split in cherry tabletop

C.S. wrote:

> This is a solid cherry table, made in Vermont, with a 1.25" thick top. There
> is a 1.5" long, 3/8" deep crack coming out to one edge, along the top. (see
> link)
> http://home.comcast.net/~tstacct/
>
> The table is about 2-3 months old, but just received from the furniture
> maker. It has a catalyzed, 'natural' finish. I wanted to ask for your
> opinions about how this would best be handled... from a woodworker
> perspective. Some questions that come to mind, are, whether this sort of
> thing is unavoidable (it appears to have split along a line of grain)
> whether there is any reasonable repair/ hide available, and if one should
> expect that it may grow in size (and how to prevent this).
>
> thanks for your suggestions,
> -cs

Damages are owned by the custmer, defects by the manufacturer. Have them
replace the table or just the top.

This is a season split. It is a defect. You prevent this by getting a top
which will not do this within its first four seasons of you owning it.

If the table were out of warranty then the repair/patch may be more
noticeable then leaving the are alone. Sometimes, furniture technicians will
use a low visocsity CA glue to fill the crack up, then level the glue with
sandpaper and buff as needed to adjust the sheen. That's fine for catalyzed
coatings and for plural compnent coatings (resin, hardner, reducer) like
polyester and 2K urethane.

If this were on raw wood I would let some thinned structural epoxy
(SystemsThree T-88) wick into the crack (use a hair dryer on a low setting
and the stuff will thin out and wick in) or drill a pilot hole in the side
and inject a little epoxy until I see it start to come out that top. This is
gap-filling epoxy so there is no need to mate the split parts together as you
would do normally with regular gluing situations. Also, because this is a
slow curing adhesive it is pliable and not brittle, so it will stay stuck to
its sides and not crack. Then, as for the visible part of the crack, that's a
matter of cosmetics and hiding it under a thin bead of artfully applied
color.

It sometimes happens. Caused by stress in the wood showing itself. My bet is
that the wood was not dried properly or was cut too close to the core. I
replaced the top for the client the one time it happened to me. Cheers, JG

"C.S." wrote:

> This is a solid cherry table, made in Vermont, with a 1.25" thick top. There
> is a 1.5" long, 3/8" deep crack coming out to one edge, along the top. (see
> link)
> http://home.comcast.net/~tstacct/
>
> The table is about 2-3 months old, but just received from the furniture
> maker. It has a catalyzed, 'natural' finish. I wanted to ask for your
> opinions about how this would best be handled... from a woodworker
> perspective. Some questions that come to mind, are, whether this sort of
> thing is unavoidable (it appears to have split along a line of grain)
> whether there is any reasonable repair/ hide available, and if one should
> expect that it may grow in size (and how to prevent this).
>
> thanks for your suggestions,
> -cs

Obvious from the picture that the crack was not near the heart. Also, if
the color in the picture is true, it's some KD cherry, which means the crack
might have existed and been closed by the final stress relief. Must have
been a dry winter.

Had I paid for custom work, I would refer to the builder with my complaint.
Even if you close it, the traces will likely show, and the finish will have
to be repaired in any case.

"JGS" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> It sometimes happens. Caused by stress in the wood showing itself. My bet
is
> that the wood was not dried properly or was cut too close to the core. I
> replaced the top for the client the one time it happened to me. Cheers, JG

On Wed, 14 Apr 2004 22:49:51 -0700, "C.S." <C*s*atNowhere.net> wrote:

>This is a solid cherry table, made in Vermont, with a 1.25" thick top. There
>is a 1.5" long, 3/8" deep crack coming out to one edge, along the top. (see
>link)
>http://home.comcast.net/~tstacct/
>
>The table is about 2-3 months old, but just received from the furniture
>maker. It has a catalyzed, 'natural' finish. I wanted to ask for your
>opinions about how this would best be handled

If older, I'd say it had character and leave it alone. Recently
bought? Then make a personal decision: take it back ...no question
about it. Ask for a replacement. Or, just worry about it until the
warranty, if any, is over. If I'd built it and *if* that happened
within the same time period or somewhat longer, I'd simply replace it
with an apology, and use the wood for some other project. I'll assume
you didn't buy it at Wallmart.

Dan.

"C.S." <C*s*atNowhere.net> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> This is a solid cherry table, made in Vermont, with a 1.25" thick top. There
> is a 1.5" long, 3/8" deep crack coming out to one edge, along the top. (see
> link)
> http://home.comcast.net/~tstacct/
>
> The table is about 2-3 months old, but just received from the furniture
> maker. It has a catalyzed, 'natural' finish. I wanted to ask for your
> opinions about how this would best be handled... from a woodworker
> perspective. Some questions that come to mind, are, whether this sort of
> thing is unavoidable (it appears to have split along a line of grain)
> whether there is any reasonable repair/ hide available, and if one should
> expect that it may grow in size (and how to prevent this).
>
> thanks for your suggestions,
> -cs

Is it under warranty. Most big maufacturers are.

"C.S." <C*s*atNowhere.net> writes:
>This is a solid cherry table, made in Vermont, with a 1.25" thick top. There
>is a 1.5" long, 3/8" deep crack coming out to one edge, along the top. (see
>link)
>http://home.comcast.net/~tstacct/
>
>The table is about 2-3 months old, but just received from the furniture
>maker. It has a catalyzed, 'natural' finish. I wanted to ask for your

Take it back and get a refund or get the maker to finish it.

scott