National Open Mesh Floor

[Insy]

Hello,

I bought a load of National/Commercial Open Mesh Floors in the T sales, after constructing a few of them I'm really not to confident of the structure of these things.

Anyone used these in the past? Did you assemble like instructions said or did you tinker a bit to give them a little more strength?

Thanks

 

[enrico]

Not had a problem, can you be more specific?

 

[Insy]

I think its probably just a batch of Winter Sale stuff I've been building lately, think I'm just picking because I'm tired of all the teething issues .

I know they say it will have knots etc in the wood, but you would like to think that selling something with knots on lugs and joints is pretty much a useless item. I've had a couple supers and brood and a floor all with knots in places that is impossible to put together without it breaking.

I don't quite like these floors so I'm going to remove the plastic sheet and cut some plywood etc to attach will feel much better after that.

 

[gillsmith]

If you have issues with specific pieces, email Thornes (us) with photos and we will replace if appropriate.

 

[Insy]

Thanks Gill

Will send some pictures over tomorrow at some point, thank you for the post.

 

[Eyeman]

I've had a couple supers and brood and a floor all with knots in places that is impossible to put together without it breaking.

If the knot is where you need to nail then drill a pilot hole in the knot first before hitting the nail home or better still use a screw.

 

[Briarfield]

A screw is better.

I have changed to a well known supplier from Gloucestershire for floors. Their seconds at the conventions are made up, better material and only marginally more expensive.

 

[nantmoel]

Knots are not an issue, as long as they are live know not dead (dead fall out), instead of nailing them, drill them and screw, or and use glue.

 

[Insy]

Yes I know what your saying I was just following the videos on youtube Thornes had, after I ran into a couple of them I started drilling etc.

I will pre drill most of them from now on on anything a big iffy.

 

[enrico]

At the end of the day I suppose you get what you pay for, seconds are intended for people who are willing to repair stuff if required, otherwise I suppose they wouldn't be seconds!
E

 

[Insy]

Yep that is correct but should still be usable if seconds or not, to be honest I've had splits in some of the panels and I'm not bothered with that I just epoxy them and panel nailed the splits together.
Only problem with broken lugs/joins is I'll have to get a little saw out cut out 2-3inch x 1 inch piece of timber and then cut a new piece of timbers re cut a join then epoxy then panel nail it might as well just built form scratch from timber lol.

I bought a lot of seconds this year and to be honest apart from a super and a floor (ATM) everything is pretty decent so I can't complain really . Just wish I bought more of the seconds

 

[GaryB]

Contact the seller and send them back. If they were really sub- standard, I'm sure they'll replace them. After all buying "seconds" does come with a "health warning".

 

[Little John]

Knots are not an issue, as long as they are live know not dead (dead fall out), instead of nailing them, drill them and screw, or and use glue.

So much depends on where knots are located - Mann-Lake's National box sides were curable with glue, but their rails (locking bars) gave me a helluva lot of trouble - and many were condemned as being unusable.

I bought a couple of hundred 'seconds-quality' frames last year and - luckily - put most of them into stock. I've just discovered that a number - although perfectly straight and square when made - have started to distort as the wood has seasoned.

The principle problem is due to knots in the side-bars, and the cure I've been using is to make a cut half-way through the side-bar, then forcibly straighten it before filling the cut with 5-minute epoxy.

This sort of time-consuming fannying-about shouldn't really be necessary, and it would appear that buying 'seconds' just to save a few quid can turn out to be very false economy. So - won't be doing that again.
LJ

 

[drex]

As Gill from Thornes post above shows, their after sales service is excellent. Always bought their budget or seconds stuff and not had any significant problem. Perhaps one frame in a hundred is not fit for purpose, but at the price, a bargain

 

[Little John]

As Gill from Thornes post above shows, their after sales service is excellent. Always bought their budget or seconds stuff and not had any significant problem. Perhaps one frame in a hundred is not fit for purpose, but at the price, a bargain

Can't comment on Thornes seconds-quality. I'm talking about around 10% of the frames I bought (from another supplier, who'd better remain nameless) - requiring this kind of remedial attention. If you were to cost your own time at even the minimum wage rate, the savings (again, from this particular supplier) in practice, become zero.
LJ

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

made up a few thousand Maisemore's 'second quality' frames over the years
Bit disappointed that maybe as many as half a dozen in total have been unfit for purpose

 

[Cussword]

made up a few thousand Maisemore's 'second quality' frames over the years
Bit disappointed that maybe as many as half a dozen in total have been unfit for purpose

You should have sent them back, with a very cutting JBM letter.