My cherry table frame is assembled and I was doing some final sanding and
noticed a small crack up at the top of one of the legs. It can be seen form
the top and the side of the leg. I am guessing it was there all along, I
just never noticed it until now. I don't think it was anything I did wrong,
but It bugs the crap out of me. It is only a hair line crack. I took a
little glue and fine cherry saw dust and made a paste and worked it into the
crack with my finger pretty good. I let it dry and sanded and scraped. I
also applied glue to the top of the leg and worked it in. From the side,
the repair blends in well with the grain and is barely noticeable.
My question is this: Do I have to worry about this sucker opening up over
time? If it opens up I think I would be able to clamp it back with a little
glue and maybe rout a groove across the crack on top of the leg and inlay a
piece of wood 90 to the crack. I'm pissed.
My second question is: Does this kind of crap always happen with a project?
It seems that there is always something that goes wrong that appears to be
out of my control.
--
Stoutman
http://www.garagewoodworks.com
(Featuring a NEW look)
"stoutman" wrote...
> It is only a hair line crack. I took a
> little glue and fine cherry saw dust and made a paste and worked it into
the
> crack
...about the best you can do with something like that.
> My question is this: Do I have to worry about this sucker opening up over
> time?
Yes. Best bet, leave it alone, let it shrink to where it will, fill the
fissure someday with colored wax or colored shellac. Shellac's a little
more elegant, wax is easier.
> My second question is: Does this kind of crap always happen with a
project?
> It seems that there is always something that goes wrong that appears to be
> out of my control.
You obviously failed to pray to Ganesh, the god of luck and wisdom, before
starting the project. You might also want to make an offering to the Tiki
gods to help defend against checking sprites in the future.
Hope this helps!
--
Timothy Juvenal
www.rude-tone.com/work.htm
If it were easy everybody would be doing it.
You could set up a jig for your router and create a deep mortise in the
top of the leg and glue in a plug with polyurethane glue. Just make
sure the grain of the plug is going the same direction as the grain in
the leg, and if possible set the mortise at least a quarter of an inch
from the outside edge of the leg, other wise a thin bit of material
will just split away in another spot when the wood decides to move
again. Good Luck!
Part of the joy of furniture building is the oppertunity to solve
problems. That is why I gave up my job in industry, to do it full time
years ago. Just didn't want to take another order for the same old
blah, blah, blah, widgit. Give me a tough problem to solve anyday over
that.
On the other hand, I notice minor anomalies in my pieces, and others,
because my eye is trained for it. My wife and I went to visit some
relatives who had lived in their house for four years, but had never
noticed that half of the turned posts in the balcony railing had been
installed up-side down.
"stoutman" <.@.> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> My cherry table frame is assembled and I was doing some final sanding and
> noticed a small crack up at the top of one of the legs. It can be seen
> form the top and the side of the leg. I am guessing it was there all
> along, I just never noticed it until now. I don't think it was anything I
> did wrong, but It bugs the crap out of me. It is only a hair line crack.
> I took a little glue and fine cherry saw dust and made a paste and worked
> it into the crack with my finger pretty good. I let it dry and sanded and
> scraped. I also applied glue to the top of the leg and worked it in.
> From the side, the repair blends in well with the grain and is barely
> noticeable.
>
> My question is this: Do I have to worry about this sucker opening up over
> time? If it opens up I think I would be able to clamp it back with a
> little glue and maybe rout a groove across the crack on top of the leg and
> inlay a piece of wood 90 to the crack. I'm pissed.
> My second question is: Does this kind of crap always happen with a
> project? It seems that there is always something that goes wrong that
> appears to be out of my control.
>
> --
> Stoutman
> http://www.garagewoodworks.com
> (Featuring a NEW look)
>
You knew the job was dangerous when you took it!
Yes - It always happens. Anyone can slice up wood and make something. A
craftsman will hide or design around flaws so they work to his advantage.
Dave
Posted Via Usenet.com Premium Usenet Newsgroup Services
----------------------------------------------------------
** SPEED ** RETENTION ** COMPLETION ** ANONYMITY **
----------------------------------------------------------
http://www.usenet.com
A common solution I have used a few times is to fit a patch or
dutchman. Not as hard as it sounds. Chisel out a shallow groove say
1/8-1/4 inch, find a piece of matchin wood grain and color, use a
matching glue color, glue it in, plane or sand it off and voila, a lot
of times you can't see it wothout a magnifying glass and not likely to
crack again
Oh yeah, I pretty much only cuse crystal clear 5 minute epoxy (from a
hobby store) mixed with as much matching sawdust as possible to fill
it, then heat it a little to get out air bubble , leave it rounded on
top or several layers as it shrinks a little.
I always notice this stuff too, but realize no one else will.
Hope that helps,
Mike R
"stoutman" <.@.> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> My cherry table frame is assembled and I was doing some final sanding and
> noticed a small crack up at the top of one of the legs. It can be seen
> form the top and the side of the leg. I am guessing it was there all
> along, I just never noticed it until now. I don't think it was anything I
> did wrong, but It bugs the crap out of me. It is only a hair line crack.
> I took a little glue and fine cherry saw dust and made a paste and worked
> it into the crack with my finger pretty good. I let it dry and sanded and
> scraped. I also applied glue to the top of the leg and worked it in.
