Zen and the art of a carpenter's vise

Dave

SPFG, Supreme Picture Framing God
Joined
Jun 11, 2004
Posts
13,355
Location
Edwardsburg, MI
Why oh why do mldg. manufacturer's make mldgs. so difficult to join?

For example; I'm joining a LJ Zen #411434. Love the Zen line of mouldings and their stackability, but this profile will not join in my corner vise. I've tried wooden wedges, mat board, fom-cor and corner round pieces, but the inside edge under the rabbet is beveled and the outside edge, except for a little edge is slanted. The inner bevel causes the mldg to ride up even with supports put in.

I tried another corner vise I have which applys a different pressure, but the outside slant then causes the mldg to cave inwards.

There's no logical reason I can see for the inside edge to be beveled.

I sold this profile about 6 months ago and somehow joined it, but can't remember the solution. Tech services didn't have an answer either.

I finally was able to join it the old fashioned way ...a carpenter's vise clamp, fast drying glue and patience holding it together while the glue set up with three brads in place to help keep it in line. It's a fairly large frame for a movie poster and supporting it by hand waiting for the glue to bond is exasperating.

I still have to use more filler than I would like to, but it's together.


Any other thoughts on how to join these devils?
 
Dave, hadn't really noticed that bevel on the inside of the rabbet before and I have vised it. I have the United vises and the inside jaw is just tall enough to catch it (maybe -1/8") and I always put a thin stirp of wood on the outside jaw ( 1/8" x 3/4" strip of flat bamboo from an old rug - think wide popsicle sticks).

After reading your post, I tried putting a stick on the inside jaw but that just makes the problem worse. Don't see any reason for that inside bevel!

Maybe you could epoxy some metal wedges to the top of the inside jaw for additonal height, which might help on other profiles as well. Just be careful not to exceed height of most rabbets or you'll have the opposite problem.
 
jP, it just might be time for me to get a new corner vise. The one I'm using is at least 50 years old and I have a feeling it has worn down through the years with thousands of frames passing through it. My inside lip is less than 3/16" high.

Sounds like mine is higher than yours though and that could possible be a problem ...if it was lower it might grab the moulding in the bevel better instead of trying to flip it.

I think I just needed to vent thinking that possibly some moulding designers have never put frames together themselves.

Thanks for the input.
 
I think I just needed to vent thinking that possibly some moulding designers have never put frames together themselves.

Thanks for the input.


Seems like so many things are designed by people that never have to put it together, not just mouldings. Really gets frustrating when that happens, you just want to grab in by the ears and shake em! It's one thing, when as a consumer you are putting together a one-off but when you are in business and are working with a poorly designed product over and over again, well there is just a limit, isn't there.
 
I have a solution....dump the sample!
 
Jerry ...don't know why I didn't even think of that.

It probably would work even with the slanted outer edge.

I recently bought a Merle Adjustable Corner Clamp and have used it on other jobs but my mind must have been in low gear not to think of using it on this.

Seth ...I guess I'm dense this morning ...what the heck is a m*********p?

:shrug:
 
how about cutting a corner of stretcherbar or other such moulding that is tall enough to hit the non-slanted part of the rabbet? then clamp both mouldings?

I don't know if it would work, but maybe.
 
Dave the Merle band clamp has been my closest friend next to my Wizard for the last 2 years.....I still would dump the sample though lol
 
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