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Head of the Charles
Head of the Charles
In October 2025, I raced as a rower in the Head of the Charles for the first time! The year prior, I was taking a break from the rowing world and, while walking along the 2024 Head of the Charles festivities with my girlfriend (now fiancée!), became newly inspired and invigorated by all the passion and competition laid out before me on the river. I had only ever been a coxswain in the Head of the Charles. I made it my mission to get fast enough to earn a spot in a boat as a rower for the 2025 Head of the Charles.
Dunkin' Donuts
Dunkin' Donuts
By the time the 2025 rendition of the Head of the Charles came around, the 60th anniversary of the event, I had been fortunate enough to have earned a spot in Riverside's B entry in the Men's Club 8+. As part of all the festivities, Dunkin' Donuts had set up a sponsored area along the Charles with all sorts of activities and goodies, including this fun banner "Donut Stop Rowing". I'm a big Dunkin' fan, so of course I loved the banner and got one that they were giving out for free. I immediately knew I'd want to frame it eventually. However, the poster is a unique shape and size that you can't just buy a pre-made frame for, and after the competition I set it aside because my free time was quite limited between work, rowing, and family. I figured I'd eventually get a chance to frame it properly later.
A Window Opens
A Window Opens
9 months later, a weekend finally opens up where I have the time and have access to my tools, so I get crackin'! I've never made a picture or poster frame before, but it's not actually that difficult, I just needed to find the time to make one.
As per usual, I start with a mockup in CAD.
Testing the first mitered cuts.
Miters all done, testing to make sure the poster lines up nicely inside before I move on to cutting grooves for the plexiglass and backing board. The miters were very specific non-traditional angles, so I 3D printed mockups of the angles so I could perfectly align the miter gauge on the table saw to get an accurate cut for the frame.
The last few steps were relatively straightforward and didn't take too much more time. I cut the grooves behind the frame with the table saw, finished it with a couple coats of lacquer, cut out the foamboard backing with a utility knife, cut the plexiglass with a jigsaw, and attached hangers on the back. The plexiglass was the only thing I didn't have on hand, so aside from running to Home Depot for that the rest of this project was "free" using leftover parts and scraps.
A Home at Last
A Home at Last
I'm very pleased with how the frame turned out; glad the poster finally has a proper home. I've never made one before and was most concerned about getting the tricky angles right, but I think the 3D printed guide I made was very helpful for making sure it all aligned properly. Just 3 months until the next Head of the Charles; the training continues!
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