Warped table top

[tommysis]

Hi everyone, I’m looking for some advice on how to renovate a dining table top. The table is solid hardwood, and was lovely when it was originally bought. However, it’s been left in a garage for two years whilst we were living overseas. We thought the garage was dry, but inevitably it wasn’t dry enough and the wood has moved. I think we need to live with the table for couple of years as they’re so expensive, so I’m looking for advice on how to renovate it. It looks to me like the timbers are so big that clamping it and gluing them together might not work too well. I was thinking therefore maybe I should fill the gaps with resin? Or filler? Or maybe just leave them? I’m going to send the top down when I’m done and coat with solid wax.

All ideas most welcome.

 

[thetyreman]

I'd fill in all the gaps with epoxy and sand it down aggressively, you could put some battens underneath it which might help a little bit with movement, but with this design there's pretty much nothing stopping that top from moving.

 

[Distinterior]

I would just bring it indoors and allow it to re-acclimatise to the indoor environment.
Anything you do to the top really needs to wait until the wood has readjusted, which it will do in the dryer surroundings.
It will more than likely shrink back to a degree.....!

How long that could take is difficult to say, but I wouldn't start sanding or filling any gaps with resin or filler for a good few months...

 

[niall Y]

If it were a farmhouse table, then living with it as it is would probably be okay. That it is attached to sleek metal legs, means that the top, as it is at present, looks a bit out of place.

If I were sorting it out for myself, then I would cut the boards apart and rub-joint them back together. I would also saw along the other splits on the ends of the boards at the angle at which they present themselves and glue in slips of wood, before sanding the surface and re finishing.

Some of the more isolated splits and checks away from the edges will have to be filled with a matching filler.

 

[Fitzroy]

Aligned with Distinterior that you need it to equalize with your indoor conditions before you fill any cracks. Wood drying is oft stated as 1 year per inch thickness, but that's from green so 3-6 months would be my thought. Epoxy fill, sand and finish and it'll look much better.

As above that top has nothing resisting it moving, traditionally the table frame/apron or breadboard ends would have done this. You could cut breadboard ends on the top but it's not a small task. Individuals who make slab top tables often route a piece of C-Channel into the back of the slab.

I made a desk with similar construction a few years back and used a batten to prevent movement. However the desk is much smaller (60cm deep) with a thinner top (19mm)

Elongated holes allow for seasonal movement.

Fitz

 

[HappyHacker]

I got a wooden chest of drawers from the tip, sorry recycling centre. As it had been left outside the top and drawer fronts resembled bananas. Left in an unheated dry stable for a couple of months and they are now flat. Now I just have to sand and paint it.
As others have said leave for a few months or more to let everything settle into the new environment before starting to fix it.

 

[tommysis]

Thanks everyone. It does actually have a couple of C bars, if that’s the right word, underneath but they were clearly not up to the job of holding the wood together. I’m gonna let it a climatise until Christmas and then send it then. Many thanks for everyone’s advice.