The Christmas gift that almost made mom cry

I wanted to make my parents something special for Christmas this year, but I wasn’t sure what until I visited them over Thanksgiving. While walking through the living-room I noticed that the only photo they had of me was several years old, and was just an impromptu shot taken at a park. After returning home I talked with a friend who is professional photographer, and set up a time to get some quality photos taken.

With the actual photos taken care of, I set to work on a custom frame. I Wanted the frame to be special, so I decided to use Wenge as the main wood & Gaboon Ebony for the keys. I’d read that Wenge was difficult to work with, and it didn’t disappoint. It planed well, but routing the edge profiles was nerve racking. Unlike other woods, you must route Wenge with the grain, or you will get horrible blow out. The Ebony on the other hand was a dream to work with, It planed exceptionally well despite its density. For the finish I went with two coats of my go to Danish Oil.