- Study the written order form
- Measure the wood
- Find/Make the template
I am handed a very detailed and precise order form with
the parameters of the frame drawn and written out. So for instance
it might say that it's an oval picture frame with a
very specific cross-sectional profile with outside diameter of 16x20
and an inside diameter of 12x18.
The first thing you have to do is make a quadrant or 1/4 of the frame
because almost all of our frames are comprised of
four interlocking sections for reasons of strength and stability. To do
this you use one of the
numerous templates which are part of the history and collection of the
mill. We have been accumulating these templates since the
1860s and they are all categorized and hanging on the wall back of the mill.
If
I cant find one that exactly corresponds with what I've been asked to make,
I can draw one and cut out a cardboard template using a very interesting
device which we have, which I believe is referred to as an ellipsograph,
which allows you to draw 1/4 of an ellipse.
- Cut the 4 quadrants of wood
Using the bandsaw & rough-sawn lumber, you saw
out four of these oversize quadrants. Then you
saw the ends of these quadrants such that the two ends of the
quadrants are perpendicular to each other and that quadrant is the correct
overall length and dimension. We use a sliding tablesaw which is very
interesting. It's almost completely
constructed of wood and is a very old piece. The
sliding table has two positioning jigs on it which allow you to hold these
curved and rather difficult to stabilize quarter sections in position while
you actually cut the ends very precisely. So with a little bit of
adjusting and patience and referencing a large carpenter's square,
you can accomplish four
sections which are exactly the same as each other and whose ends are
exactly perpendicular. This is a very crucial part of the process,
because ultimately when these 1/4 sections all go together to make the
oval frame, if the ends are not cut exactly perpendicular, you will see it
right away, and you will get these cracks in the joinery which will
make the frame unsuitable.
- Cut finger joints
- Glue 4 pieces
The next step is to put the
finger joints into the ends of the quadrants and for that we use what is
called the finger joiner, or groover. The finger joiner is a saw
with a series of equi-distantly spaced saw
blades on either side. And by carefully holding the
quarter section against either the right or the left-hand
fence and sliding it across those blades you cut finger joints in the ends
of those sections. And if you do it correctly, you will have
a nice little four piece
puzzle that will slide together and lock. If you have done everything
correctly
then you can glue the quarter sections together, with
a strap clamp which wraps a flexible piece of
metal around the outside of the raw frame and you can cinch it up or
tighten it up by turning a big hand wheel. This applies even pressure from
every direction, squeezing the frame toward the center, locking
these pieces together while the glue is drying. It usually takes
one day for the glue to dry. When it has sufficiently dried,
you can surface off what's
going to be the back of the frame to create a flat surface which will be
attached to the faceplate.
- Fasten to faceplate
- Pick your chisels
We have three faceplates,
small, medium, and large. You need to put it on right size so the frame spins on
the appropriate path. Next you adjust the
lathe so that it spins and creates an oval the size you're looking for,
then fasten that raw frame onto the wooden face plate from behind
with wood screws. You make sure your rough frame is
centered and fastened on the faceplate very substantially and firmly
so that you can
head off any problems with vibration.
Using any one of a number of
lathe chisels, you slowly remove the wood that needs to be removed
to make the exact form that was ordered.
With all the individual lathe chisels that are used in the
process of turning the wood, The Old Schwamb Mill can make anything that
is possible, you know you can have any cross-sectional profile frame you
can imagine as long as it's physically possible. So if somebody wants to
match some moulding in their house or some old picture frame they have or
some old mirror frame they have or one that broke, whatever it is,
they can come in here and just lay it out. They can reference
the catalogs that exist from this business history or they can bring in the
cross section of a frame they have already or they can just draw it and
we can do it.
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