# Joint failure



## bob22 (Jul 31, 2009)

I've a 20 year-old oak kitchen table. The top is made up of 3/4" boards glued together. My son has been using the table for his laptop that has been on 24/7 for about 2 months. Evidently, the exhaust air from the laptop dried out/heated one of the joints in the table leaving a 6-8" long split between two boards about the thickness of a fingernail wide. I am looking for suggestions as to how to repair: should I try to reglue (what glue to use?)? Should I try to fill with some filler (which filler?)? Should I beat my son's butt with a stick?
TIA,
Bob


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## The Everyman Show (Jul 10, 2009)

Bob in my opinion, the best way to fix this is to remove the top from the base and re-cut the top into two pieces right down the line of the split in the wood and then glue it back together - after you have planed it of course. If you have biscuit joiner I would put a biscuit in every 6 to 8". It will take a little longer to repair it this way but it will be the best long term fix.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*My thought as well, but not exactly*

Get the kid back with the heat source and have him set it over the other end of the crack where it will cause that area to fail as well. No sawing required! :laughing: You "could" spread the joint as far as possible and drool and blow in some 5 minute epoxy , then clamp it back together for a quick and probably permanent fix. Sawing it apart, jointing and regluing is the other way. Get the kid a cooling rack like for cookies and that should end the problem. I'm sure the computer people have solved this problem. :thumbsup: bill


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

*WELCOME TO THE FORUM*

There is a slight possibility now that the heat is removed, and the joint can return to it's ambient conditions, that it may pick up enough moisture to close the gap by itself.

If not, this may be just a shot in the dark, but you might just try wetting the separation and surrounding area. Moistened wood will swell and the gap may just close up. It may take more than one application. Once dry, if closed, the joint will return to the same acclimation of the room as the rest of the table.

But, if you decide to cut the table, and re-glue, the jointed seam would have to be dressed once cured. That might call for the entire top to be refinished.

Of course you could just fill the gap with "fill sticks" or also called "Blend Fil Pencils" which are like a crayon type waxy putty that comes in many colors. With that you just rub it in and wipe it off.

To cure the heat problem with the laptop, pick up a cooling fan pad like this.


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## Webster (Mar 6, 2009)

If the table is round and you decide to cut, plane & re-glue, you'll be opening up a whole new can of worms when the edges don't don't line up the way they once were.

Rick


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## edp (May 25, 2007)

*Assuming that the table is still sound*

structurally, mix up a 2 part, clear epoxy to fill the gapwithout trying to clamp it closed. After it is dry, give the entire top a brisk sanding using the ROS and a 120 grit pad. Once this prep work is done, spray on several wet coats of a fast drying, water based polyurethane. For table tops, I prefer the floor coating sold under the name Varathane. I sprays real nice right out of the can. Stays wet long enough to self level and it contains fine grain aluminum oxide which will make it wear like iron. You can also brush it on....but why would you?

If you feel that you must cut it apart, don't waste a lot of time with biscuits. They don't add any strength to the joint. Long grain to long grain with Titebond II is always stronger than the original wood itself. If the biscuits are for alignment, dowels work much much better and are just as easy.

There you go, worth every penny you payed so far.

Ed


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## bob22 (Jul 31, 2009)

Thanks to all for the suggestions.
I am not going to recut the table since it is fine otherwise and I don't have a planer.
Cabinetman: I like your thoughts about it re-expanding the joint with room humidity. I was thinking the same thing and thought about introducing some water to aid the process. The only issue is that once it reswells, there is no space for glue. Might glue like Titebound provide enough to rehydrate the joint? I'm guessing not but you folks have more experience. Also, doesn't oak get dark/black once wet? I may compound the issue with introducing additional water?
Ed: Your suggestion is my Plan B if above doesn't make sense or doesn't work out.
Thanks,
Bob


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## rrobor (Jul 22, 2009)

I think cabinetman is on the money. The moisture in the table is unbalanced. So if you cut the table dress the cut then reglue you may find as the wood comes into balance, that where now you have a concave gap and you cut to compensate that wood will swell and resplit the table. So please dont cut, wet that area and because its wood have patience, if the bottom is not sealed wet that around the split. As to the wood going black, experiment, might be as easy as some lemon juice in the wetting agent.


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## Zircon (Aug 1, 2009)

*Self filling*

For small imperfections that I like to think add character to a piece, I tend to let the crack self fill over time with toast crumbs, peanut butter, jelly etc.:icon_smile: If I am going all out, I rub in some wax shoe polish the same color as the table top.


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## rrobor (Jul 22, 2009)

Life is full of choices, Ive seen some eye openers in my time. So yes I agree, if you like to eat off a milk crate, do your thing brother.


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