easy wood projects
Your photos will be more
memorable when bound in this
custom-made album.
Given the current craze for
scrapbooking, I thought it high time
we woodworkers weigh in with our
own version of what a memorable
photo album should look like.
Brass miniature continuous hinges are a
cinch to cut with a pair of metal shears.
Make your cut at the joint where two hinge
leaves meet nearest your ideal length.
An ordinary paper hole punch enlarged the
holes that were pre-punched by the
manufacturer of the photo album sheets.
And if you are tempted to rip out
these magazine pages before your
spouse sees them and places an
order for say, a dozen or so, fear
not. This truly is an easy project. It
could even be simpler than what
your see here if you skip the
resawing and bookmatching of the
1?4"-thick front and back covers.
In fact, if you were making five or six
at a time, you could probably spend
no more than a half hour on each
one. Or, you could go in the other
direction and make it more
complicated with inlay or chip
carving on the front.
There could, in fact, be many
variations on this project. You could
easily alter the size of the covers for
smaller photo album sheets, you
could set it up with blank pages for
use as a personal journal, or
documents from your family tree
research.
No matter what direction your
version of this project takes, two
simple elements will make it all
possible: the post binding screws
that fix the covers and pages
together, and the small-scale
continuous hinge that allows the
covers to open, making them truly
functional. The hinges and post
binding screws can be ordered
through the Lee Valley woodworking
catalog.
Getting Started
A trip to an art or office-supply store
is the first step. Select the photo
page size you want to work with.
Some pages simply are plain sheets
that are inserted in clear plastic
sheet protectors. The protectors, in
turn, are usually punched for use in
a three-ring binder. The sheets I
used were hole punched for post
binding and “hinged,” meaning each
sheet was made to fold at a given
place along the edge where it would
be bound into the album.
I selected a sheet size that was 12"
x 12". Next I ordered my post
binding screws and hinge from Lee
Valley. The screws, called “Chicago
Bolts” in the catalog, come in
various lengths, with each length
allowing for a 1?4" adjustment. The
brass hinge comes in a 3 length
and is easily cut.
The page size and hinge gave me
dimensions I could start to work
with. The wood covers’ finished size
is 1?4" x 12-1?2" square. This allows 1?4"
for the cover to overlap top and
bottom. The bound side has
1/8"overlap, leaving 3/8" for the
open side. When I cut the pieces I
made the width 12-5/8". This
allowed a table saw cut to separate
the binding strip from the cover
piece. The cover thickness was 1?4",
which is perfect for the hinge leaf.
A Word About Wood Choice
My album covers are made using
feather-figured walnut that was
resawn and bookmatched. It came
from a tree in my neighborhood that
was taken down and sawn into
lumber about three years ago.
Although it’s been air drying all this
time I was nervous as a cat about
my pieces warping after resawing
and glue up. Highly figured wood
often has a mind of its own. I know
that walnut is a relatively stable
wood, like mahogany, but I kept my
pieces on a flat surface with a
weight on top until I was able to put
a finish on them. Even at the thin 1?4"
dimension, I was lucky and both
pieces have remained perfectly flat.
The point of all this is to remind you
to be cautious about your wood
selection and handling. Try to use a
stable species. A narrower album
would be less risky.
Hardware Installation and
Finishing
I followed the hole patterns for the
post binding screws that were
already in the album sheets.
Allowing for the top and bottom
overhang, my hole center for the
screws was 2-9/16" from the top and
bottom. From the binding edge, I
marked a hole center of 1?2".
The posts required a 1?4" hole with a
1?2"-diameter counterbore to recess
the flat heads of the screws. I used
a Forstner bit for drilling in my drill
press. It is necessary to drill the
front and back banding strip exactly
alike.
At this point I progressively sanded
to 220 grit, rounded the outside
corners to a 3/16" radius, and
heavily eased the edges, except for
the edges where the hinge would be
installed.
The finish may be a bit more
complicated than you are
accustomed to, but the fantastic
figure in the walnut demanded as
good a finish as I know how. And it
was worth each step. Because
walnut is an open-pore wood, I filled
the grain using paste wood filler. I
added oil-based walnut stain to the
filler to color the filler and the wood.
After applying the filler, I allowed it
to dry for 24 hours.
For a clear top coat I used a lacquer
that comes in an aerosol spray can.
The product is the best lacquer in a
can I’ve ever used. It’s called
Master’s Magic and is available from
The Woodturners Catalog. A can of
sanding sealer and satin finish
lacquer are required, and the
product should be used only in a
well-ventilated area free of open
flames (including pilot lights on
water heaters or furnaces) or
potential sparks.
After applying the sanding sealer,
carefully sand with 360-grit paper,
being especially careful near the
edges. The idea is to lightly sand
down any dust particles or bubbles
that may have formed but not to
sand into the stain color below the
sealer. After sanding the sealer,
spray two top coats with the satin
finish. Allow the finish to cure
overnight, even though it will be dry
to the touch in 15 minutes.
I used a pair of snips to cut the
hinges to 12-1/8" long. Cut the hinge
at one of the leaf joints. The hinges
are attached using flat-head brads
that you should order along with the
hinges. Predrill the holes for the
brads into the edge of the wood
leaving about 1?4" of the brad length
not drilled. Predrilling should ensure
nothing pokes though the face of the
cover.
Insert the post part of the post
binding screws and fill your photo
page inserts. I found that it was
necessary to slightly enlarge the
holes in the sheets with an ordinary
paper punch. When done, lay the
other cover over the post and then
insert the screw.
If you are considering leaving the
album on a coffee tabletop, or if you
just want to protect the back cover
from scratches, put a felt bumper
pad in each corner of the back
cover.
As a photo album or scrap book, this
project makes an extra special gift
for an extra special occasion. Is
there a family wedding in your
future? PW
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