Got me 10–48-inch pipe clamps today for $200. Probably some overkill there but I was unsure how the proceed. I figured it was better timid. I am sure I will learn to use them. I might need them all when I am making the super large Ambrotype frames, including mega sized diptych and triptych frames.
Note* The seller also gave me some free woodworking instruction and sold me his hand router for $60 CAD.
I am running ideas through my head on the next frames I want to make. Am thinking I will do wider pieces of wood similar to the recent 8x10 frames with a new additional edge piece added for a more 3 dimensional look.
Note* I have no successful 24x24 inch plates yet but we are going for the frames first!!
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| 8x10 frame that I hope to expand on for a 24x24 inch version |
Slowly getting better at staining Ambrotype frames. This is a charcoal stain and semi-gloss (in tent) on a 14x14 inch and 8x10 inch frame. The 8x10 is from pallet wood. I love the idea of creating something both useful and beautiful from garbage. Somehow doing that even seems more important.
Note* Currently I am adding about 4 layers of stain followed by a spray on 2-3 semi-gloss coatings. I think my next gloss will come out of a 946ml can and applied with a sponge (like the stain). If I buy it this way, I believe it will last longer and give me more bang for the buck. With the super large Ambrotype Triptych frames to come, I will require much more staining and glossing.
Note** I need to learn more about the glossing steps. I believe woodworkers sand with a 220 plus sandpaper between glosses. I am not doing that and need to learn the benefits of it. Why do they do it? It must be look better, maybe more even and brilliant.
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Spent the morning woodworking, making frames. Some success, some failure. Am using all my machines now. The table saw (it scares me), miter saw, router table, band saw, sanders, electric hand saw and planer.
I spent $2400 CAD or so on the tools. Now time to make some frames to balance the books. I hope to never have to buy an exhibition frame again.
There is a big learning curve, using all the machines safely, learning all the woodworking wordage and systems. Am watching many videos, plus working at it. We are getting there step by step. Getting good at this is like most things in life, it just requires dedication and effort.
Today’s success was this 8x10 frame made from garbage pallet wood. It was a slow process as I figured things out. I will sand and stain the frame to night. I think I will go with the Charcoal stain.
In the future I hope to be able to make the frames faster, with variety and more precision. These frame are for my Ambrotypes. I will also be making frames for the Gelatin Silver, Platinum and Salt prints.
Note* Today I made two frames from the one pallet.
Gosh found this today, an advert for our last exhibition in New Brunswick. A home run of 2 large shows and lots of money earned ($6000 CAD in bought work added to the University Collection) to help the people in the pictures.
Will I ever get another show. Nothing but rejects and people ignoring the work since then!! Maybe I used up all my photo luck in Fredericton.
My little carpentry workshop has grown to six machines. 3 were bought new and 3 used.
I hope to make all my future frames here for the Ambrotype project AMBROTOS KANATA. Some of those frames may be used to house super large 35x35 inch plates or even 24x24 inch Triptych’s (3-24x24 inch plates side by side).
I hope to also make exhibition frames and frames for sale with my photography inside! I will not be making frames here not only for the Ambrotypes but also for all my future fine art, archival, matted, Gelatin Silver, Platinum-Palladium and Salt Prints.
The hope is to be creative in both the making of Ambrotypes but also the making of frames. Who knows, one day some of the framed work, made in this shop, might be hanging in the National Gallery of Canada.
Here are the machines in the workshop. I think I have enough now!!
- Skil Table Saw (used $100)
- Dewalt 12-inch Miter Saw (new $479 CAD, stand $200 CAD)
- WEH 14-inch Bandsaw (new $366.10 CAD)
- Milwaukee Router and Pro Top Router Table plus bits (used $200).
- Dewalt Planer (used $500 CAD)
- Sander (new $139.00)
Plus, a Dewalt Cordless Orbital Sander (new $119.CAD) and a Dewalt Cordless Brad Nailer (new $326 CAD).
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| Router |
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| Planer |
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| Table Saw |
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| Mitre Saw |
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| Bandsaw |
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| Sander |
Live life large folks. Have the courage to follow your dreams and passions. Do not become more and more afraid as you age and do not worry about stepping on some toes along life’s journey.
Can anything be made with this? Picked up some of it to try. Hope to make some Ambrotype frames. If not, it will be fun to try making something out of garbage.
Was walking through a slum area of the Philippines and said KUMUSTA to an older lady sitting in a chair, she smiled at me.
From Facebook:
Added 2 more woodworking machines to my Ambrotype frame making arsenal, both bought cheaper, used. Got me a planer with stand and a router with router table, also a small new bandsaw is coming soon. I think I have enough machines now.
