Thread: splits in a table top

What attracted you to purchase the table?

It sounds as if you want to remove the paint to bare wood. If so, the splits could be reinforced with butterfly dovetails. That could retain the integrity of the table and stabilise the top.

Alternately, saw a strip to remove the split and fatty crack. Then find a matching section of pine to regain the original width. I do not see it being viable to glue the current cracks.

Regards from Perth

Derek

As Derek said
What attracted you to buy the table?

Can you post a photo?

in terms of re-gluing the splits,
if they are along the grain, use a bandsaw to follow the grain to either the end of the board, or where the grain runs out the side of the board.
clean up both sides of the split and the cut before gluing and clamping.

BUT
a bigger question is why the boards have split as much as you indicate.
It suggests that the ends of the board are very much dryer than the middle. Perhaps let the boards acclimatize for a month or two before doing anything

Derek, Ian,
I didn't buy the table, it has some sentimental value to a cousin of mine and because of that it deserves more effort than would be otherwise sensible. It was out west in the weather for a long time and these boards have now been sitting here for about five weeks and don't look like they have moved much. One of the boards I've planed down to see how far I have to go to get past the horrible bits.

I'd like to avoid visible butterflies if I can, a certain distressed look is unavoidable here and first, butterflies would I think look odd and second, I am not sure I have the necessary skill level to get a result that is both tight and neat.

I don't have a bandsaw to extend the cracks, which is why I was thinking of breaking it (which I've done before but on thicker and smaller pieces of wood). I'd imagine that I'd end up cleaning out the current crack with something and having to take a bit off both sides along the rest of it so that it closed up again.


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Hi. Coincidently, I was watching one of Frank Howarth's youtube videos yesterday. What a legend he is. Well worth a look at some. Especially his CNC build.

Anyway, there was an video on fixing up some teak sushi chopping boards. Almost identical splits and situation to yours. He cut down either side of the split, panel/table saw I think. Basically cutting the split out altogether, the bare minimum, depending how straight the splits are, then glued back together using biscuits which are a join for life.

You may not have that much to play with though so I'd probably complete the split then clean, biscuit, glue and clamp like you mentioned. Cant see any problem with doing that. Scrape out the old split section as well as possible without touching the top visible glue line. The biscuits will hold it together, regardless of how well the glue bonds.

Might be an exotic pine, certainly not radiata pine, looks more like old growth messmate but could really be anything from my vantage point.

Your table is Kauri. Commonly used in kitchen furniture in the 1800. To complete the split shouldnt be a problem as Kauri splits quite well. True the split edges over a jointer or hand plane if a jointer isn't available. As for the cuts in the surface, you will only be able to remove these by planing or sanding the top down, which may make the top too thin. Steaming will remove blunt trauma marks but cuts have broken the fibres and wont allow the wood cells to swell with the use of steam. Filling may be the best way to deal with the cuts after a good steaming for other marks.

one way of dealing with the splits is after you have continued the split so you have two pieces, arrange both pieces side by side a few mm apart.
Then follow the line of the split with a router and straight cutter to create two parallel edges that can be glued together.

the idea with using a band saw (or jig saw) is to get a join which, when reassembled and glued, disappears into the grain of the board.

Ozka,
Thanks, I'll have a look for the video.

Greg

Originally Posted by rustynail

Your table is Kauri. Commonly used in kitchen furniture in the 1800. To complete the split shouldnt be a problem as Kauri splits quite well. True the split edges over a jointer or hand plane if a jointer isn't available. As for the cuts in the surface, you will only be able to remove these by planing or sanding the top down, which may make the top too thin. Steaming will remove blunt trauma marks but cuts have broken the fibres and wont allow the wood cells to swell with the use of steam. Filling may be the best way to deal with the cuts after a good steaming for other marks.

Rusty,
Thanks, there is very little blunt trauma and quite a lot in the way of meat cleaver. What happens to the top is an open question yet and I'll work it out with the owner of the table when things are further along. Filling it could involve quite a lot of fill...

Greg

Originally Posted by ian

one way of dealing with the splits is after you have continued the split so you have two pieces, arrange both pieces side by side a few mm apart.
Then follow the line of the split with a router and straight cutter to create two parallel edges that can be glued together.

Ian,
This sounds like a nice option. I'll experiment with it on some bigger pieces of wood.

Greg

Why not flip the boards over to "remove" the cleaver marks... that way you don't lose the thickness?

Or put a glass top on it and ( after a sand and finish) let them be a feature? The splitting can also become a feature that way.

Why not flip the boards over to "remove" the cleaver marks... that way you don't lose the thickness?

I made a coffee table from an old school (~ 100year old) school desk that had kids names, initials etc carved into it. As we had bought the school, and some of the families still lived in the area, I wanted to keep the graffiti, so I did just that. Gave the original tops a light plane, then put them underneath.

Originally Posted by John.G

Why not flip the boards over to "remove" the cleaver marks... that way you don't lose the thickness?

Or put a glass top on it and ( after a sand and finish) let them be a feature? The splitting can also become a feature that way.

John,
Its a thought, but the backs are very roughly sawn and would need a fair bit of smoothing. It also seems to be a good idea to take the top layer of wood off the ex-working side (for some very slightly gross reasons ).

Greg