Woodworking advice needed.

[Zero Knievel]

The kitchen table developed a split.  We’ve been told it would cost as much to fix (by a professional) as it would be to replace it.

 

That said, I’m sure a woodworker would have no issue repairing the table for himself at minimal cost.  I know I’d need a couple of clamps that go beyond 3 feet, wood glue, a reinforcement strip that would be glued and screwed into the underside of the table.

 

Thoughts?

 

[SwampNut]

I need a more 3D view.  Is it splitting in a single plane, or multiple dimensions?  Meaning, is there curl plus the split?  How much resistance is if you try to force them back together?  Will it go?  How important is it to you that the seam disappear (not show any signs of repair/issues)?

[Zero Knievel]

I’ve added 3 more photos.  Can’t force it back together by hand, and we keep the table covered, so I’m not worried about aesthetics.

 

 

 

[SwampNut]

There's a tremendous amount of force going on there, and there is now junk inside the broken joint trying to keep it apart.  I would start with dry clamping it to see if it will even go together at all.  Or, enough to make you happy.  If so, then I'd apply Titebond II liberally inside the joint with a small brush, then clamp.  This may be enough, hard to say.  If you could clean the joint, it would be.

 

You could add a support on the bottom.  A flat piece, say 1/2" thick (ish, whatever) both glued and screwed to the bottom.  The screws are for clamping, just need a few, not big.  The glue will be the holding force.  But you can't fit clamps in there so it has to be screws to close the glue joint.  The screws only need to go into the top around 3/8 to 1/2" or so.  

 

 

 

 

[Furbird]

Y'all trying to figure out how to fix it, I'm trying to figure out how it happened in the first place.  Because it seems to me if you find the source, you prevent it from happening again.  If the table is old, the question should be... why?  Is there a structural issue?  Termites?  Humidity drop?  Chuck Norris chopped the shit out of it?  Andre the Giant body slammed your ass on it?

A new table does that, then it wasn't dried properly.  But a vintage table does that and there is a REASON.  Because like Carlos said (almost in passing), that's FORCE.  If that was natural, that shit was LOUD.

[blackhawkxx]

2 hours ago, Furbird said:

Y'all trying to figure out how to fix it, I'm trying to figure out how it happened in the first place.  Because it seems to me if you find the source, you prevent it from happening again.  If the table is old, the question should be... why?  Is there a structural issue?  Termites?  Humidity drop?  Chuck Norris chopped the shit out of it?  Andre the Giant body slammed your ass on it?

A new table does that, then it wasn't dried properly.  But a vintage table does that and there is a REASON.  Because like Carlos said (almost in passing), that's FORCE.  If that was natural, that shit was LOUD.

Remember when the rearend oil needed changing in his pickup?.......

[Biometrix]

Why does the crack in the first of the 3 additional photos appear to have something white inside of it? Is that just the lighting/angle?

[SwampNut]

6 hours ago, Furbird said:

Y'all trying to figure out how to fix it, I'm trying to figure out how it happened in the first place.

 

It's wood.  It does that.  Ignore the rest of the retard post.

 

[Zero Knievel]

9 hours ago, Furbird said:

Y'all trying to figure out how to fix it, I'm trying to figure out how it happened in the first place.  Because it seems to me if you find the source, you prevent it from happening again.  If the table is old, the question should be... why?  Is there a structural issue?  Termites?  Humidity drop?  Chuck Norris chopped the shit out of it?  Andre the Giant body slammed your ass on it?

Not sure if this matters, but this end of the table faces the windows in the kitchen that had 1/4” of ice on the inside this past Christmas…when we knew we had to replace the windows.  0 degrees that morning, and I think I remember hearing a CRACK that day, but didn’t see where it came from.  I suppose extreme contraction made a weak point split.  I actually see no structural issue with the table because the underlying frame is completely intact.  Even if the split crossed the whole table, that surface wouldn’t collapse under normal use.

 

6 hours ago, Biometrix said:

Why does the crack in the first of the 3 additional photos appear to have something white inside of it? Is that just the lighting/angle?

Shot so the floor would reflect light into the camera so the crack would be visible.

[SwampNut]

It could be related, but I see things like this all the time, and I assure you nobody in Phoenix has their furniture near iced up windows.  

 

I just realized I didn't tell you one thing.  You will need a stout clamp, probably, they aren't cheap.  Your regular thin-bar clamps may not work.  You wouldn't know until you try though.

