DIY: framing canvas panels

Canvas (and other) panels, Life of a Daily Painter

***

Usually I paint on canvas stretched over a wooden frame. But the materials can be expensive and the frames don't always come out true, that is square and flat (a good topic for another post by the way). Because I'm branching out into faux encaustic, recently I purchased several small 8 by 10 and 11 by 14 inch canvas panels for experimentation.

With artwork, even experiments can turn out good--and then you have to figure out how to present them. Present mostly means hanging the piece on a wall in a fairly attractive manner. Jon Peters talks about presentation in this video.

***

*** 

The problem with Jon Peters' method is that he uses power tools. My use of power tools includes a drill, a sander, and a small router. So if you want to make a frame and don't have circular saw or don't want to use one (I tend to be somewhat accident-prone, which could spell disaster); try using a hand miter box for the frame corners. Here's an article on how to properly use a miter hand saw.

My original idea for mounting the panel was to route a straight channel for the panel to fit in. Jon uses a routed rabbet in the demonstration above, another solution. Or, you could use a 1 by 1 furring strip glued inside the outer frame for the panel to rest on.

***

Router bit types and associated cuts, PMC

***

This floating panel idea by Jon Peters really appeals to me, although half-inch plywood seems a little thick. Note that you still have to make the frame with a ledge for the panel with backing to sit on. Also note how the inside of the frame is finished matte black.

***

***

Here's a step-by-step article on custom framing using no power tools by A Beautiful Mess. And here's another article about making float frames that shows different clamps used for artwork frames. The Grizzly clamp looks particularly useful.

-- Marge

DIY: your basic tool kit

What better way to get ready for summer than to set up your toolkit? Two sites have good articles on how to do that: lifehacker and diyNetwork.

I particularly like this portion of the lifehacker article: "The Cheapskate/MacGyver-ish Toolbox." Quoting the article:

According to Clint Eastwood's character Walt Kowalski in the movie Gran Torino, you can do half of your household chores with just three things: WD-40, a vise grip (adjustable pliers), and a roll of duct tape. As the Art of Manliness points out, the vise grips can stand in for pliers, a pipe wrench, wire cutters, a clamp, a ratchet, and, in a pinch, a hammer. Meanwhile, WD-40 has over 2,000 handy uses, and you know duct tape is an essential tool for every would-be MacGyver.

***

*** 

If you're not sure what some of these tools even look like, take a look at the slideshow from diyNetwork's "Setting up a basic DIY toolkit." Here are locking pliers (AKA vise-grips or mole grips). Personally I find channellock pliers fast and easy to use.

***

locking pliers/vise-grips, DIYnetwork

***

If you're a crafter, your tools are usually specific to the craft at hand. But here's list--"Crafting 101: Basic Toolkit"--from BipolarGurl at Persephone Magazine that may be helpful.

-- Marge

DIY: tools for mobile people

If you have a smartphone, there are some really cool apps available that will help you navigate your next project. Many are free, but sometimes the not-free ones work better--and sometimes not. For those who have a non-smartphone, this article at PCMAG--The Top 100 Free Apps For Your Phone (2009)--may be helpful.

If you've ever found yourself in the hardware store with no idea exactly what to choose when it comes to the length of screw or bolt or the thread pitch, Smart Ruler Pro ($1.50) will surely help you out.

***

Smart Ruler Pro, Google Play

***

There are many other measuring apps that are free. You can always install one to try it out, then uninstall and try another if it doesn't work for you. For apps that act as tools for building, search on 'clinometer' at Google Play (my favorite).  Clinometers are useful when you're actually working on the project; a good one will tell you what the angle is (relative to a reference) and tell you whether a plane is slanted or true (level).  

Remember to always take a sample screw or bolt to the hardware store, if you have one.  Or, be clear what you will be working with--wood screws are different from machine ones.

If you don't know what a thing is, but you can take a picture of it, try an app like MB Search for TinEye (free). TinEye is a reverse image search available on the web.

***

***

Is there an unknown woody plant invading your garden? Identify it with vTree, Virginia Tech's Tree ID. The app itself is free and--

A feature also allows you to send any tree related question to “Dr. Dendro”, a tree expert in the Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation at Virginia Tech. You can send a tree description or pictures of your plant and experts will help with identification.

***

***

Flowers can be identified with Flower Checker. The app itself is free and one identification is free. Because real people do the identifying, further requests cost 1.00 USD. If no one can identify the plant by its photo, there's no charge.

***

***

Garden Insects Guide (free) appears to be a good reference for your garden. From what I see in the list of apps (lifestyle category), identifying insects by image is tricky because of the differences in appearance between stages of development. No doubt some industrious developer is working right now on closing that gap in available apps.

***

***

-- Marge