Start at the Side. Begin by lightly clamping two same-length sides of the frame parallel to each other, just enough to hold them in place.
Mitered joints are one of the cleanest ways to assemble a frame, but with glue’s slippery consistency, they’re not the easiest to clamp up. However, this simple process ensures your frame stays aligned.
Placing the Frame. Once the sides are held, put the remaining pieces of the frame in place, then apply glue and lightly clamp.
Begin by placing a pair of frame pieces in a clamp, as shown in the top photo. The idea here is that the heads of the clamps register the parts to keep them flush.
Once the first pieces are held, apply glue to the miters and slip the remaining frame pieces in place, adding additional clamps along the top and bottom (second photo).
Finally, adjust the clamps to align the miter joints. Tighten the clamps down slowly to finish the glueup, making sure the miters keep aligned.