 

The one in my hand is actually a stout version of the generic thin, basic clamps, and I don't know if it would work.  The cheap-ass basic shit at most stores will be even thinner.  The one on the clamp rack next to it is called a parallel clamp, and can put down over 4x the force without bending.  But they are expensive.  The blue Irwin in the background is a maybe, but probably also expensive.

 

[IcePrick]

https://fireballtool.com/products/maximus-clamp-kit-set-of-2

 

 

[SwampNut]

Now that's a clamp.

 

It made me realize that a piece of black iron pipe and a clamp kit from HF would do this very well.

 

https://www.harborfreight.com/2-piece-3-4-quarter-inch-heavy-duty-cast-iron-pipe-clamp-31255.html

 

https://www.homedepot.com/p/BESSEY-H-Style-3-4-in-Black-Pipe-Clamp-Fixture-Set-BPC-H34/204986131

[blackhawkxx]

If you were to go the really poor mans route, how about a couple of heavy duty ratchet straps which you already have and use buffers on the edge of the table and a 2x4 across the top to stop bowing?  Actually Swap's HF suggestion sounds like the way to go and then you will have it for future use.   

[SwampNut]

You will definitely be bowing it and I doubt that a pine 2x4 will stay flat.  I mean, it's a good idea to have no cost, but may have poor results.  I use strap "clamps" but only for square things like a box/drawer, so forces are equal.

 

Hmm, two straps on opposite sides and equally tightened may be good....

 

[Furbird]

11 hours ago, Zero Knievel said:

Not sure if this matters, but this end of the table faces the windows in the kitchen that had 1/4” of ice on the inside this past Christmas…when we knew we had to replace the windows.  0 degrees that morning, and I think I remember hearing a CRACK that day, but didn’t see where it came from.  I suppose extreme contraction made a weak point split. 

 

15 hours ago, SwampNut said:

 

It's wood.  It does that.  Ignore the rest of the retard post.

 

Say, who's the retard now?  Because Zero just answered what happened.  And in my 48 years of residing in the extremely humid south this has NEVER FUCKING HAPPENED TO ANY PIECE OF FURNITURE IN ANY HOME I HAVE BEEN IN.  Ice inside the glass, furniture near said window, table is covered, boom goes the dynamite.

[SwampNut]

Cool story bro.

 

[superhawk996]

Another thought, since it'll be covered, don't clamp it so that there's no longer a force trying to pull it back apart.  Glue something to the underside to keep it strong and be done.

[Biometrix]

15 minutes ago, superhawk996 said:

Another thought, since it'll be covered, don't clamp it so that there's no longer a force trying to pull it back apart.  Glue something to the underside to keep it strong and be done.

^^^Agree. If looks don't matter this is an easy way to prevent the crack from expanding. 

[SwampNut]

It may seem obvious, but isn't.  We don't actually know what forces continue to live in there.  This is why wood can seemingly randomly warp and twist.  There doesn't need to be an event or a reason at all.  I run into it all the time.  I just had to resurface boards that were "ready" but after a few months of sitting, had changed their mind.  Humidity changes are, of course, one huge reason.  A friend brought oak furniture from the South to AZ, and guess what happened...  But it also happens with stuff just sitting in a house here.

 

[Biometrix]

8 hours ago, SwampNut said:

Humidity changes are, of course, one huge reason.  

So true and from the pics it appears that the underside of table isn't finished/sealed so that will make the expansion and contraction from humidity changes even worse than if the whole table had some kind of a sealer coat.

[XXitanium]

 

 

[Zero Knievel]

17 hours ago, SwampNut said:

It may seem obvious, but isn't.  We don't actually know what forces continue to live in there. 

The midi-chlorian count might be off the charts. 🤔

 

Gonna just glue and screw.  The table is on a sturdy frame…no danger of failure.  Furbird’s take makes perfect sense.  Glue and screw a reinforcing strip and pack the crack with either wood glue or wood filler.

[SwampNut]

18 hours ago, Biometrix said:

So true and from the pics it appears that the underside of table isn't finished/sealed so that will make the expansion and contraction from humidity changes even worse than if the whole table had some kind of a sealer coat.

 

Yeah, I always do a token amount of sealer on all surfaces because of this, but cheap stuff is built...cheap.