Morso Ratshit

[Roboframer]

Sorry - ratchet!

The handle that advances the blades has a lug that fits in to slots along a bracket bolted on to the front of the machine.

The last lug on the right - the final cut 'stop' if you like has worn and the lug on the handle pops out on hard woods.

I tried bashing the lug further in with a nail set but that just wrecked it - but previous to that I discovered that NONE of the slots held the lug, bar the the two before the last stop - never would have noticed that as the last stop is all that matters.

I can undo the bracket with the slots in no problem, but I can't remove it completely to replace it without removing the handle. So I looked at what is holding the handle on and saw two nuts, undid them but the handle would not come off and I can't get at the bolts the nuts are on. I've WD40'd them, I've bashed them - nothing.

Need a new handle and a new bracket for the new lug on the new handle to fit in to. Until then it still works - just have to push the handle forward when making the final cut on some mouldings.

Anyone know if these spares are easily available and how to get the handle off? I'll take some pics tomorrow.

[framejunkie]

John, if you are talking about the 6mm chromed steel curved plate with the notches on which the bare steel part of the(moving) handle ratchets on, I've seen the procedure done, but it was 14 years ago and i didn't know what questions to ask. That said, it looked totally straightforward, so I'm assuming that the required components are readily available. Hopefully our tame engineers will clarify, forthwith

(in advance)

It takes years of abuse to wear one that badly though John.

What you dun 2 it bro? ( as the young folk of Hackney would, no doubt, put it)

[Davie]

I replaced the handle on mines about ten years ago, I think what i did was moved the handle to get at the nuts having firstly undone the chrome plate and sliding it forward......I put a new handle on that i got from lion but within a very short time this on too had worn the lug off, i then adapted the way use the morso keeping my left hand on the moulding and the right on the handle as i move my foot on the pedal through the moulding i then pull the handle back to to stop drag on the moulding as the pedal comes up and by the time the head of the cutter has reached the top i have moved the handle forward to its next cutting point pressing the hanle down and not using the lug at all. All this leads me to tell you that it is a very fast way to cut moulding and now i would not thankyou for a morso with a lug on.....Whilst on the subject of morso please check the treadle bar at the back and make sure its tight.....I never and it caused the body of the machine to burst right through, the result was a new body at £300 or i could have got it welded......but they are great machines without doubt. I spied in a local paper a brand new framers corner guillotine £600....I have never used farless seen one, but i called them and went to see it, it had never cut a single frame and looked very good indeed.....being a scotsman and seeing a bargain i bought and have used it for about a year now, and i can tell you all i think its just as good as any morso and slightly heavier too in the time i have used i have seen no wear at all and the knives are great too hard wearing and cheaper than morso all in all im very pleased i bought it, but i do use both machines but when i turn round to cut something i go straight for the Charnwood from framers corner........Now wheres my commision

[Davie]

one thing i forgot to say about the charnwood.....the rebate supports do not go back as far as the morso and i had to grind them on the back to let them slide back just that little bit further and the same supports dont fit as well as morso but causes no problems.....Anyone from Charnwood that reads this if you sort this very minor problem out you have a cutter as good and in some cases better than the rival cutters.......Im still very pleased though. And Robo i Just looked at my Morso, does not look difficult at all just slacken the large nut off take the cam out and then the two small nuts and bolts then side it out and replace.....YOU WILL need to set up the head movement again using the cam, but thats easy to do should take about ten minutes, all going well....Good luck with it.

[Roboframer]

I'll take some pics tomorrow.

I did - and very nice they are too - left the camera at work!

Still - had a nice PM and a phone call from a supplier that had read the thread - spares are indeed available.

