V-nailer top clamp pads

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El Framo

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What do folks use as pads on the top clamp to minimize the pressure on moldings? Sometimes we get crushed finishes on especially soft woods, even when "backing off" as much as possible. I have used my thumb before and although the frame didn't crush, I wouldn't really recommend using it again.
 
We use the hard rubber pad from Pistorious. (We bought our machine used and were using a home-made pad (from stacked matboard) for the first year until we found the real maccoy at the NY show.

Most vnailers have an adjustment so you can change the pressure of the upper clamp, depending on the size and material. Maybe this could be a solution for your problem?

Mike
 
With particularly soft moulding we use erasers. That is the rubbers that you would use to erase pencil marks from paper.
Have also tried, to good effect, the felt buffers, that are used on the back of finished pictures, although not so easy to clean if you get any glue on them..
 
Amp/Putnam/Miter-Mite offers felt pads to fit their machines, and a hard neoprene-looking material, too.

I prefer the neoprene-looking pads. Another joiner here likes to use the felt pads. Both work well in most cases, if the machine is properly set up.

John, I really like your idea of using plastic erasers -- I'm going to try that soon.

Crushing of mouldings is becoming more of a problem, as the woods become increasingly softer. There was an entire series from L-J that I removed from our sample panels, because the wood was so soft that if enough pressure was used to insert the v-nails completely (it takes about 35 PSI to drive my machine), then the top would dent.

I've also seen moulding made of wood so soft that it would not hold the v-nails; they would almost fall out, and the joints would literally fall apart if handled before the glue sets up.

The answer: Sell hardwood mouldings.
 
I've got a collection of various shapes and materials I use to fill the space in concave mouldings while v-nailing. A chunk of very dense rubber similar to a tough eraser is one of the most useful. As for clamp pads, I use the various ITW-AMP felt pads, as well as some I've made myself out of large "fender washers" and high-density foam cut from gardening kneeling pads (available for a couple of bucks in the garden dept. at Home Depot). These cut very easily on the bandsaw or you could use a straightedge and blade.
For those extra-sensitive soft woods, you could lay a scrap or two of foamcore over the joint before nailing with the above hold-downs.

:cool: Rick
 
I use the Mitre Mite v-nailer, and the soft pads. I have used foam core to give a little more protection. I have used to different Mitre Mite v-nailers, with about seven years combined working experience. The first one I used was abused...and I would have problems nailing with it. Now i used a well-maintained machine. I think if you take care of them by cleanig, gettine dirt out of those nucks...it helps over time.

I also like some of the ideas here..the eraser, i have heard of the sponge,...are there any more ideas out there?
dei
 
Try a cat's paw, dns. They are very good for extremely soft mouldings.

(Just be sure to duct tape their mouths shut before doing the first miter.)

OK, that was a baaaad cat joke! Sorry, cat lovers.

Framerguy
 
A few small bit of foam backed carpet.

[ 08-29-2003, 03:11 AM: Message edited by: Dermot ]
 
The best thing I have found is a soft mouse pad, like the one next to your keyboard.
 
I use the felt pads that you get with the VN4+2, you can get refill packs when the originals wear out. The glue still can get stiff in the felt, so I cut little pieces of that thin foam packing stuff that some suppliers wrap around the moulding (often pink or white)and ATG it to the bottom of the felt block. It is cushier than the felt, easier to wipe off, and you can change it as often as you want 'cause it's free. Works great.

Also, I had read the thing about using glue sticks to shim out odd shaped moulding on a previous thread, and it works like a charm. I love the Grumble!

Leslie
 
There are some very creative and useful ideas here! :cool:

And some people say you don't get good information on the Grumble.
 
Originally posted by dns y:
please explain the glue thing for me folks...i am not getting it yet. please let me in on this one.
thanks
den
Click to expand...
dns,

I think John (Gornall) was referring to taking one of those round glue sticks that fits in a glue gun and dropping it into the concave portion of a frame profile to pad it and hold the miter flat for inserting v-nails.

Make it any clearer for ya?? :cool:

Framerguy
 
One shop I worked at used a rather biggish -- about 9 or 10 inches on the long side -- triangle of heavy-guage clear acrylic btween the moulding and the descending hold-down. The idea was to spread out the impact.
 
i think i get it now...seems like alot, but if it is one of those tricky ones...you got to do what you got to do.\\
dd
 
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