1. Lay out the wood pieces and place the marking templates on top to gauge sizing and what parts of the material you’ll want for the long sides and what parts you’ll want for the short sides.

2. Using a pencil and the templates, mark the cut lines, fastener holes, and the wall‑mount holes.

1. Clamp your mitre jig to your work surface ensuring there is space for your saw to cut down both channels. This is best done by clamping the cam in place. You don’t need any material inside the jig at this point in time.

2. ‘Tune’ the jig to your saw by cutting carefully down through each 0.4mm slot. Use the full length of your saw with each stroke. Removal of plastic is to be expected as you ‘train’ the jig to match the kerf of your saw. Be careful not to cut past the tear drop shape at the bottom of the jig.

1. Place the wood in the jig with the correct orientation.

2. Align your marked cut line with the top of the jig tunnel and use the cam to tighten the piece in position. Be aware that the cam can shift the alignment of the marking so double check your positioning prior to cutting. Holding the material in position while tightening the cam will help this.

3. Clamp both the material and the jig in place by attaching your clamp over the cam as before. It’s expected that the clamp will bridge over onto the material too.

4. Using your saw, gently move it down through the jig until the teeth of the saw touch your material. At this point you can double check you’ve got the material aligned and make adjustments if needed.

1. With your material in position, cut gently using full saw strokes and minimal pressure.

2. If the saw binds, it could be that you’re accidentally tilting or twisting the saw as you cut. Make small adjustments to your stance and you should find there's an angle that the saw likes best when passing through the jig.

3. As you finish the cut, you should feel the saw fall into the tear drop shape at the bottom of the cutting slot. You should also hear the sound change as you stop cutting through the wood, while the waste material falls to the side. Ensure you stop cutting once this happens or you’ll cut through your jig!

4. Repeat until all mitres are cut.

1. Thread each rod into its own corner block until it bottoms out. You now have 4 rods with 4 corner blocks attached at 1 end of each rod.

2. With 2 of those rods, build two L-Shapes by passing one rod through the tunnel of the corner block attached to the other rod. Apply a washer, followed by a thumbwheel to the rod that’s just come through the tunnel. Repeat with the other 2 rods.

3. Join both L-Shapes into a full square and add the remaining washers and thumbwheels.

4. Then reduce the clamp size so it’s slightly larger than your final frame.

1. Place your previously cut framing material face‑down on a clean, flat surface in the shape of your frame.

2. Adjust the frame clamps around the material in a way that minimal thumbwheel spinning will be needed after the glue is applied.

3. Remove the wood from the frame clamps and prepare the glue, paper towel, and water.

4. Apply glue to all mitred ends and spread evenly. Don’t worry about making a mess of the ends!

5. Reinsert the pieces into the frame clamps (don’t forget to put them face down).

6. Slowly tighten the frame clamps one by one around the frame. Ensuring no single one is overtightened more than the others. Whilst you’re tightening the clamps, apply pressure gently at the back of each joint to keep the face as flat as possible.

7. Once the frame clamp is tight around your frame, wipe away glue squeeze‑out using the paper towel dampened with water, including recessed corners. As the frame is all clamped together, you can comfortably pick it up and rotate it in order to get all the glue.

8. Let the frame dry for at least two hours.

1. Remove the clamps when dry.

2. Drill the marked fastener holes (the ones closer to the edge of the frame) 3mm deep using a 10mm bit. The aim is to make a circular hole that breaks through the inside of the frame by a couple of millimetres. Remember, keep the drill perpendicular, don’t rush, and periodically use the 3mm depth gauge to check your depth.

3. Drill the wall‑mount holes 5mm deep. The wall mount holes are the markings in the centre of each frame side. You only need 2 holes for these, 1 on a short edge (for mounting portrait) and 1 on a long edge (for mounting landscape). Use the 5mm depth gauge to check these ones.

4. Avoid inserting the wall mount yet. Removal is almost impossible once it’s in!

1. Place the frame on a non‑slip mat.

2. Start with 120 grit to clean mitres and drilling marks. Keep the block flat; work in circular motions and go around the entire frame. Avoid rounding the exterior corners.

3. Switch to 180 grit and repeat for final sanding.

1. If you have this version of the product, attach the black clip of the metal stand to the backboard. Choose the long edge for a landscape photo and the short edge for a portrait photo.

2. If using the mounting board, align it with your photo to ensure everything is level and your photo is represented how you want it.

3. Flip the photo over and tape the border in place to prevent shifting once it’s in the frame..

4. Remove the protective film from the acrylic and clean the acrylic with a window cleaner (or just a duster) to remove any light marks and reduce dust attraction.

1. Lay the frame face‑down on a clean surface.

2. Insert the acrylic, then your photo (and border), then the backboard.

3. Secure using the fasteners, use as many (or as little) as you prefer. Each fastener is designed to friction fit in the 10mm slots so the screws aren’t required. However if you want the additional security, you can screw them in place with the screws provided.
If standing the frame upright, either attach the wire foot into the black clip attached to the backboard earlier (if supplied), or slot the black plastic foot into the hole made for the wall mount. Once again this should be a friction fit, however if you find it’s a little loose you can apply some glue into the hole before fitting.

4. If attaching to the wall, insert the wall mount into the frame, hollow end first, with the narrow section of the ‘keyhole’ facing outside of the frame. You can use a small head panel pin, nailed into your wall, to mount the frame.

Your picture frame is now complete. Enjoy your finished piece!

Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Rob who will be more than happy to help.

rob@mattestlea.com