Talking about Deer

A do-it-yourself wildlife print frame

Peter Fiduccia

POSTED: July 1, 2010

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A wildlife print helps to enhance the décor of any home, cabin, or deer camp, especially if it is placed in a rustic frame you built yourself.

I have collected signed and numbered wildlife and Native American prints for more than 25 years. They adorn the walls of my home, office, and deer cabin. My collection includes works by renowned wildlife artists Robert Bateman, Terry Redlin, Charles Denault, Hayden Lambson, and many others.

My favorite artist is Ken Schmidt. His paintings and prints depict Native Americans, mountain men, and cowboys of the old West. They are simply unmatched in my mind.

Only a dedicated outdoors person understands the unique relationship that exists between them and their wildlife prints. Wildlife prints tell the world who we are and what our lifestyle is all about. They are part of the connection to our history, heritage, sport, and wildlife we treasure.

In the late 1980s, a talented wildlife artist and longtime friend, Adriano Manocchia, suggested that we partner together to create a signed and numbered wildlife print. After a lot of discussion, I provided Adriano a detailed description of a scene from one of my hunting areas known as the “The Bowl” that included two hunters and two bucks. That print was called Whitetail Strategies “Teamwork” because one of the hunters was depicted as rattling in a trophy-class buck and young buck. His bowhunting partner is depicted as aiming at the younger buck, not seeing the larger buck. The print was signed by both the artist and me.

This woodworking project is taken from a book I co-authored with my cousin and lifelong hunting partner Leo Somma. It is a rustic frame that is a real eye-catcher. It is also surprisingly simple to build.

The frame was built to house a wildlife print placed on a matte that measures 18 inches x 24 inches, which is a standard size. It’s a simple matter to adjust the measurements if your print or original oil painting is smaller or larger. If the frame is made smaller, I would suggest adjusting the width of the actual frame pieces to 2 1/4 inches or smaller.

The wood we used for this project was red oak. You can finish the project with a clear coat of polyurethane or lacquer if you are looking for the natural oak color. Or you can easily stain it and then finish it with a clear coat to match the decor of your room. Other woods that enhance the look of this frame are cedar, knotty pine, or cherry.

Building your own frames will help save you a lot of money when purchasing wildlife prints. Instead of having to buy the prints already framed, you can buy them unframed and save at least 50 to 75 percent off the retail purchase price, enabling you to buy many more wildlife prints for your collection. The materials you need to buy to build this frame are not going to break the bank either.

This is one of our favorite projects because of the simplicity of building it, the handsomeness it adds to any space, and the savings it provides when collecting prints. Build this frame as a summer project.

Tools/power tools used

Handsaw and miter box or table saw

Hammer

Router

1/4-in. round over router bit

1/4-in. veining router bit

Wood file

Materials list

Key Part    Dimensions    Pcs.    Material

A. Frame rails    3/4 x 2 1/4 x 24 in.    2    Red oak

B. Frame stiles    3/4 x 2 1/4 x 22 1/2 in.    2    Red oak

C. Front rails    1/2 x 1 in. x 26 1/2 in.    2    Red oak

D. Front stiles    1/2 x 1 x 17 3/8 in.    2    Red oak

E. Backing    1/8 x 18 x 24 in.    1    Luan

Fasteners and finishing materials

Wood glue; 1-in. brads; 3/8 in. corrugated joint fasteners; polyurethane; lacquer and/or stain; 1/8 in. glass or Plexiglas 18 x 24 in.; framer’s points; picture frame wire and eyelids.

Assembly

Measure and cut all the pieces (A, B, C, D, and E) as shown in materials list. Use a handsaw and miter box or table saw to get square cuts.

1. Using a router with a 1/4-in. round over bit, run it over the edges of the front rails (C) and stiles (D).

2. Use a wood file and randomly file a grove approximately every 2 in. along the entire edges of the pieces. Set them aside for now.

3. Lay out the two frame stiles (B) on the front side against a flat work surface about 24 in. apart.

4. Lay the frame rails (A) in between the two frame stiles (B) as shown in figure 1.

5. Put a dab of wood glue at the four surfaces where the stiles meet the rails.

6. Make sure your frame corners are square.

7. Use wood clamps on the top and bottom of each stile and tighten them so that the stiles are snug against the rails. Using a hammer, nail a 3/8 in. corrugated joint fastener in each corner ensuring that the joint is tight as shown in figure 2. Check again for square and allow the glue to dry for several hours.

8. When the glue is dry, remove the clamps.

9. Using a router with a 1.4-in. round over bit run it around the entire outside edge of the picture frame.

10. Use a wood file and randomly file a grove approximately every 2 inches along the entire outside edges of the frame.

11. Using the router with a 1/4-in. veining bit, cut four grooves in the top and bottom rails at the locations as shown in figure 1.

12. Lay one of the front rails (C) on the top rails (A) so that it overhangs 3/8 in. over the inside edge (this is what will hold the glass and photo/picture in the frame). Nail it to the rail using four 1 in. brads. Repeat this for the second front rail on the bottom.

13. Lay one of the front stiles (D) in between the top and bottom rails (C) so that it overhangs 3/8 in. over the side edge. Nail it to the stile using four 1 in. brads. Repeat this for the second front stile on the other side.

14. Sand all surfaces smooth using 120-grit sandpaper.

Finishing touches

Turn the frame over and place the front on a flat surface.

1. Install the hanging wire by securing an eyelid on each stile about 5 in. from the top of the frame. Simply twist the wire around each eyelid. The frame is now ready to be hung on the wall.

2. Finish-sand the frame, apply the finish, and allow to dry. Apply at least two coats after priming first. Use smooth sandpaper or steel wool on final coat.