long crack

[GEPPETTO]

Hi all,
I will try to explain what is the condition of my kitcken table. It is an old family table made of cypress.
It is an extensible table: two parts connected to two rails (always wooden made) come out from under the flat surface of the table which remains firm.
Well, the flat surface is made in the traditional way with outer chassis, within which some boards of cypress are put in plows achieved on the chassis.
Between two of these stripes, there was created a long crack; but not between the glued sides of the boards, but along the grow rings of the tree. That crack is width about 1 cm.
I thought to separate the tenon/mortise junction of angle, to open the chassis and replace the crack board with another of the same type but I do not think it is a good idea because the junctions are always very strong.
Therefore I think, that the better idea is to make a groove ( V shaped) long all the crack, to remove the waste and to replace with new wood.

You must know that I own only manual tools like chisels and saws.
Do you think that the way I said above is the better, or do you think that there will be another.

I wish to thank anyone who will answer to my questions in advance.

Thanks
Geppetto

 

[radicalwood]

Hi Geppetto,

Is it possible to get glue into the crack and just use clamps to fix the split in the rings. You could use a syringe to get the glue all the way into the gap. I know you can get a chair repair kit with glue and a syringe, but don't know who sells them. Hope this helps, good luck,

All the best

Neil

 

[beech1948]

Geppetto,

You said that the crack was 1cm wide and was along most of the length of the table. Thats a big crack. I wonder if you could give us a bit more info:-

1) Does crack go all the way through the table top
2) Is the crack fairly uniform in width or does it taper off
3) Has the "frame" around the top come loose or are the joints still well made and firm
4) How is the top fixed to the base ( in case you need to remove it)
5) Are there any other cracks

The above should help with answers. My initial thought is that maybe this table is so old that getting any kind of repair is going to bevery hard, the restorers here will know better than I.

However, my father when he was alive, repaired a very old oak table top with a 1.4 cm split in it by making the frame secure and firm and preventing any further movement. Then he filled the crack with resin mixed with shavings from underneath the table top to give a colour match. The problem he had was that the age of the table combined with its patina and value made it very difficult to take it apart to create a repair. We tried cramping up the top but on this occasion cramps did not work however, you should first try to cramp the split up. If it closed then you will need to look at the frame around the top or however the top is retained because somewhere something else has moved, broken or split.

Sorry for ramble...waiting for restorer to comment.

 

[Adam]

Could you saw the full length of the crack, on either side as such (e.g. two cuts 1 cm apart, parallel with the edges of the table), and then glue the two halves back together - it'd make the table slightly smaller, but only by a fractional amount.

Adam

 

[GEPPETTO]

For a better explanation:
The table is like this:

The crack is from left to right for the entire thickness of the first layer of the top. Nothing over the outside frame.
The crack is fairly uniform in width.
The top is removable from the structure and it is always strong and firm.

Thanks in advance.

 

[The Restorer]

Hi Gepetto

Looking at picture, full length crack on table top most likely down to shrinkage. Looks like table top has whats know as bread board ends securing boards together. Would suggest that ends being across the grain of the main boards are glued or some other way fixing the main boards so stopping them from moving and so they have to split.
Now fixing it!
Ideally you want to get the breadboard ends off, take the boards out that have split, trim them up nice and square along their length and glue them back together (may need to add some timber to make up losses in trimming/shrinkage) then make sure the breadboard end allow the rest of the boards to move slightly by gluing back on at the ends and possibly a dash in the middle.But i suspect this may have been glued up with PVA or something more modern and would be difficult to seperate.
In that case i'd suggest a parallel cut to each of the split components, as suggested by Adam, and glue in a strip of timber to fill the crack. This could then be planed down to be level with the table top.
Hope this helps!
Steve.

 

[Chris Knight]

Steve,

Actually looks like a mitred frame around the lot rather than breadboard ends. I wonder if the crack closes in humid weather?

 

[Noel]

It's mitred and the extensions don't help, either.

Noel

 

[Midnight]

mitred frame right enough.. but I think Steve's on the right track; gotta treat the boards inside the panel as if they were a real large floating panel inside the frame. Either way, I reckon it'd be a bugger to fix...

 

[DaveL]

I know Gepetto only has hand tools, but the way I think I would look at doing it:

Use a straight cutter in a router, fit a batten across the table and rout a clean slot 1/2" wide to give square edges to the crack.
Then cut a rebate of 1/4" on each side of the slot, half the thickness of the board.
Clean ends of cut with chisel.
Find a board of the same type of wood and make a matching piece to drop into the rebated slot.
Glue or screw from underneath and then try to match the finnish.

Just an idea, could possibly use a hand rebate plane and chisels, what do you think?

 

[norman]

HI

A simple taper insert glued and finished to match would do this job.
Some great idea`s when writing out the invoice though. :twisted:

Regards
Norman

 

[GEPPETTO]

Hi,
thanks a lot to all for advices.
How The Restorer said, I think the junctions were glued with PVA or similar, therefore the frame separation will be very difficult too.
Unfortunately how I said I have only manual tools. But they are too few in the sense that I haven't router to make the groove . Perhaps I can rapair an old rebate plane of my grandfather.

I will tell you when the job will be done.

 

[Anonymous]

A chair repair kit refered to earlier could be 'Chair Doctor' by Veritas. I know 'cos there was one in my Xmas stocking! It comprises a syringe, three needles and a bottle of glue. Made in Canada. Website http://www.leevalley.com It came from our local toolshop in Aldershot, apparently.

 

[Alf]

Here 'tis. I seem to recall Ian Wilkie praising it for joining turned spigots into their holes, so worth remembering for more than just repair.

Cheers, Alf

 

[GEPPETTO]

Hi,
thanks a lot to all for advices.
How The Restorer said, I think the junctions were glued with PVA or similar, therefore the frame separation will be very difficult too.
Unfortunately how I said I have only manual tools. But they are too few in the sense that I haven't router to make the groove . Perhaps I can rapair an old rebate plane of my grandfather.

I will tell you when the job will be done.

Hi All, I did it. What did I do? I have separated the chassis with a warmed thin slice. It has been very easy.
Evidently it was hide glue.
Now I will insert a new piece of wood within the crack.
How Restorer said, I have seen that the ends of the top are glued to the main boards. It was this which has created the crack,hasn't it?