Snotwood & Finger Jointed Pine

Roboframer · Post by **Roboframer** » Fri 08 Feb, 2008 8:17 pm

This is not a cheap moulding - fresh Morso Blades.

Same end - I did the rest of the damage here with my TEETH and a finger nail!!!

This is a very expensive Moulding

And even the supplier's sample can be credit card swiped!

I hate finger jointed pine - esp when the grains and hardness of wood vary like this, they simply don't go together well, especially with a gesso or veneer covering, which of course they must have, to hide the finger joins.

I understand the problems of availability of quailty woods, but I think I'd rather use plastic than this (Eeeeew, did I really say that!)

What annoys me even more is when all my samples are quality wood - and that's how the lengths come too - all in one go along each length. Then suddenly one day, without warning, it turns up in finger jointed pine. It's now a different moulding in my eyes, should cost less too maybe

Would anyone pay over £3:50 +VAT per foot for something that goes together like this?

I joined this one earlier - bleached oak veneer over obeche - almost 4" wide - perfick - that's what I want.

Not your average framer · Fri 08 Feb, 2008 10:13 pm

Hi John,

I wish they wouldn't insist on using finger jointed wood on smaller mouldings, I had one come apart on me last week. Unfortunately the screw for the D-ring went into the finger joint and it all came apart. I tried to break it apart to salvage something but being a matt black painted finish I got little cracks where the finger joints were located. Not happy!

They also insist on mixing harder pieces of wood with softer ones, when it does not take a lot of brains to realise that to get a strong finger joint the two pieces of wood need to behave the same under stress to ensure a secure joint. Also what's the point in finger jointing alternate pieces of good quality wood and snotwod together with a finger joint about every eight inches. Do these suppliers want to lose business this way?
Mark

Bill Henry · Post by **Bill Henry** » Fri 08 Feb, 2008 10:14 pm

That is as bad as I’ve seen. It looks like some of the junk moulding that the Framerica line tries to slip past us.

It probably wouldn’t have helped too much in this situation, but a tip suggested by Steve Kerr is to run a bead of clear silicone rubber sealant in the gap between the two fences of the Morsø. This sealant is advertised as “household glue” over here.

After we began to do this, we have noticed a significant reduction in the “tear out” chipping that normally occurs at this juncture. We generally create a fresh bead on Saturday afternoon (we’re closed Sunday and Monday) to let it cure over the weekend. On Tuesday morning we shave any excess silicone flush with the fences using a razor blade. It helps to clean this gap the first time with a solvent like naphtha (cigarette lighter fluid). We try to treat the Morsø with a fresh bead of silicone every two or three weeks. It seems to make the green machine happy, we think.

Sealing the gap seems to “soften” the cut by giving the chopper blades something to push against so that the cuts on the back of the moulding are cleaner. It is easily removed by peeling it off with a razor blade.

Roboframer · Post by **Roboframer** » Fri 08 Feb, 2008 10:40 pm

Thanks Bill - but as you say - probably no good for this moulding - this sort of stuff, after making it to the underpinner (after wasting far far too much) gets an impression of the pressure pad left in it!

Only good for running along a cheese grater and adding to your muesli - then poop in to a mould, microwave and start over!

Again the moulding samples are fine - lengths received to date have been fine - then suddenly this, and at 80p per foot ($1:60+) it's not on.

I feel a mixture of guilt and frustration/anger, guilt because the company would ask no questions; frustration/anger because I have to keep asking them, which does not get my orders completed, and if naming and shaming is what it takes, I'll do it - ditto to ripping their samples off my walls completely, and why not if I cannot anticpate what will arrive.

markw · Post by **markw** » Sat 09 Feb, 2008 9:50 am

Thanks Bill - that's a really clever tip.

You can sometimes limit the amount of tearing with "snotwood" by sticking masking tape over the area to be cut - I use the same technique if I am cutting a linen slip - it just seems to hold everything together while the cut is made.

Moglet · Post by **Moglet** » Sat 09 Feb, 2008 1:31 pm

I'm going to give that excellent tip a go, Bill. Cheers!

Grahame Case · Post by **Grahame Case** » Sat 09 Feb, 2008 1:50 pm

Already looking out the silicon. Cheers Bill

Phill · Post by **Phill** » Sat 09 Feb, 2008 4:17 pm

Yes sounds like a good tip Bill, I will also be trying it.
And John, what we should do when we get mouldings like that, is send them back, but of course we rarely do.

Spit · Post by **Spit** » Sat 09 Feb, 2008 4:28 pm

Phill wrote:what we should do when we get mouldings like that, is send them back, but of course we rarely do.

If it happens regularly, change suppliers! They'll soon get the message if we don't allow them to fob us off with crap.

Mary Case GCF · Post by **Mary Case GCF** » Sat 09 Feb, 2008 4:30 pm

we don't get any snot wood now we've changed suppliers, Ashworth are very careful as to what they ship out... They may be a bit more expensive, but you get what you pay for!

Moglet · Post by **Moglet** » Sat 09 Feb, 2008 4:37 pm

Phill wrote:... what we should do when we get mouldings like that, is send them back, but of course we rarely do.

I make sure I get a credit note, but it would add insult to injury if I had to spend time and effort packing them up for return!

I tend to keep a small section to show the rep, and the rest gets chopped.

Post by **prospero** » Sat 09 Feb, 2008 6:28 pm

Suppliers tend not to inspect moulding before sending out. It's more economic to just issue a credit for any dodgy stuff. Generally they don't even want it back. And if you keep it to one side to show the rep, more than likely he will he will not even want look at it as this won't be the first complaint about a particular batch.

Not your average framer · Sat 09 Feb, 2008 8:49 pm

I've often wondered if such quality issues are because some of these mouldings are made for contract framing, where they would be cut on a chop saw, not on a Morso. Apparently snotwood can be cut quite cleanly on a chop saw with the right blade and speed.

I suspect that the underpinning might be another matter though!

Roboframer · Post by **Roboframer** » Sat 09 Feb, 2008 10:16 pm

I know I'm not the only one that has had mouldings arrive with wormholes.

But has anyone had a moulding that is finished over the wormholes?

I have!

You know - you think 'hang on they knew it was wormholed but they still finished it - what did they think I might think about that!!'

Not your average framer · Sat 09 Feb, 2008 10:44 pm

Hi John,

Yep, me too, but what happens if a customer opens their own frame for any reason and sees it.

Roboframer · Post by **Roboframer** » Sat 09 Feb, 2008 11:05 pm

It got trashed/credited.