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Anyone have suggestions on how to disassemble glued frames...especially 3+" Width mouldings. Every so often it becomes necessary to cut down a large frame.
I've used the hacksaw method...cutting about an eigth inch from a corner and then smacking the frame toward the interior corner to "pop" it apart. Works most of the time, but can damage a piece and often does when you need the full length of two rails.
I wondered if anyone knows of a tool that would assist popping a frame apart (other than a rubber mallet). Kind of a reverse bar clamp that could force corners apart?
Thanks...I'm going home now and will check for responses in the AM.
It is really simple, just hold the frame in your hands with one of the corners on the ground. Do this on carpet or a rubber mat to reduce damage. Lightly push down on the frame in short pushes. You will hear the seam pop. Just rotate the frame around and pop all the glue seams.
You can also lightly place your feet over one side of the frame and push left to right on the other side with your hands til you hear the frame corners pop.
An Army marching in format can bring down a bridge quicker than a wrecking ball.
Dave disassembly depends on how the corner is secured. by this i mean PINNED or NAILED or even Glued witha biscut.
The method Ruth suggested works fairly well when the corner is held with V-Nails or Underpins,since the direct downward motion of the rubber mallet on a raised corner normally will allow the pin to slide out.
However if the corner is back nailed ( God forbid Cross nailed) the downward thrust will cuse the braids to crack the frame.In this case you can use a corner vise and secure one leg as normal and lay the other on the outside of the clamp.You then open the clamo that is inside the rabbet which will strecth the cornener while you are hold the side of the leg .You can then pull the braids out from their exposed heads.
If the corner is cross nailed ( from both sides ) you can try this but VERY slowly and then stop as soon as the corner pops and push the frame back and remo9ve one side of braids then do the same on the other side.Or insert a hack saw and cut the braids as soon as you have room and then remove the pieces.
This Hacksaw method or Razor saw method with out stretching the corner could work for a biscut by just cuttung right on the seam.
I have heard but never seen a method for removeing brids from the rear by touchng the head of the braid with a hot solidering iron which should heat up the braid and cause the hole to expand slightly and then be easy to meove .
But be very sure you Know how the corner was secured before you use any of these especially the rapping with a mallet .BTW on smaller profiles you can accomplish the same thing by just raising one leg and pounding the other near the joint with your closed palm of your fist.
As you can see some of us have had a lot of practice.
Dave,
You asked about a reverse clamp. Simply put one leg of moulding in a frame vise with the other leg behind the back jaw of the vise. Now just open the vise jaw that the frame is behind and it will slowly pry it open. This will open the corner enough for the hack saw if cross nailed. V nailed frames that wide can be taken apart as follows:
Crack corners gently as described by Rick.
Lay frame on table with diagonaly opposing corners hanging over edge. Place weight or have someone hold frame in place on table and fold overhanging edge down and V nails will slide through wood.
This will fray some wood but you need to trim up mitre anyway and it will leave enough good meat to work with to rejoin.
Place the transverse corners along the edge of a table, slowly apply gentle pressure on the other two corners. The corners along the table edge will pop their glue joints.
As for a reverse clamp... See the new one at Rockler.