For an artist, or an artist of sorts, the transformation of the intangible creations of the imagination into concrete forms of beauty, expressions of emotion, or apparatuses of utility, bring meaning to existence.

I am perpetually excited by the creative process required to bring an idea to life, for there is challenge in doing so, and a great feeling of reward in having done so. Challenges, large and small, push us beyond the bounds of our comfort zones into the uncharted realms of our potential. They are transformative experiences through which we can discover the entirety of our mental and physical abilities.

The projects that I post on this site are not big challenges, but each one has been a struggle of sorts, and collectively, they have revealed to me previously unknown aspects of my identity.

I see a strong correlation between challenges and self-discovery, which makes me consider the importance of approaching life deliberately. Just as each step in milling, routing, cutting, and sanding a piece of wood requires deliberate action, so too, deliberate actions in our day-to-day lives reveal to us the nuances of our identity and define our place in this world.

In this post, I share my process for transforming a raw slab of poplar into an art frame. I hope it inspires you to consider whether you are living life deliberately, and if not, what transformative actions you can take to discover the entirety of you.

The Transformation

As with my previous frame, I started this frame making process by creating a prototype. After making the prototype, I noted some changes I wanted to make in the actual frame with respect to depth and detail.

For my last frame, I used select radiata pine from Home Depot. I enjoy working with this soft wood, but needed 12/4 lumber for this project. So, I chose a 12/4 slab of rough-cut poplar from a local lumber yard.

I cut the original slab into three smaller slabs at roughly 48″. To transform the slabs into S4S (Surfaced 4 Sides) lumber, I ripped them on a table saw and then jointed and planed them to the final dimensions. Given the frame size, these were my molding blanks.

I then ran each blank through a series of router bits to create the molding.

I cut off excess supporting material and then assessed the result. I decided to add an inner frame created from additional poplar strips left over from the milling process. I routed these with triple bead and cove router bits.

I cut the molding with a miter sled on a table saw and glued them together using number 10 biscuits for the inner frame and number 20 biscuits for the outer frame.

Here’s the complete frame with the inner and outer frames placed together.

Lastly, I used a chisel to shave off excess wood and to shape areas that could not be reached with router bits or the blade on the table saw.

The next steps are sanding and painting.

That’s all I have for now. I hope something here offers value to your life.

Cheers!