Maloof Rocker Question - Glue up and Checks

[Donald Price]

I am about ready to glue up the five boards that will become the seat of the rocking chair. A couple questions:

1. Is there any advantage to using epoxy for the glue up? I've used titebond II successfully for years and am reluctant to deviate from it now. How about color match with the walnut?

2. I am seeing small, minor checks in the ends of my boards. Two boards have already been scrapped due to this. I got a fantastic deal on the lumber but am finding it may have needed to season longer. Its dryness is measuring 2%. Can I epoxy the checks? How about superglue?

[barry holman]

I strongly recommend using epoxy. It has a much longer open time the tbII but to me the most important thing is there is no visible glue line when using epoxy. I guess it is not visible because it is clear? I am on my third maloof walnut rocker and have used epoxy for all joints except for the spindles and the back to rear leg joint where I use hide glue for reversibility reasons.

I do not think I can help you with the checks. I have had checks in the ends of my boards and I cut incrementally until the checks disappear. Superglue will penetrate deeper into the checks than epoxy which is more viscous. If one only knew if the board will be strong enough to go into the seat of a rocker.

Barry

[Mike Heidrick]

Typical dryness of dried wood is 8-10%. How are you reading 2%? I would question that reading as being accurate.

[Ted Reischl]

Typical dryness of dried wood is 8-10%. How are you reading 2%? I would question that reading as being accurate.

Notice the OP is in San Diego.

[Dick Strauss]

There may be stress cracks in the walnut. If they are cracking, I would not want to use them unless I could cut the cracked ends off completely, leave the wood for a few weeks, and check to make sure the ends weren't cracked again.

San Diego is on the coast and not that dry, so I think your reading is false as well. If you were in the Mojave Desert, maybe...?

[Shawn Pixley]

Even in San Diego, the RH can vary quite a bit. Even in my town in Southern California, the RH can vary a lot. At my house it stays typically between 50 and 70% RH. Inland, it can be much lower. There are significant swings between the eastern burbs of SD and the properties near the ocean.

However, I would be surprised by a 2% reading in the wood.

[John Lanciani]

I got a fantastic deal on the lumber but...


It won't seem so fantastic when the beautiful chair that you just spent a hundred or so hours building has a split seat. Never skimp on materials, they are the cheap part of a piece. If the wood is checked before you even start building with it it is firewood, plain and simple. Checking never gets better, only worse.

[Prashun Patel]

I agree with the others about the checking. How close to the ends of the boards did you cut?

I've used Titebond on the few chairs that I've build (5) and it holds fine. I use Dominos to reinforce the joint and the help alignment and clamping (important if your seat will be coopered).

You can add a little brown dye in with Titebond 3.