breaking open mitres

[Gillthepainter]

Sometimes I'm asked to recut old frames.
Or I want to repurpose my own larger frames that have seen better days, and want to chop the damage out, and reassemble.

I usually place the short length of the frame on the ground, push the top edge hard to the right, and break the glued and pinned corners by force.
There is nothing gentle about this, and I have to remove the wedges and chop approx 1.5cms of the splintered mitre corner away.
Does the job!

Is there another method that preserves the moulding better, please? I guess I can be as ruff as I want with my own stuff, but I could take more care with another persons frame.
I have had a request/ favour to cut 2 unloved dusty gilded frames for an exhibition I'm in. Whilst I don't have to worry if they suit the very green garden scenes the painter has produced, I do have to resize them with minimum impact.

[theframer]

I use a multi tool as close as possible to the mitre with enough room to ensure the wedges are completely cut out so when new corners are cut they are not going to damage my blades on the morso

[Gillthepainter]

Thank you, Dave.
That is a much better idea than mine, and I have a multi-tool, when I needed to cut down some breeze blocks to fit an area behind the shed.
It will be rewarding to make use of it again, I shall test it out today on an old frame in the garage.

[vintage frames]

I usually lay the frame, face up and diagonally along a table edge. Then press down to break open the mitres.
If there are nails involved, then tap the frame open further with a small hammer.

[Gillthepainter]

And thank you, Dermot.
Another way to try, and already I know it is a better approach than my way.

[JFeig]

Gill,
I always used the method you use as a first step for most mouldings. The caveat is that I always used a thick hard rubber pad on the floor under the mitered corner to reduce damage as much as possible. For larger projects with wide frames as a woodworker I always had access to a table saw with a proper carbide blade that could cut through heavy steel nails. Once the rails were split apart it was easy to remove the nails with a punch or nailset from the inside of the joint, going outwards.

[theframer]

Another option is to lay the frame face down on a protective cloth on a solid surface get a 2 to 3 inch scrap of moulding with miter cut ends put this on top of the back of the frame corner and a good sharp blow to it with a hammer often gives a clean beak sometimes it will take the underpins through the face of the corner but should get a clean break.

[Gillthepainter]

Jerome, whilst I don't have a rotary saw any more, I'm lucky I have a chunky pair of pliers that are a funny curved shape, but for some reason, they grip embedded v-nails fantastically well.
With 1 x gentle pull, those wedges lift out without tearing (no leaving half the v inside the wood).
I have various pliers, some for cutting wire, some with a smooth round profile I think for some jewellery making process. They all come in handy at some point.

And thanks again, Dave. I'll also try the bit of mitred wood plus hammer method too.
I'm looking forward to this job now.

[JFeig]

If the glue in the joints are broken and you still have "V" nails in place you can break apart the joints with a dead blow hammer and a block of wood.

With the frame face down on padded blocks that you will not be hitting. Working one corner at a time place a block of wood on one side of the corner of a railing without covering the other side of the "V" nails(other rail of the joint). Tap the block and the one side will lower with every hit of the hammer until the nails on the other side of the joint come out of the opposite rail of the corner being worked on.

The "V" nail (s) in the rail that you hit with a hammer can then be removed with pilers or a diagonal wire cutter.

[theframer]

Well detailed Jerome that was what i was trying to explain but you done a better job than me

[Gillthepainter]

Yes, brilliantly explained, thank you.
I shall be doing this on Thursday for my painting friend. I don't know the size of the 2 frames I am recutting for her, but I might be able to cut her 2 x mini frames more if I have enough leftovers, and if I don't adios too much of those precious corners.

I shall report back.