The planer is used to make boards all the same thickness, the router is for rounding, rabbeting and moulding patterns in wood.
The small work area now has a table saw, miter saw, various sanders, bandsaw, planer and router. Gosh I thought I had a lot of photo gear! Will work on expanding my work space next week off.
These tools are cheaper than photo gear but quite large and require more room for work. Buying all these carpentry things cost about $2000. The good part is that I will not be buying any more expensive exhibition frames in my lifetime, from now on, they will be all hand made.
As a bonus I find woodworking fun and rewarding. Who knows I might try making other things. Like boxes to store my camera gear safely in the darkroom trailer and new super large, sink stands for my new darkroom. With wood you can make most anything!
Got a good deal today on the used router buy. I figure I got upwards of $800 CAD (new price) of stuff for $200 CAD. Lots of router bits, a touter table that cost $349 CAD a decade or so ago, a hand made stand on wheels plus the Milwaukee router.
Got to get. E more room to work! The band saw is still coming!!
I plan to cut some molding for my frames with this tool and also use it to cut rabbets (where the picture goes in a frame). I believe the rabbets will be easier and safer to cut on a router.
Picked up a secondhand router and table tonight off Facebook Marketplace for $200 CAD. Some router bits are also part of the package. Not sure how good all of this is but it should be OK for my limited use and skills. I was originally going to buy a new Bosch router and table, but that was going to cost me $500 plus dollars. Will try going the cheaper way, hope I did not make a mistake. The router is a Milwaukee which is a good brand. Pick it up tomorrow morning after my nightshift.
I should be able to make more elaborate and interesting exhibition frames with the use of this machine.
Got me a good condition 3-year-old Dewalt planer with a beautiful, handmade, wheeled, stand for $500 CAD. A new machine would have cost $729 CAD, without the stand.
It barely fits into my tiny workspace, but I have another area in my basement I can still grow into. Things will still be tight but workable. The planer is a machine that makes all pieces of wood the same width and can mill un-worked wood (bark etc.) to a flat surface.
Hope I use it enough to warrant t the cost!
Pinewood frame 14x14 inch frame with Chalk stain and a semi-gloss coating.
Tree Patterns, 14x14 inch Crear Glass Ambrotype, AMBROTOS KANATA, Elk Island National Park, Sept 2024, Canada
Still, plenty of woodworking errors on the frame. I cut the rabbet (the place you put the plate in behind the frame) too big, also sanding, cutting and staining mistakes. The Ambrotype frames and the Ambros are improving with time. Like anything in life, the harder you work at something, the better you get.
I am not a big fan of the Behr grey stain. It is so thick, looks like paint, you cannot see the pattern of the Pine wood. I bought a different style of grey from Saman, will try it soon
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| Free Scrap wood and pallets |
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| After cutting off the nasty, long staples |
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| Working on first free wood frame, gluing mitre cuts (corners) |
I got my $1000 check from the Alberta Foundation for the Arts folks today. They bought one of the Lundbreck Falls 8x0 Ambros for the provincial collection. I will use the money to buy Silver Nitrate to allow me to continue the AMBROTOS KANATA wet plate collodion project.
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| Purchased 8x10, 2023 Ambrotype |
I have 4 more 14x14 inch Ambrotype frames in production. Still making mistakes but bit by bit the quality of the work improves. I quite enjoy this whole woodworking thing, that is a bit of a surprise for me. Taking a piece of wood and making something out of is quite enjoyable! I believe I will learn to make bigger and more elaborate frames in the future. 60 is a bit late to learn new skills but it can be done.
Note* My Tagalog is also very slowly improving. I hope to make new series images to frame from the Philippines in early 2025, upon my retirement.
Picked up a small 9 inch band saw from WEN. I hope to use it quite a bit for the frame making. I need to slowdown on the wood working tool buys. I would still like to get a planer (makes boards the same width but that should be it.
I think I have most everything I need now to make frames, or cut off a finger. Whatever comes first!!
My first hand made (both the frame and the Ambrotype) 14x14 inch Amqbrotype. Petrochemical Plant, AMBROTOS KANATA , Canada, September 2024.
Pine wood frame with Charcoal stain. The frame is probably a 6 out of 10 in quality, but they are getting better. I have 4 more in production, they will be better.
Will buy more wood on the weekend to continue learning. Need to try different designs. I also want to try to make frames from free scrap pallet wood.
Note* I forgot to semigloss coat the frame!! Owe well, next time.
