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Steve_inVA
16 posts
and
1 follower
in about 1 year
in about 1 year
Table top rehab
Co worker gave me this table to try and fix. At the very least I want to reglue it back together. But will the top line up if I joint each edge ? I don't want to have to mess with re-shaping it. The bottom is a little bit rough and I don't know about planing it or not. Not sure if I should try to mess with the finish or not.
7 Replies
Go with your gut feeling... Whatever you do will be no worse than what it is... have a bit of faith in yourself.
If your first cut is too short... Take the second cut from the longer end... LBD
I'd scrape the glue clean first and then see how it lines up once you clamp it. Looks like it was just a crack from movement and those battens being glued on across the length, I think it'll glue back pretty nicely.
How clean is the break? Did the glue fail or did the wood break? Often the wood fails before the glue does but you can get both so you have to assess. If there is exposed glue, you probably need to rejoint the edge because with the exception of hide glue, most wood glues will not adhere to old glue. If the glue held but the wood failed (and there is no exposed old glue) it may be possible to simply glue it back together. If you dry fit it back together, you can check to see if there are any piece chipped out. If there are, then planing or jointing the edge may give you a better looking joint.
And as noted above, do not glue the battens back to the bottom, they should be attached with screws with elongated holes in the battens to allow for wood movement.
And as noted above, do not glue the battens back to the bottom, they should be attached with screws with elongated holes in the battens to allow for wood movement.
--Nathan, TX. Hire the lazy man. He may not do as much work but that's because he will find a better way.
Lazy's solution has my vote.
If you can press the pieces together and get a good fit, you can avoid the slight amount of reshaping the edge that planing would entail.
Planing will take you back to 100%. Re-gluing will get you close. If you re-glue, I'd add some biscuits or dowels to reinforce the joint.
Definitely remove the glue from the underside where the battens attach and do the slotted hole technique recommended. That is likely why the crack developed in the first place.
If you can press the pieces together and get a good fit, you can avoid the slight amount of reshaping the edge that planing would entail.
Planing will take you back to 100%. Re-gluing will get you close. If you re-glue, I'd add some biscuits or dowels to reinforce the joint.
Definitely remove the glue from the underside where the battens attach and do the slotted hole technique recommended. That is likely why the crack developed in the first place.
Well, after pondering for a bit and gathering up my courage, I decided to try jointing the edges. Only to find out the top had warped some when I tried to dry fit it back together. So now I have to talk to my coworker about different options. Maybe I just turn it into a cutting board for him. Lol
What direction is it warped -- side to side or lengthwise? The warping along with the glued on battens is probably what caused the failure.
A trick that I have used to flatten warped panels and table tops is to lay it on the lawn in the sun convex side up. The panel will absorb a little bit of moisture from the lawn and the sun will dry the top a little flattening the panel. It happens pretty quickly so check it every 10 minutes or you may come out to find that it has warped in the opposite direction. Take it in and lean it against a wall or bench or flat with some thin strips under it so that air can flow around both sides. Let it sit for a day or so and check it again to see if it rewarped. You can try this several times and see if it will stabilize.
You can try to use battens, either original ones or some angle iron or channel to pull it flat but again, you need to use elongated holes with plenty of screws to force it down. You may have to do this and the glue up all at once.
BTW, is this solid wood or some sort of particle board or MDF core with veneer. It looks like wood but it is hard to tell for sure from the photos.
A trick that I have used to flatten warped panels and table tops is to lay it on the lawn in the sun convex side up. The panel will absorb a little bit of moisture from the lawn and the sun will dry the top a little flattening the panel. It happens pretty quickly so check it every 10 minutes or you may come out to find that it has warped in the opposite direction. Take it in and lean it against a wall or bench or flat with some thin strips under it so that air can flow around both sides. Let it sit for a day or so and check it again to see if it rewarped. You can try this several times and see if it will stabilize.
You can try to use battens, either original ones or some angle iron or channel to pull it flat but again, you need to use elongated holes with plenty of screws to force it down. You may have to do this and the glue up all at once.
BTW, is this solid wood or some sort of particle board or MDF core with veneer. It looks like wood but it is hard to tell for sure from the photos.
--Nathan, TX. Hire the lazy man. He may not do as much work but that's because he will find a better way.
Thanks for the replies and suggestions. It's solid wood. I'm not sure what type of wood. It's pretty old(80+ yrs) and came from India I believe . I want to say it's maybe about an 1" thick.