> From the side, the repair blends in well with the grain and is barely
> noticeable.
>
> My question is this: Do I have to worry about this sucker opening up over
> time? If it opens up I think I would be able to clamp it back with a
> little glue and maybe rout a groove across the crack on top of the leg and
> inlay a piece of wood 90 to the crack. I'm pissed.
> My second question is: Does this kind of crap always happen with a
> project? It seems that there is always something that goes wrong that
> appears to be out of my control.
>
> --
> Stoutman
> http://www.garagewoodworks.com
> (Featuring a NEW look)
Your only option at this point to to burn the table and start over... ;-)
todd
"stoutman" <.@.> wrote in message
> My question is this: Do I have to worry about this sucker opening up over
> time? If it opens up I think I would be able to clamp it back with a
> little glue and maybe rout a groove across the crack on top of the leg and
> inlay a piece of wood 90 to the crack. I'm pissed.
I'd drill a small hole at the end of the crack and they do the filler thing.
> My second question is: Does this kind of crap always happen with a
> project?
Yes.
> It seems that there is always something that goes wrong that appears to be
> out of my control.
Yes.
Don't cry............................
You can survive the crack, I know it's tough I feel for ya!
Ya poor Guy, think if you had just come back from Iraq minus a leg and an
arm, just think how tough it'd be on you fixin' that there table.
Lucky for you, You have all your limbs, just shy any real brain matter!
"stoutman" <.@.> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> My cherry table frame is assembled and I was doing some final sanding and
> noticed a small crack up at the top of one of the legs. It can be seen
> form the top and the side of the leg. I am guessing it was there all
> along, I just never noticed it until now. I don't think it was anything I
> did wrong, but It bugs the crap out of me. It is only a hair line crack.
> I took a little glue and fine cherry saw dust and made a paste and worked
> it into the crack with my finger pretty good. I let it dry and sanded and
> scraped. I also applied glue to the top of the leg and worked it in.
> From the side, the repair blends in well with the grain and is barely
> noticeable.
>
> My question is this: Do I have to worry about this sucker opening up over
> time? If it opens up I think I would be able to clamp it back with a
> little glue and maybe rout a groove across the crack on top of the leg and
> inlay a piece of wood 90 to the crack. I'm pissed.
> My second question is: Does this kind of crap always happen with a
> project? It seems that there is always something that goes wrong that
> appears to be out of my control.
>
> --
> Stoutman
> http://www.garagewoodworks.com
> (Featuring a NEW look)
>
If you wanted perfect, injection-molded epoxy & crushed pecan shells from
Banladesh might be just the ticket!
"stoutman" <.@.> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> My cherry table frame is assembled and I was doing some final sanding and
> noticed a small crack up at the top of one of the legs. It can be seen
> form the top and the side of the leg. I am guessing it was there all
> along, I just never noticed it until now. I don't think it was anything I
> did wrong, but It bugs the crap out of me. It is only a hair line crack.
> I took a little glue and fine cherry saw dust and made a paste and worked
> it into the crack with my finger pretty good. I let it dry and sanded and
> scraped. I also applied glue to the top of the leg and worked it in.
> From the side, the repair blends in well with the grain and is barely
> noticeable.
>
> My question is this: Do I have to worry about this sucker opening up over
> time? If it opens up I think I would be able to clamp it back with a
> little glue and maybe rout a groove across the crack on top of the leg and
> inlay a piece of wood 90 to the crack. I'm pissed.
> My second question is: Does this kind of crap always happen with a
> project? It seems that there is always something that goes wrong that
> appears to be out of my control.
>
> --
> Stoutman
> http://www.garagewoodworks.com
> (Featuring a NEW look)
>
On Mon, 24 Apr 2006 22:32:39 -0500, "todd" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>Your only option at this point to to burn the table and start over... ;-)
>
>todd
>
no, that's only one option..
The other is send it to me.. I'll put the leg with the ugly deformity against
the wall where it won't be noticed..
If all else fails, I'm sure that a little black latex will hide the brads until
the glue dries..
Mac
https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis
https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis/wood_stuff.htm
"stoutman" <.@.> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> My cherry table frame is assembled and I was doing some final sanding and
> noticed a small crack up at the top of one of the legs. It can be seen
> form the top and the side of the leg. I am guessing it was there all
> along, I just never noticed it until now. I don't think it was anything I
> did wrong, but It bugs the crap out of me. It is only a hair line crack.
> I took a little glue and fine cherry saw dust and made a paste and worked
> it into the crack with my finger pretty good. I let it dry and sanded and
> scraped. I also applied glue to the top of the leg and worked it in.
> From the side, the repair blends in well with the grain and is barely
> noticeable.
>
> My question is this: Do I have to worry about this sucker opening up over
> time? If it opens up I think I would be able to clamp it back with a
> little glue and maybe rout a groove across the crack on top of the leg and
> inlay a piece of wood 90 to the crack. I'm pissed.
> My second question is: Does this kind of crap always happen with a
> project? It seems that there is always something that goes wrong that
> appears to be out of my control.
The thicker stock you work with the more likely it may split. I would not
worry about it until something actually happens, if anything actually
happens.