Bad moulding question

[burningbear]

Hello All. I started using a new wholesaler in the past year (won't name who - don't want to cause them any problems...yet) and it seems like a lot of the wood moulding I order from them is warped in some way or another. Looks like its becoming an ongoing problem. I haven't said anything to them yet, cuz after I chop and make a few frames, most seems to not be a problem. But the last batch..jheez...so many curves to 10 ft. of one and a half inch stock molding. I'm gettin a little perturbed. Is this common?

 

[RoboFramer]

Welcome to the grumble.

Well no-one will know if it's common to your supplier if you don't name them and if 'a new wholesaler' means an additional one then you'll already know, or should, if the problem is unique to the new one or not.

 

[Paul N]

Hi burningbear and welcome to the Grumble.

No, it's not a common problem!

It's a very rare actually and you shouldn't be paying good money for anything warped. Send it back, give them the reason and tell them you want the good stuff, else find a new supplier.

 

[Jeff Rodier]

Return it. If they have good stuff you'll get it as replacement. If the replacement is warped, then consider it as common with that supplier or maybe just that profile and move on. Only we can improve the quality of what we receive by letting them know the extent of the problem.

 

[moglet]

No, it's not a common problem!

It's a very rare actually ...

That used to be true for me, too, but in the space of less than three years in the trade, it's getting to the stage where I expect problems (warps, twists, dents, etc.) on about 75% of the mouldings I receive these days.

Paul, do you know where your mouldings are manufactured?

 

[Prospero]

If you expect every inch of moulding to be perfect, then you are in for a big disappointment. Some profiles never seem to twist. Others are very prone to it. Wood is a natural product and therefore subject to variations in batches.
If a large proportion of a batch is twisty, send it back for credit. Suppliers expect this and will not quibble. The odd localised twist should cut out and chucked. You should account for this in your wasteage calculation.

 

[Maryann]

Welcome to the Grumble, Burningbear.

How about filling out your profile?

 

[Paul N]

Paul, do you know where your mouldings are manufactured?

Áine:

It depends and varies, from Italy to Indonesia.

I think the last 3 1/2 years I have seen (bought from a vendor and they replaced it) exactly one stick of length that was slightly warped.
The only "warpage" I noticed is in certain length mouldings that have been bought 2 -3 years ago and stored horizontally.

 

[janetj1968]

Warpage

I used to work for a wholesaler. Seeing how many thousands and thousands of feet that come in, yes it is common. But is it acceptable to send a customer a nasty lot? No. They have to eat that, not you.

Sometimes warpage can be cut out. Other times it can't. Twisting never can. It depends on how bad it is.

If a stick was questionable where I worked...we'd call the customer (if we didn't have any more) and offer to chop it at no charge to see if the warpage could be cut out rather than just 'seeing if they could use it'.

The best thing you can do is call and make them replace it. Once they get an idea for your level of expectations, they'll match it. Never complain and it won't change. In fact, I expect its why its getting worse instead of better.

 

[Doug Gemmell]

If a stick was questionable where I worked...we'd call the customer (if we didn't have any more) and offer to chop it at no charge to see if the warpage could be cut out rather than just 'seeing if they could use it'.

Wow, that is great customer service. I've never had that happen with any of my suppliers.

I often get sticks that are crooked as a dog's hind leg. I can picture the warehouse workers laughing as they package it up for me.

 

[moglet]

If you expect every inch of moulding to be perfect, then you are in for a big disappointment.

Prospero, dear heart, I don't expect every inch to be perfect: as you correctly observe, wood is a natural product.

You should account for this in your wasteage calculation.

On certain mouldings that are such good sellers that I'm loathe to drop them completely, I've left the wastage factor alone, but doubled the selling price, as I'm now having to order double the length I should need in order to guarantee getting the requisite number of acceptable frame rims from the batch. It's worth noting that my customers are not being stitched because of this decision. As I've said elsewhere on The Grumble, I'd sooner pay a higher buy price for better quality: it would work out cheaper for both myself and my customers.

 

[Baer Charlton]

Doug, I hope that if you ever get a dog leg from my vendors, you first reaction is speed dialing my cell. No joke, no excuses.

 

[Doug Gemmell]

Garrett mouldings have always been straight as a preacher on Sunday morning Baer.

Actually, when a rep was in last week he pointed to the Transverse Oak Veneers and asked where they came from. He was clearly shaken, as his line of similar didn't look nearly as good.

 

[Baer Charlton]

It comes from the same country that my Williamson comes from..... and for what it's worth the country that has been doing veneers the longest... dating to before El Cid.... Spain.