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First , the Funct ional Form
In several of the homes designed by the Greenes, items as small
as light switches and picture frames were included. Many of the
frames have the basic design seen here: The stiles are within the
rails, and the thicker rails extend past the stiles.
A mortise-and-tenon joint makes the connection at each corner,
and I made the joints fi rst. Because the rails stand proud of the
stiles by^1 ⁄ 8 ", I did the layout from the back edges to keep these
faces fl ush.
I made the mortises with a^1 ⁄ 4 " chisel in the hollow-chisel
mortiser and cut the tenon shoulders by hand. I set up a fence
on the band saw to cut the tenon cheeks, and adjusted the fit
of the joints with my shoulder plane and a float.
With the unshaped parts dry-fi t, I used a router with a rabbeting
bit to form the^1 ⁄ 2 "-deep by^3 ⁄ 8 "-wide recess for the art. After
routing, I squared the corners with a chisel, then marked the
locations for the^1 ⁄ 4 " and^5 ⁄ 16 " square pegs to fall within each
joint.
Please Ignore the Pattern
The pattern on the next page gives the basic shapes I used,
but I would encourage you to try your hand at developing
your own design. Begin by making vertical centerlines on the
top and bottom rails, then take several pieces of paper, card-
board or thin plywood and practice drawing.
On the bottom rail, the step is approximately^3 ⁄ 4 " verti-
cally. Draw a line parallel to the bottom edge, and mark
where the edges of the stile meet the rail – this is where
the curves begin. The two radii at the end of the rail are
roughly quarter circles, but don’t use a compass or a tem-
plate; sketch them by hand until they look good to you.
Connect the line and edge with an extended "S" shape.
Sketch this shape as well, without relying on any instru-
ments. If you don’t like your first attempt, try again.
The shape at the top is similar, but the stepped line
angles down about^1 ⁄ 4 " toward the outer end. The center
portion is a gentle arc, and the two ends aren’t vertical;
they angle in about^1 ⁄ 8 " from bottom to top. When you’re
happy with the shape, transfer the pattern to the wood.
If you used paper, you can transfer the layout by rubbing
the back of the paper with a No. 2 pencil in the general lo-
cation of the lines. Flip the paper over, tape it to the wood
and trace the lines. The graphite on the back of the paper
will work like carbon paper.
Over the Edge
The general shape is only half the battle. The edges are all
rounded over, but the radii aren’t consistent from edge to
edge, and they vary along the edges. Before shaping, mark
where the stiles land on the rails.
Start with a radius on the long edges of the stiles. Use a
block plane or a rasp rather than a router. The inside edge has
a small radius with the corner barely knocked off, leaving a flat
of wood next to the glass. The outer edge has more of a curve,
approximately^1 ⁄ 4 " at the bottom, tapering smaller to the top.
You can’t taper with a router unless you make a jig. You can
cut this tapered curve with your block plane in less time than
it takes to find the router’s wrench. Begin by making a bevel,
then keep knocking off the corners until a rounded shape is
formed.
A block plane can also be used for the straight edges of
the rails. Be careful to stop before the pencil line that’s drawn
where the face of the stiles meets the edges of the rails.
A rasp will let you handle the more complex edges. The same
tactics used with the plane also work here: Make a bevel, then
remove the corners until a curve is formed. Remove more ma-
terial at the ends as seen in the photo, then blend the shapes
together.
A card scraper will remove the marks from the rasp. Follow
up with some fine sandpaper to blend the flat areas into the
curves, and to leave a consistent surface for finishing. I ap-
plied a few coats of Danish oil before mounting the glass
and artwork. This handwork involves some effort, but the
end results are worth it.
Variable curves. The radius of the rounded edges varies along the length of
the edges. A series of rasps will allow you to go from rough to nearly ready
in a short period of time.Final slices. A curved-edge card scraper effi ciently removes the marks left
by the rasp and removes any high spots along the edges.1 144-147&GreeneFrame.indd 146 44 - 147 &GreeneFrame.indd 146 3 3/25/13 9:55 AM/ 25 / 13 9 : 55 AM