Thread: Repairing chunk of wood missing from teak bench

Originally Posted by Cam_002

Hey there,

I have acquired a lovely teak bench. It has a chunk of wood missing from the underside. See photos below. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to repair, keeping in mind that section missing and is load bearing.

Initial thoughts.
1. Chisel out that section so it's a neat rectangular gap.
2. Cut and insert another piece of hardwood into that gap. Hoping to use teak but hard to find. Would settle with merbau given it's hidden but also hard to get at moment...
3. Glue and clamp
4. Insert another strip across the full length to reinforce. Screw, glue and clamp.

Given its underneath I think this sounds very practical.

Welcome to the forum Cam.

Looks like something heavy got dropped on it and its bust out below. Your idea is right and as it wont be seen it wont matter if the repair is not teak. I would cut well back beyond the ends of the slats so there is more solid wood to join to and less stress on the glue joints. Use epoxy glue on the patch. Slow setting not the 5 min stuff.
Regards
John

Thanks Orraloon and BobL - glad to hear the general approach is an okay one. Will use epoxy and cut beyond the ends of the slats. I got this from a gym so expect someone heavy stood on it.

Thats not teak.

The damage to me appears to have been caused by someone standing on the bench - a localized load. Photo 1 appears to support that theory with the bench being in a gym setting. The "bread board" style ends are very weak and unsuitable in that application. The slats are supported by the surrounding frame only - not the apron!

The construction may well be sufficient for a "passive" distributed load i.e. sitting, but is certainly not strong enough to support a person to stand upon or potentially someone using it as a piece of exercise equipment where it may also be subjected to the additional "kinetic loading" of stepping exercises.

As for a repair - make a new end apron for each end that fully supports the ends of all boards & frame with the full depth of the apron - not 1/3rd depth of the frame which is not supported by the apron as it is currently constructed. That appears to be a relatively simple retro fix by simply gluing and screwing a 70 x 19 mm board on face to the existing apron. Whilst at it do the side aprons as well.

HOWEVER this advice - it comes with a caveat - I do not believe that the joint - apron to legs - will have sufficient strength either for potential "kinetic loading" given the frame's bread board end design. Its highly likely that joint is two 12 mm dowels and not a mortice and tenon joint. Note the use of dowels to pin the frame corner - Photo 3 top right - strong evidence that the apron to leg joint is also doweled.

My recommendation would be to remove it from the gym setting entirely - or potentially face injury litigation. Slat collapse style injuries are nasty.

For better strength do your repair as you suggested, then glue & screw another top rail to the existing one, this new rail will sit under your repair and if you make it of the right thickness you will not be able to see your repair. I would also put a new rail the other side of the table which is not damaged, just to balance everything up.

While I am one of those that usually over engineers there are limits. If the bench is just to sit on then the OP's suggested repair sounds fine. If however the forward pack are to be jumping around on it then go ahead and beef it up.
Regards
John