Recently, I decided it was time to just break down and take them to a frame shop, where I assumed they'd have better tools for this sort of job. I tried to hit one locally, but it was closed that day, so I left them in the car and asked Dianna to check one close to her office, when she got a chance. Eventually, she had time to spare, and asked them if they could do so, and was told sure, they could, for twelve bucks a piece. Didn't even look at them, didn't want to look at them.
$50 for what amounts to taking out 16 screws. As I told Di, "My response to that rhymes with 'cluck bat'." I wish I'd been there, to see if they quoted that price with a straight face. Again, keep in mind that we aren't talking about a framing job. I don't care how the frames ended up, or the glass, I just want these things out of them frames. No real work involved for them, and not more than a few minutes, I'd think.
So, Saturday, I ran up to the local place, armed with a certain trepidation for an inflated price. This place not only didn't want to see, they claimed they couldn't do it at all. I asked if they did, indeed, have a power drill or similar item they used to put the screws in and they confirmed this, but claimed that if I couldn't get the screws out by hand, they wouldn't be able to do it either. I tried to be nice about it, but I laughed and made a flippant comment as I walked out.
Today, my adrenaline got the best of me, and I laid one out on my kitchen table. Armed with my trusty interchangeable-head magnetic screwdriver, a claw hammer, and a mad-on to do it my damned self, I attacked those frames. I guess all I needed was to be annoyed enough, because within ten or fifteen minutes, I'd dismantled all four frames. Another 5 minutes of walking huge pieces of glass and frame parts out to the dumpster, and I was done. All by hand, which should NOT have ever been an issue before, and certainly should not have kept two different, unrelated frame companies from making a few dollars and promoting good customer service.
See, this is why I like DIY. If I can do it myself, I'd rather do it myself.
