Need sideboard leg repair help.

[Tom Hammond]

I have a solid QS white oak sideboard (c. 1910) with a cracked leg. I took the sideboard apart, laid it on its back, took out the caster and tried to clamp the thing closed. I could not get the split to close, but it would only go about halfway. If I had put any more pressure on it, I'd have broken it for sure.

I need some advice on fixing this properly. The piece is currently stripped of all finish. Later, I'll be using Danish Oil and BriWax to finish the piece... but in the meantime, I need to see what I can do about this leg. THANKS for any help!
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[Brian Weick]

You might want to try steaming the end of the leg to give the fibers some flexibility,after that process, cross the entire span with a hard board perpendicular to the leg , apply some TB 2 or 3 and clamp the piece closed. Let it dry for 24 hrs...

You may get it to close without cracking,.......just a thought......


B,

[Larry Frank]

I think that you are only going to get close and if you have to clamp to hard, it is likely to split in a nearby area. You may end up using an epoxy type filler and just fill the gap.

[Stephen Cherry]

Maybe the leg cracked because the grain wants to run that way. Can you shape the crack, so that a wedge of wood can fit in there? That way you are not reapplying the stress that caused it to crack in the first place.

[Pat Barry]

Lets first pull the wheel, obviously. Then lets inspect it, even wedge it open a bit more , stick a brush, card, anything to ensure all the dirt etc is out and then blow compressed air in there to flush it out completely. Then soak the end in water, hotter / boiling if possible to swell the fibres and relax them. Then while wet, band clamp the heck out of it to pull it closed. Lets assume that works. Leave it clamped til completely dry, then inject TB3 liberally, even wedge the gap open a bit to ensure you get it coated. Then band clamp the heck out of it again and keep it clamped as long ass you can, ie at least a couple days. Good luck

[Mel Fulks]

Not so sure about the hot water, I think that's more for aching feet. I think I would make a caul for each side by putting Saran Wrap on each side followed by Bondo .Then you can put some good pressure on it with a C clamp to see if it can be closed.If you are in England use a G cramp.

[James Conrad]

Dito on what Pat has to say, try and clean it out best as possible and try and clamp and then go for the soaking/steam. I would add that some shaped cauls would be needed on the curved section above the carved foot and opposite. Along with removing the roller foot, if it is a 2 piece remove the female section as well if possible, as it might be trapping a splintered section. Once glued back up I might fill the hole for the foot with epoxy filler and go from fresh to reinstall. Also, there is what looks like a horizontal crack above the craving on the right side in the first picture, hard to tell from the photo for sure but you may have more to deal with here.

[Pat Barry]

I like the shaped caul idea because then you could use a stronger clamp and not worry about ruing the carvings

[Shawn Pixley]

Dito on what Pat has to say, try and clean it out best as possible and try and clamp and then go for the soaking/steam. I would add that some shaped cauls would be needed on the curved section above the carved foot and opposite. Along with removing the roller foot, if it is a 2 piece remove the female section as well if possible, as it might be trapping a splintered section. Once glued back up I might fill the hole for the foot with epoxy filler and go from fresh to reinstall. Also, there is what looks like a horizontal crack above the craving on the right side in the first picture, hard to tell from the photo for sure but you may have more to deal with here.

Having fixed more than a few of these, you've been given some good advice. To prevent it in the future, I would look for a different caster. Or better yet, go without. What happens is someone leans on or sits on the piece and the thin shank ends up acting as a wedge and splits the foot along the grain. Typically these are one piece casters.

I made some round cauls and used innertube for friction. I then wrapped with rope and tightened like a tourniquet. If I could close it, wood glue. If I couldn't, shim and used epoxy. You can direct force with a rod into the caul, like using a gin-pole.

[Tom Hammond]

Decided to just cut it up into firewood... ... ... ...

just kidding. THANKS for all the help. I think what must have happened a number of years ago is that the leg got wet and when it dried, it split. I've tried clamping again... and I don't think there's a way I can steam this without extreme difficulty, so I'm going to try fitting in a wedge and carving to match. Then, I'm going to overdrill the caster peg hole, fill it with an oak dowel then redrill it to proper size. I think I'm out of options otherwise. Thanks again for all the ideas, guys. Great help!

btw - I googled "caul" since I didn't know what it is... eeeeewwwww some of the images!!! Had to go back and enter "woodworking caul" and got what I needed. So, now that I'm suffering from PTSD, I need to lie down.

[James Conrad]

What about some surgery - excavate from the bottom of the foot boring down until you relieve the portion of wood creating the tension and are able to pull it together. Once that is done, glue it back together then chisel out so a block of wood can be fitted and glued in place to reinforce.

Good luck with the PTSD - scotch helps :)

[Tom Hammond]

James: Actually, when I drilled out the bottom for the dowel, there was 'some' relief. But, I'm afraid I wasn't able to get it all the way together. Where it was twisted at the narrowest part of the leg, the surface grain started ripping apart. Will be doing dome sanding as well. Frustrating, as I don't think this piece has ever been touched otherwise.
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Any advice on wood filler for the remaining crack? I got some J-B, but I've never used it before.

[phil harold]

using those clamps is why you cannot get it clamped back together...
use wood handscrews steel F clamps or c-clamps
quickgrips do not supply enough force

Hopefully you cleaned out the crack/wound before you tried gluing this patch back in

[Tom Hammond]

Those clamps were plenty strong to get the piece back as far as I could make it go without the whole thing ripping apart. And, no, I didn't clean it out... I intentionally left all the debris and broken pieces in the cracks while I was gluing in the dowel.