# build frame out of 1x3's



## Sleighbor (Jan 11, 2010)

Hey guys,

Looking for some advice. I want to construct a DJ booth facade. The panels are essentially like picture frames made out of 1×3" pine. I am going with 1×3 to keep it light. I could just miter the corners but I want to be sure the frame is strong. It will get handled a lot, getting thrown in and out of the back of a van. I am looking for suggestions on building strong joints that an amateur can handle making easily and hopefully quickly.

Thanks for your help.
Kevin


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## chrisstef (Mar 3, 2010)

You could use biscuits in the miter to strengthen the joint. Id be a little worried about 1×3's twisting up on you though. I might go with a glued and pegged half lap. How big of panels are you talkin? Are they filled in inside the frame?


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## Dal300 (Aug 4, 2011)

I would make your miter joints so it looks nice and screw a piece behind the visible side across the miter to give it lots of strength.


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## GaryC (Dec 31, 2008)

Half lap the dang things with a thru-pin It'll be strong and look good too


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## bondogaposis (Dec 18, 2011)

Yeah, half lap is the way to go, very strong compared to mitered corners.


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## Sleighbor (Jan 11, 2010)

Ok, so half lap seems to be the way to go. There will be nothing in the middle, just fabric. I would assume a table saw is the best and easiest way to make the cut? I'll have to pick up a cheap one. Also, the thru pin - is that just a dowel or two?

Thanks for the great responses guys.

Kevin


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## SnowyRiver (Nov 14, 2008)

Pocket joinery would work good too.


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## BentheViking (May 19, 2011)

Half lap would be easy to do, certainly a table saw might be the easiest way to do it, but like anything else there are many ways to skin a cat. Miter saw or hand saw to slit the lap, then bust up the chunks and chisel/plane it smooth. Router. I'm sure there are other ways to do it as well, but if your just starting out a half lap might be the easiest


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## NiteWalker (May 7, 2011)

Normally I'd say pocket screws, but for pine (because it's a soft wood) and because it will be a hard use item, half laps are definitely the way to go. I'd probably go as far as adding 2 or 3 5/8" screws to the bottom of each joint.

Half laps are done easily on the table saw or even with a router.


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## Sleighbor (Jan 11, 2010)

Hey,

I own a router. My wife bought me one last year. Only used it once. How would I go about cutting a half lap with a router?

Thank you 
Kevin


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## chrisstef (Mar 3, 2010)

i would stack all four boards together edge to edge and clamped to a table. Then lay out the half lap on the ends of the boards at either end. The lap will be as long as the width of the board. Clamp a "fence" board on top of the 4 frame pieces so that the edge of your router will ride against it. Set your depth to half of the thickness of the frame pieces and route out the waste.


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## EPJartisan (Nov 4, 2009)

Nice. Router is most likely the easiest (well hand saw would be the easiest) for ya. A 1/2" plunge bit with a top beariing, a simple jig to hold the piece flat and stable and clamp a board at 45 degrees to guide the router for the miter…. And clamp the board perpendicular for the top laps. A Porter Cable router was one of my first power tools, and I did this a lot for lap joints. But then I did a few jobs where there was no electric, so I practiced using a dozuki pull saw. Now… By the time you clamp the jig.. I will have finished cutting the laps already. But then I am a hand tool guy… I was taught if you know what your hands do… You know what the power tool is supposed to do.


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## Sawkerf (Dec 31, 2009)

However you do the corners, triangular gussets will add a great deal of strength/


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## JJohnston (May 22, 2009)

Here's a recent post showing the kind of straight-line jig you can use with the method described by chrisstef. This jig doesn't require a bit with a guide bearing.

http://lumberjocks.com/shipwright/blog/30968


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## NiteWalker (May 7, 2011)

What Chrisstef and JJohnston said.

Chrisstef's is the method I'd use with a jig as JJohnston linked to.


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## TedW (May 6, 2012)

Unless you have a 3-1/4 horse power router and a $65 carbide up-cutting router bit, you are going to burn your way through the wood after the first few inches. Also, making a jig for this single use will take more time and wood than one could justify.

Do yourself a favor and invest in a tool you will use again and again… a circular saw. Buy a good carbide blade to go with it, as the one that comes with it is probably junk.

Line up the boards like chrisstef suggests, edge to edge with the ends lined up, but then do it a little different. Clamp (or screw) a straight edge (any straight piece of wood will do) positioned so the blade will meet the line you drew 2-1/2" in from the ends. Oh yeah… draw a line 2-1/2" from the ends, or however wide your pieces of wood are.

Note that the straight edge will not be ON the line, it will be however far from the line that your blade is from the edge of the sole plate on the saw.

