Laser Etched Picture Frame

I wanted to make a simple, quick gift for my mom and aunties, as they just took a trip together to Paris. I made it at Techshop! http://www.techshop.ws

Materials Used:

5mm thick plywood from Home Depot

Double stick tape

Laser cutter

Wood Stain

Wipe on Poly- clear coat

rags

I wanted the frame to be relatively small and sized up the inner portion to be 3x5. Then I made the outer boarder a bit bigger and extended the left hand side to accommodate the picture and the bottom for the year.

I use Corel Draw to cut the files. I vector cut the outlines with hairline stroke. Rastered the image of the Eiffel Tower and the year with a 0.5 stroke.

I used Golden Pecan for the stain.

Shake up the stain can before you open.

Use gloves, mask, and have proper ventilation when applying .

Use a paper towel or old rag and dip it in the stain.

Wipe the piece to stain, going in the direction of the grain.

Let set for about 2-4 hours.

*Note* When using oil based stain and oil based polyurethane finishes, the used rag should be laid out and dried completely. It can be a fire hazard if it is crumpled up, holding the oils in.

Once the stain has dried, it is ready for a clear finish to help protect it. Wipe on poly is an easy to use polyurethane finish.

Shake up the can and pour some on a lint free rag. I use a piece of an old t-shirt.

Again wipe in the direction of the grain and let dry for 2-3 hours.

I know there are more elegant ways of doing a picture frame, however, in a time crunch to get this to them in a reasonable time, I decided to tape it.

I had some double sided adhesive and cut it to size to place on the inside of the borders.

I did have to cut the picture around the corners to compensate for the rounds.

Finish!