The Framers Forum

Morning All,

Can I get your advice about making cuts on the Morso please?

I have been cutting a frame, and there are two nagging issues:

1. The cut is fairly even until right at the bottom of the frame, at which point the frame is pulling away leaving what I'll describe as a "boot". Please see the first two pictures.

Is this the result of the blades needing sharpening, my dodgy technique, bad moulding (I received free mouldings, some seem slightly decayed), or any other reason?

2. The part of the moulding after the notch (rabbet?) is left looking frayed. Again, a less than ideal cut. See third picture. What causes this?

Thanks All!

First one is probably just your blades are a bit short either as they have been sharpened a lot so they are too short, or there is an adjustment that can be made that will lift the blades up and down slightly. Search the forum for morso adjustment.

Second issue is very common especially on softer mouldings. As long as your supports are exactly right and not too high or too low there's probably not much else can be done. So just pick off the worst of the frayed bits. It won't affect the finished frame

Thanks, Peter.

I'm going to look closer at the blades. They are on a second hand machine so I may need to sharpen and/or adjust as a matter of course.

As for the fraying, it's not a massive issue and have ordered a scalpel to get those bits.

pramsay13 wrote: Fri 06 Sep, 2024 10:47 am First one is probably just your blades are a bit short either as they have been sharpened a lot so they are too short, or there is an adjustment that can be made that will lift the blades up and down slightly. Search the forum for morso adjustment.

Second issue is very common especially on softer mouldings. As long as your supports are exactly right and not too high or too low there's probably not much else can be done. So just pick off the worst of the frayed bits. It won't affect the finished frame

Have you checked that your bottom "blades" are set close enough to the top blades? When you say the moulding is pushing away, that sounds like dull blades. Try cutting a piece of oak moulding. If they're blunt you will feel the resistance and the oak being pushed away.
Obeche mouldings like this vary considerably in quality and density. It really is like working with Bolsa wood sometimes.
When you can stretch to a brand new pair of Morso blades, it will feel like all your Christmases have come at once.

There are certain mouldings where the bottom back corner is slightly rounded and this makes a little void that
is unsupported as the blade cuts it. You can overcome this by forcing a very thin roll of some mastic material
(Plasticine?) in the corner.


As for the other thing: I cut frames, therefore I will de-wisker.

Hi Justin.

I must admit, I hadn't even considered the bottom blades. This could well be the issue.

Instead of purchasing new blades, I was actually thinking of getting the existing ones sharpened. Do you ever opt for that?

Justintime wrote: Fri 06 Sep, 2024 2:06 pm Have you checked that your bottom "blades" are set close enough to the top blades? When you say the moulding is pushing away, that sounds like dull blades. Try cutting a piece of oak moulding. If they're blunt you will feel the resistance and the oak being pushed away.
Obeche mouldings like this vary considerably in quality and density. It really is like working with Bolsa wood sometimes.
When you can stretch to a brand new pair of Morso blades, it will feel like all your Christmases have come at once.

Do you mean putting the mastic on the back side of the frame?

De-whiskering is part of the process then! No problem...I've ordered a scalpel.

prospero wrote: Sat 07 Sep, 2024 9:35 am There are certain mouldings where the bottom back corner is slightly rounded and this makes a little void that
is unsupported as the blade cuts it. You can overcome this by forcing a very thin roll of some mastic material
(Plasticine?) in the corner.


As for the other thing: I cut frames, therefore I will de-wisker.

RobM wrote: Mon 09 Sep, 2024 11:44 am Do you mean putting the mastic on the back side of the frame?

No. jam it in the corner between fence and the machine bed. You won't need much.
Make sure you scrape it out before you cut moulding with a dead square edge.


* It's just occurred to me that maybe your blades are not going down far enough.
Try adjusting the nuts on the tie-bar that connects the pedal to the cutter block to adjust the travel.

I'll try both these things. Thank you!

prospero wrote: Mon 09 Sep, 2024 12:08 pm No. jam it in the corner between fence and the machine bed. You won't need much.
Make sure you scrape it out before you cut moulding with a dead square edge.


* It's just occurred to me that maybe your blades are not going down far enough.
Try adjusting the nuts on the tie-bar that connects the pedal to the cutter block to adjust the travel.

As to blade sharpening. Yes. Even with a pretty low volume business I have my Morso blades sharpened every couple of months.

Blunt blades just make life more difficult! Just like using a blunt chisel.

On the other hand, each time your blades are sharpened they get a little bit shorter. Eventually they are not long enough to do the job properly, then they need to be replaced. Think of them as consumables like wedges

As Jim says, yes definitely sharpen your blades every few months!

Sage advice about what sounds like a fundamental issue.

I'm using a second-hand Morso so I should just have gotten them sharpened as a matter of course. I'll do this ASAP.

Thanks Jim (and Justin)!

Gesso&Bole wrote: Mon 09 Sep, 2024 3:16 pm As to blade sharpening. Yes. Even with a pretty low volume business I have my Morso blades sharpened every couple of months.

Blunt blades just make life more difficult! Just like using a blunt chisel.

On the other hand, each time your blades are sharpened they get a little bit shorter. Eventually they are not long enough to do the job properly, then they need to be replaced. Think of them as consumables like wedges