The Framers Forum

Hi Everyone

I have a new moulding that I am having allot of difficulty with, its a white or black laminated type finish. I cant seem to 1) Get a good join and 2) Always seem to chip the paint on the last cut through the morso. (see images attached)

Any ideas much appreciated?

thanks

peter

The chip on the bottom is a common problem with coated mouldings. Could be that the edge is rounded just enough to lose support when the blades come down. You can gently round the corner and fill it with polyfilla and a dab of white acrylic paint. Or.... jam a tiny bit of plasticine in the corner between the chopper bed and the fence so it moulds itself to the profile. Let it get cold and set hard before cutting. This may or may not cure it, but worth a try......

The gap on the inside can be cured by slackening the left fence and moving it ever-so-slightly toward you. A hairs breath is all you need. Because this is a bit of a trial and error method, it's best to use scrap bits to set this.

Just a small point, but I've always been of the opinion that the most important underpinner wedges are the inside and outside ones - theoretically, the ones in between have very little extra effect - but the psychological urge to put them in is almost irresistable! As for the rest, Pros. has got it spot on.

what they said with the addition of,

sometimes putting a bit of self adhesive tape down the back and under the moulding can prevent the back edge flaking and that bottom bit chipping off, also Sharpe blades will help.

too many pins can weaken the joint because it causes the surface of your glued cut to be uneven.

I did the tape thing today it worked a treat.

Try cutting it upside-down, might work, might be even worse.

I fear cutting upside down may solve the slight open corner you have but would create a chip on the back edge of the face, maybe upside down with tape , or simply use centrados version of that frame which has no gesso and doesn't have the problem of chipped back edges.

Try cutting a scrap piece of the moulding upside down and with the sight edge to the fence - if that's better, either the point of the blades isn't far enough into the fence gap, or the blades are dull near the point.