Repair Split Wooden Table

[Ian]

I bought a console table online which arrived this morning, however, it arrived damaged. The company have offered a significant discount if I'm happy to keep it as is - so if there's a way of repairing it then I'm keen to try it! The photo below show the damage, it's on the top of the unit a the rear.

The table is ~1.4m long, so I'm not sure if my sash cramp will be long enough to clamp it - but I can buy a bigger one if required. My thinking was to mix some epoxy gel to fill the crack and then clamp it tight. I could then use a little wood repair wax to fill the corner edge to hide any imperfections in the join.

Any thoughts on this one, as I have the option of getting a replacement table if a fix isn't going to look good. If I can fix it for under £100 then I'm quids in .

 

[Camallison]

You will always have a 'repaired' table and not be able to forget that. If it was me, I would choose a replacement.

ColinA

 

[He who knows]

Or he will always have a bargain repaired table which looks fine and he will not be able to forget how much money he saved...

Ian - I'd suggest clamping it up to see if the gap closes OK before making a final decision.

I assume its made of weetabix, so it's possible that there will be crumbly bits in the gap which stop it from closing completely, but its only the mitred edge which will show, so a good chance that bit will be OK.

 

[Ian]

You will always have a 'repaired' table and not be able to forget that. If it was me, I would choose a replacement.

ColinA

For such a big saving, I can't resist if it can be fixed to be almost unnoticeable .

Or he will always have a bargain repaired table which looks fine and he will not be able to forget how much money he saved...

Ian - I'd suggest clamping it up to see if the gap closes OK before making a final decision.

I assume its made of weetabix, so it's possible that there will be crumbly bits in the gap which stop it from closing completely, but its only the mitred edge which will show, so a good chance that bit will be OK.

I've ordered a new 1.5m sash clamp, so I'll give it a try and see how it looks. It should arrive in the next day or two, so I'll e-mail the company back with an answer once I've tried it. I suspect you're right about the inside being full of crumbly bits, so I'll dig those out as much as possible with a pick, then try closing it up. If it goes OK, I'll epoxy it and keep it.

 

[SandburRanch]

I wouldn't accept that freight damaged table. It has been dropped onto the bottom outside edge of that end and other structural damage may not be evident now but become visible later and I can't see where epoxy and filler would ever look correct.

To repair I would be installing a inside corner cleat to pull the components back together but that is going to take some time and finesse.

 

[Ian]

I wouldn't accept that freight damaged table. It has been dropped onto the bottom outside edge of that end and other structural damage may not be evident now but become visible later and I can't see where epoxy and filler would ever look correct.

To repair I would be installing a inside corner cleat to pull the components back together but that is going to take some time and finesse.

Just to add a bit more detail, the table is only a console table - effectively a stand to go under the wall-mounted TV, so won't carry any real weight. I'm not sure if adding an internal corner cleat would have enough material to grip in to, as the wood is only ~18mm thick. If it were a bit thicker, I could try it, but I'm not sure there would be enough material to bite in to where this split it. Or do you think it may still be doable this way?

As money is tight at the moment, I'm trying to view the potential to keep the unit with a substantial price reduction as a good opportunity . I think I'll see what it looks like clamped up, then get back to the company with the answer.

 

[Ian]

I clamped this on Friday after cleaning the gap and injecting some epoxy - it's done the trick . I did have to use a tiny bit of filler on the mitre joint, but only a very close inspection would reveal anything.

Saved myself a good bit of money, so very happy overall .

 

[SandburRanch]

I clamped this on Friday after cleaning the gap and injecting some epoxy - it's done the trick . I did have to use a tiny bit of filler on the mitre joint, but only a very close inspection would reveal anything.

Saved myself a good bit of money, so very happy overall .

Certainly glad everything came together for you.

Could you reveal the type and or brand of epoxy you used? Old woodworkers are interested in things like that.

I've been doing wood work and repairs since the 1940's and my go to wood glue has always Elmer's wood glue since it was developed in 1947.

 

[He who knows]

My dad used to swear by Cascamite!

I quite like Gorilla Glue.

 

[Ian]

Certainly glad everything came together for you.

Could you reveal the type and or brand of epoxy you used? Old woodworkers are interested in things like that.

I've been doing wood work and repairs since the 1940's and my go to wood glue has always Elmer's wood glue since it was developed in 1947.

Thanks, I use "Unibond Repair Power Epoxy", but mainly as that's what I had to hand. It's a dual cylinder syringe that ejects both parts of the epoxy in equal measure, very convenient and lasts for quite a while in storage.

 

[Retired]

Hi,

I've only just read this thread. Nice one Ian a job well done. It's possible woodworking adhesive would have also fixed the split; masking tape around the split then just run adhesive in and cramp up; wipe away excess adhesive whilst still wet with a damp cloth. I like hot hide glue for cabinet repairs but it's messy and needs heating.

Kind regards, ColinW.