Switched from butt joints to half laps for frame builds after a job went sideways in June

I used to swear by butt joints with pocket screws for picture frames. Quick, easy, good enough. Then I had a client in Portland bring back a 4x6 frame after 3 months because the corners had twisted. Her photo was worth like $200 and she was not happy. So I spent an afternoon building a test frame with half laps on my table saw. Took me twice as long but the corners sat flat on a granite slab. Now I do half laps for anything over 1x3. Has anyone else found a joint that made them give up on an old habit?

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christopher_hunt22h ago

My buddy in Eugene builds window screens for old houses and he had the opposite problem. He was doing half laps for years until he tried a simple finger joint on a jig he built from scrap plywood. Now he swears the finger joints hold up better in the Pacific Northwest humidity because they have more glue surface. He showed me a frame he made for a greenhouse window that sat outside for two winters and the corners were still tight. Kind of makes me want to try that for my bigger frames since I'm already dealing with damp Portland air.