frame pieces.)

On the color side (the first picture), the real hinge is on the left.

I made it very tight fitting so it doesn’t rack, but the result is that it’s very squeaky to operate as all the maple parts rub together. Wax in the sliding channels helps it move more smoothly.

I took a video of me operating the frame, which I’ll try to share. You see me slipping a scrap of 1/4” plywood in the grove to keep the inner frame lined up right.