[Roboframer]

i then adapted the way use the morso keeping my left hand on the moulding and the right on the handle as i move my foot on the pedal through the moulding i then pull the handle back to to stop drag on the moulding as the pedal comes up and by the time the head of the cutter has reached the top i have moved the handle forward to its next cutting point pressing the hanle down and not using the lug at all. All this leads me to tell you that it is a very fast way to cut moulding and now i would not thankyou for a morso with a lug on.....:

That procedure is known as the 'Morso Dance' and I do it on auto pilot now - down-back-up-forward-down-back-up-forward ..... but I like to hold some mouldings on each side of the mitre for that last shave and it was whilst doing this that I noticed the blades move back by themselves.

[Davie]

MORSO DANCE! i love it.... I guess if your holding the moulding on the right hand side then the blades will move back on the last shave, but im happy not to hold it and its fine for me, just what you get used to....as for auto pilot i know what you mean (Repetitive strain) my wee leg go like a piston

[WelshFramer]

<<I noticed the blades move back by themselves>>

Do they?

[framejunkie]

Do they?

I think Mike(Welshframer) is right to query this. I just went and tested my Morso and if the ratchet is not engaged, ie the sprue on the handle is between 2 of the notches it still cuts fine with no movement. Even on chunky oak!*

I think this is to do with how well set up a morso is and how well the blades have been sharpened. As some will know from other posts of mine, i work mainly with the hardest timbers and often fat mouldings and so if my Morso is not set up just right and my blades are not sharpened 'just so' i have trouble getting my mitres really crisp.

Robo, i think that if your blades are always pushing away, then you need to check the thing is set up right - or check your blades are not being sharpened so as to cause this movement



* Thanks to Mainline for picking up where Cathandon left off and getting a perfect job done on my blades

[Roboframer]

Maybe mine would not move if the lug was between 2 notches either - I'll let you know. You can't test for my fault unless both your last notch and the lug are knackered. I bet I can't make it happen when I want it to either!

As for everything else set-up wise there are no problems I'm aware of - least of all blade sharpening, and I can override this one by adjusting my auto-pilot to do what Davie does - i.e. always hold the handle right up to the last cut - instead of just 95% of the time.

BTW anyone ever tried the advanced Morso dance? You hold the moulding with both hands and advance the blades with your right knee as the pedal comes back up on each stroke.

[Davie]

Now there is a man after my own heart, the right knee trick....I do this when i have a difficult piece to cut. I do find that the blades move on certain finishes ie resin thats a bug**r, and hard on blades too.....Thank god for the mitre saw....hope you got the handle off ok Robo and all is well now. Can i also say thanks to jan re: the tape machine its perfect and as new...i may even take a second one.......thanks!!!!!

[MITREMAN]

Thanks Davie,
Glad you got the tape machine ok, its a nice strong bit of kit when your doing lots of wet gum tapeing, I like the way it cuts by pushing the handle back.

I used to find I got a bit dermatitis when just running the tape over a sponge, this machine helps reduce the amount of glue you get on the hands and with a bit of barrier cream I don't get the problem anymore.

I have nearly finished cleaning up the second machine, its in good condition too.

Robo,

I hope your getting sorted with your Morso

Your Soon be doing the Morso dance again like MJ

Happy Framing better Beat it now

MITREMAN

[Roboframer]

I just went and tested my Morso and if the ratchet is not engaged, ie the sprue on the handle is between 2 of the notches it still cuts fine with no movement. Even on chunky oak!*

Maybe mine would not move if the lug was between 2 notches either - I'll let you know.

I put the lug between the last two notches and cut some stuff from snotwood to ash - no movement.

You can't test for my fault unless both your last notch and the lug are knackered. I bet I can't make it happen when I want it to either!.

Never happens on most woods/profiles as long as the last cut is just that shave - IOW I have used the notch before it - I don't always - some mouldings I cut in one hit and maybe that's what caused the problem, others I cut in two hits etc etc.

Sometimes happens on the last cut of a hardwood with a high back edge; nearly always happens on the same type of thing if that last cut is not just a shave.

My fault is down to Morso abuse from a calf muscle (once) capable of cycling from London to Brighton in 2 hrs 15.