Set the cutting depth of the saw blade to 1/2 the thickness of the wood, which should be about 3/4" deep. Make a series of cuts about 1/4" apart. They don't have to be perfectly straight, as long as the last cut you make at the line you drew is straight, which it should be because that's what the straight edge is for. After making your series of cuts, take a hammer or block of wood or a shoe.. whatever works, and knock off the wafers that resulted from the series of cuts.

Unclamp (or unscrew) the straight edge, and use a rasp to smooth down the inside of the cuts, because the wafers are not going to snap off evenly. Oh yeah.. you're going to need a rasp, but again, it's a tool you will probably use again.

Fit the pieces together to make sure they align the way you want them to. Rasp a little more if you have to. If you took too much wood out, go back to the line where I said to adjust the depth of the blade, slap yourself on the forehead and say D'oh! in your best Homer Simpson manner.

Once you are satisfied that the pieces fit the way you want them to, glue them together with Titebond II woodworking glue. Oh yeah, you're going to need some Titebond II woodworking glue. Don't worry, you'll use it again for other stuff. Drive one screw into each corner, pulling the wood tightly together.

Pre-drill before driving the screws so you don't split the wood.

Now, quickly, before the glue sets up, and it sets up pretty fast… measure diagonally top left to bottom right, and top right to bottom left, to make sure they are exactly the same. That is how you will know the frame is square. Push and/or pull it into square if it's not. Making sure it stays square, then drive a couple more screws into each corner. Don't forget to pre-drill so you don't split the wood.

Anyway, for what you're doing, that's what I would do. Note that Titebond II or similar wood glue will be way stronger than any screws, dowels, pegs, nails or anything else. Once it's cured for 24 hours, you will literally have to break the wood to get those joints apart.

EDIT: I just noticed you said 1×3s.. I thought you said 2×3s. Everything I said but make the cuts 3/8" deep, not 3/4.


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## NiteWalker (May 7, 2011)

Ted, with small passes even a compact router/laminate trimmer would make the cuts.


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## JJohnston (May 22, 2009)

How about both? Hog out most of the waste with a rough method, like the circular saw (or just two cuts with a hand saw), then make the final pass with a trim router.


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## NiteWalker (May 7, 2011)

A band saw would make quick work of the rough cuts as well.


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## GaryC (Dec 31, 2008)

Ah man, just bring your lumber over to my shop. Either I'll cut it for you or, you can use my machines… done deal


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## chrisstef (Mar 3, 2010)

I think the moral of the story here is theres a hundred different ways to do something, be creative in using what youve got. - Dr. Chrisstef


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## lumberjoe (Mar 30, 2012)

I think SnowyRiver has it right. I got a pocket hole jig JUST to make face frames. Perfect 90 degree angles, pocket holes, and glue. I was absolutely astounded as to how quickly and accurately the frames came together. I used to dread making face frames, now it's no big deal.


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## Ed_Pirnik (Aug 26, 2010)

A glued and pegged half-lap - as mentioned above - would be great. Just be sure to use two pegs at each corner. You might also consider buying a simple doweling jig and doweling the corners of the face frame as well. Pocket screws are often used in face frame construction by trim carpenters - although only in cases where the face frames will be permenantly affixed to the cabinet in questions - sound like you'll be removing the face-frames often so - stay away from screws

Best,

Ed


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## Denvy (Jul 17, 2012)

Lots of comments, all different: I would do the half lap and bolt them, or screw with glue, use 5 screws on each joint on each side-it let it dry over night. It will never be weak or come apart. Now for the half laps, lay all 2×3 s 
so ends are in line, clamp or fasten to not move; cut with skill saw half way through several cuts starting at the very tip all the way down the line through all the pieces. Cleaning up with a router and a jig to maintain depth would be easiest to clean up the skill saw cuts. A chizel could be used but would take longer and be not as clean.
Any way you slice it, be safe and have fun. If you don't have fun you are doing it wrong.


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## Sleighbor (Jan 11, 2010)

Hey guys,

The answers I have received on this topic have really been fantastic. After reading through them all and doing further research on the different joints, I will use a half-lap joint with glue and 2 dowels in each. This seems like the easiest and strongest solution. I am looking around craigslist now for a used router table or table saw. Using a table saw looks very straight forward to cut the joint but a router table is a lot more affordable than a table saw. The challenge with the router table will be getting the height set right on a table. It looks a bit more tricky to setup a router table for this than a table saw but it looks like once I have it setup that the router table would make this task very easy as well. I'll let you know what used tool I end up buying and how I fair.

Thanks for all the help!
Kevin


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## NiteWalker (May 7, 2011)

If you have a relatively flat piece of plywood and relatively straight board you have the table and fence.
Drill a hole for the bit, screw the base to the plywood and clamp the straight board as the fence. 10 Minutes tops.

As for depth, I use a 690 in my router table, which only allows for pretty rough adjustments, but I handle it by sneaking up on the right depth. Test cuts are key to setup.


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