Morso Cut Problems

[DrumpellierFramers]

Hi everyone,

Hoping for some advice. I'm new to framing and still very much learning... I've bought a used Morso F but struggling to get some of the cuts right, especially deeper rebate mouldings.

I've included an image to explain what I mean but the cuts, although dead on 90 degree are not meeting at the top of the moulding but are at the bottom. It's as thought the machine table is not at 90 degree to the blades.

I've got a digital angle measuring device and the blades seem to be at 90 degree.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

If it's relevant, the moulding is a 32mm deep Polcore moulding.

Thanks very much, David.

[Justintime]

I can't speak for Polcore, but the first thing to look at is your blades. Buying a new set of blades usually sorts everything out. Morsos are often sold with a pair of blades which even if freshly sharpened can be passed their best in a number of ways. If you can afford to stump up for a shiny new pair, you won't regret it. As a non-polcore framer, I'd also suggest getting your hands on some plain barewood moulding, preferably a flat profile, to do some further tests with, the wider the better. For an instant test to see how sharp your blades are, put a strip of paper in place of the moulding and cut that. It's only a simple test but it should cut effortlessly.

[vintage frames]

Sharp blades - essential.
Cut in the mitres step by step - not in one clump.
Hold the moulding firmly down on the Morso bed when cutting - most likely fault
Polycore instead of natural wood - always an ill advised choice.

And that's from someone who doesn't even own a Morso

[DrumpellierFramers]

Thanks for the advice folks. Yeah, with this being my first Morso I’m not 100% on what actually are sharp blades. The ones I have seem really sharp but not able to actually compare them to a newly sharpened pair.

The moulding is firmly and fully flat on the table and up against the fence so no issues there. First thing I’ll try is the blades but still not sure as the right side of the length is trapped in mitres stop beam so struggling to think why it would be thrown off.

[Gillthepainter]

As a non framer framer, when I got a second hand morso, the first thing I did was send the blades off to be hollow ground. Lion = £25 or so. You can even send them off using Ebay.
The difference was and still is very noticeable. I got 2 sets of blades with mine, so I'm lucky I can switch.
But soon, I'll get a new pair. Mine cut great, but they are pretty old, and it's time to up my standards.

I don't know if you are doing this, but are you cutting this wood shiny side down? I.e. the rebate up. At first I thought this was the better way to get a true cut with flat profiles, but I seemed to be grappling against a wobble when joining the mitres. Only a hair probably on the 4th corner, but it always bugged me, that this precision instrument was off.

Of course it was me. Turning the length of wood over so the front is visible to me, getting the risers under the rebate flush, and that eliminated my slightly dodgy results. For me, it also got rid of splintering on the corner that I used to get with natural woods.

I don't do this as often as you, I frame my own work and do a few chops services for other artists if they beg me & I cannot say no! I'm everybody's best friend at exhibition time.

[pramsay13]

Is there a reason you are using polcore? The morso is made for wooden moulding.
If you turn the moulding upside down and cut them do you get the same problem, i.e. joining at the top but not the bottom?
If so it might be worth taking off the blades and double checking there is nothing between the morso face and the blades.

[vintage frames]

I think polycore is best cut with a double mitre saw which doesn't exert any pressure on the profile.
A guillotine will tend to drag down the surface of the mitre and so distort the profile, resulting in the bottom joining ok, but the top surface springing back to an open joint.