How to fix a hairline split - 2' of an 8' board

[Jeff Yates]

Well I must not have paid close enough attention...let me give you some background...

Building a very heavy duty artists easel that can support marble/granite slabs. This is for a good friend of mine.

Picked up some 10' 12/4 pieces of oak at a local lumber yard...one piece had a few knots, the other was just beautiful.

Jointed and planed and found some cracks in the end...but didn't think much of it...didn't seem to go all the way through. Today did compound miter cut on one end and the last piece, last cut, the cut offs fell into two pieces, and now the fracture runs through and through, about 2' down the board...*grumble*

This piece is to be functional and artistic...and I'm trying to figure out if there is a way to repair it. There are going to be 2" holes cut center mass that will allow adjustable holders to be put in depending upon the size of the piece to be worked on.

I can think of a few...

1 - Expensive, but replace the $200 board and recut

2 - Use dowels to pin between each hole, decorative, but a serious PITA.

3 - Sliding dovetails between each hole...see above

4 - Butterflies between each hole...never done...and worried about the same problem...

Suggestions?

[Eiji Fuller]

I really hate when the checks on the ends of boards just seem to go forever.

I have had success with invisible repairs by wedging the check open and forcing as much glue into the crack as possible by massaging in with the tip of my finger and blowing it in with compressed air until it starts dripping out the other side. I then remove the wedge and clamp. Wait an appropriate amount of time for the glue to skin up before scraping it clean.

From the way you describe your check it seems like an ideal candidate for this procedure.

[Scott T Smith]

I really hate when the checks on the ends of boards just seem to go forever.

I have had success with invisible repairs by wedging the check open and forcing as much glue into the crack as possible by massaging in with the tip of my finger and blowing it in with compressed air until it starts dripping out the other side. I then remove the wedge and clamp. Wait an appropriate amount of time for the glue to skin up before scraping it clean.

From the way you describe your check it seems like an ideal candidate for this procedure.

+1, that's the approach that I would take too. You might need to use a syringe to inject some slow-cure CA glue in the narrower portion of the check, as it's more difficult to push the yellow glue through a needle.

[Tony Bilello]

I think of marble and granite slabs as being very heavy. If they are, replace the piece.

[Lee Schierer]

It is a little messy, but it works. Pry open the crack with wedges to open it but not cause additional cracking. Then with the board in a horizontal position, spread a healthy bead of glue along the length of the crack. Take a length of dental floss and run it into the crack and work it back and forth, up and down, along the line of glue using the floss to pull the glue into the crack. Once you have enough glue in the crack. Remove the floss and wedges. Clamp the piece closed. Clean up the excess glue.

[Jeff Yates]

I will have to give this a shot...

As for weight...this has occurred at the top of the easel, the majority of the weight will be held at the bottom...were it the other way around I would have no question on replacing the piece, as expensive as it is.

BTW, here is a picture of the cut off, because the grain on this easel is so straight, it is difficult to capture on the piece itself with my camera.

So now the question is wood glue or some CA, Well let me see if I can clamp down near the bottom of the crack to give it some help, and wedge it near the top to see if I can't squeeze some glue in there...

Thank you all...

[Jamie Buxton]

Use epoxy. In particular, use a thin epoxy intended for fiberglassing. The fiberglass folks want the glue to flow like water, and wet all the surfaces. It will flow into the crack, all the way through and out the other side. It also fills gaps better than many wood glues. Put masking tape on bottom face and the end, and pour the epoxy into the crack on the top face. The epoxy will flow into the crack. Add more epoxy. I even build a little dam with tape around the crack to provide a reservoir of epoxy. After it cures, there will still be a lake of epoxy on the surface. You can clean it off with a cabinet scraper.

I use epoxy from West Systems, which I get at a local chandlery, but System Three, which Woodcraft sells, is essentially the same stuff.

[Eiji Fuller]

Oh that check looks a bit nastier than described. I would bring the pieces to your supplier and get another piece. If you show the how far the check travelled...Even if the supplier isn't at fault they should give you another piece to keep you happy. If they don't then you should be taking your business elsewhere.

[Ron Kellison]

Use epoxy. In particular, use a thin epoxy intended for fiberglassing. The fiberglass folks want the glue to flow like water, and wet all the surfaces. It will flow into the crack, all the way through and out the other side. It also fills gaps better than many wood glues. Put masking tape on bottom face and the end, and pour the epoxy into the crack on the top face. The epoxy will flow into the crack. Add more epoxy. I even build a little dam with tape around the crack to provide a reservoir of epoxy. After it cures, there will still be a lake of epoxy on the surface. You can clean it off with a cabinet scraper.

I use epoxy from West Systems, which I get at a local chandlery, but System Three, which Woodcraft sells, is essentially the same stuff.

Cold Cure (Lee Valley) has a very low viscosity and flows nicely into cracks, etc. It dries very clear and I've used it many time for various projects ranging from boat building to fixing cracks. It is my "go to" epoxy when time is not an issue.

Regards,

Ron