Broken floating panel

[Dave Rosner]

I'm about ready to finish a large barn door I built that has a few tongue and groove boards that I placed into dadoes that float in the frame.

Came home and someone apparently stepped on it and broke it through. For the life of me I can't figure a way to repair this and there is no way the frame is coming apart (3" tennons with epoxy).

Anyone have any ideas?

[mark mcfarlane]

I have no experience with this solution, but maybe you can rip through the tenons on the table saw or with a track saw... Do you have enough door width to lose 2 kerfs worth? Then recut the tenons,... I'm not sure how abrasive the epoxy will be on the blades/bits.

[Sam Murdoch]

A photo or two of how the panel is broken could help us come up with an answer.

Is this truly a barn door or a door that will be used for more formal purpose?

Paint grade or stain grade?

In any case, it is likely that without cutting out one side of the rabbet to access the panel then adding stop moldings in place of the back of the rabbet, the door could end up looking different than you intended.

[Jerry Miner]

I think Sam is on the right track. Cut off one side of the panel groove, replace the broken parts, and replace the frame material with a molding.

[Bryan Lisowski]

I would think you could epoxy, similar to filling cracks or knots in a board. Obviously you would then have to refinish the door, and if stained that section would have a different look, but could be minor.

[John TenEyck]

I've done this, but can't find any photos at the moment. I cut out a section of the rail that you couldn't see the end on (top rail on upper cabinet, bottom rail on lower), then heated the joint at one end carefully with a heat gun until I could pull out that section of the rail, then did the other side. I removed the broken panel and made a new one. I also made a new rail, then machined an open ended mortise in the stiles and the rail and made loose tenons to fit. I slid the new panel in then glued in the rail with the loose tenons and clamped it up. I finished the new panel and rail before glue up. You can't see the repair unless you look at that end of the door; even then you have to look closely.

John

[Wayne Lomman]

Has it broken just one of the tongue and groove boards? If so, leave everything intact. Cut out just the broken board. Make up a replacement board out of two pieces so that you have a diagonal butt joint in that board. Slip it into place in two pieces then glue it together with epoxy. It will take a bit of fiddling around to wedge it for long enough to dry the glue but it works. If it is polished, cut you two pieces from one larger board so that they glue back together with matching grain. Cheers

[Wade Lippman]

I think Sam is on the right track. Cut off one side of the panel groove, replace the broken parts, and replace the frame material with a molding.

Idiid

I did that once with a large cabinet. The plywood panel got much uglier with a finish on it, and I had to replace it.

[Bill Dufour]

Suction cups and pipe clamps to clamp the board back together come to mind.
Bill D.

[Rick Alexander]

I'm facing a similar situation with a baby bed I made about 3 years ago. I've got to convert it to a full size bed after my second grandbaby comes out of it. One panel I made using shop made veneer separated on the front side right in the middle. I'm thinking I can use a router and a template to remove the back side of the groove to get the panel out and just sort of frame it back in when done with the repair using shims to temporarily keep the panel from getting glued in. I haven't tried it yet but I'm wondering if that tactic might work for your door. Won't cutting the styles damage the other panels as well as they protrude into the styles do they not - or am I missing something?

[Jerry Miner]

Won't cutting the styles damage the other panels as well as they protrude into the styles do they not - or am I missing something?

In my concept, the stiles and rails are only cut to the depth of the panel groove--on one side only-- so no damage to the panels. Since this is T&G panels, the stiles could probably be left alone and only the rails modified (but all four pieces could be done). Here's the way I see it:

358840 358841 358842 358843

If the stop is attached with screws (and no glue), a similar repair could be easily done in the future.

[Sam Murdoch]

In my concept, the stiles and rails are only cut to the depth of the panel groove--on one side only-- so no damage to the panels. Since this is T&G panels, the stiles could probably be left alone and only the rails modified (but all four pieces could be done). Here's the way I see it:

358840 358841 358842 358843

If the stop is attached with screws (and no glue), a similar repair could be easily done in the future.

Excellent! Just like I pictured it :).

No word from the OP if we are on the right track. :confused: