An embarrassing disaster?

[Gary R Katz]

I've put off this cry for advice because of embarassment. I can't seem to think of anything but bad solutions.
I carefully adapted a Fine Woodworking article "Build a Bow-Front Table" by Charles Durfee into making a pair of bedside tables.(The first photo shows a detail of this plan.)
Just before the glue up I got busy for several months and didn't work on the project. When I got back to work I was in a hurry to glue up and didn't measure all diagonals.
The photos show 2 disasters: The second photo shows the table front with the drawer partially in place.The curved front is made from one piece of cherry resawn into 1/8" laminates, then glued around a form. The drawer front is then sawn from the middle and each end are front aprons. The third photo is a top view showing 2 problems. The drawer wasn't glued square, and the drawer rails are glued so the left rail extends 1/2" beyond the other side. The forth photo shows this more clearly. The curved stretcher in front under the drawer is dovetailed into the drawer rails and curved to be a drawer stop.
I plan to saw a 1/2" piece out of the left rail. I would probably also saw the left side of the front stretcher also. Since these pieces don't show I can screw and glue pieces alongside to reattach. I'm trying to avoid sawing the mortise and tenon joint between the left apron and the table leg. But I don't know how to proceed after this. I will also have to take apart the drawer and make new sides.
Thanks for even reading this involved explanation. Does anyone have any suggestions to salvage this beautiful table or is this firewood?:confused::confused:

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[Jamie Buxton]

This is not a disaster. You still have all of your fingers. The rest is just wood, and can be fixed somehow. This is just a challenge.:o

You don't mention it, but in the third pic (the top view) it seems to me that the right rear leg is wonky. It might be camera angle, but the bottom of it seems further to the rear than the bottom of the left rear leg.

[Gary R Katz]

I think it's the camera angle. I checked the corner to corner diagonals and they are even. Thanks for looking.

[Andrew Pitonyak]

I have never made that specific mistake before <cough cough> honest! well, maybe only once.... Made even worse mistakes too! Glad I am not the only one.

[Gary R Katz]

Good to know I'm not alone in the penalty box!

[glenn bradley]

I cut AND GLUED UP a stretcher that was a bit shorter than its twin. This obviously gave me an irregular quadrangle instead of a rectangle. I cut the offending member out (days later before I realized and alcohol was NOT involved . . . it would actually sound better if it were, wouldn't it?), flush cut the attachment points, re-mortised and replaced the piece with one the proper size. A bit of flexing courtesy of a couple of clamps turned round so that they were stretchers helped. We have all pulled some good ones in our time in the shop. I have developed a rather short timer for just how long I will fool around trying "creative" ideas before I just perform surgery and make a new part. YMMV.

[Frank Pratt]

I think that has the potential of being a very nice piece, so the best course of action is probably to bite the bullet & dismantle the whole thing, being careful to save what you can. Then remake the parts that don't survive surgery.

My personal experience with mistakes (I am an expert here), is that I tend to spend way too much effort trying to fix & hide them. I end up with a suboptimal product that took longer than it would have to just start over.

Sorry for the harsh verdict. Whatever you do, good luck with it & be sure to post pics of the finished table.

[Frank Drackman]

I have no idea if it can be fixed but I think that you did an outstanding job of grain matching. It is a beautiful piece.

My wife is a teacher and says that everyone has a different way of learning. Some are visual learners. Some learn by doing. I learn by failing. I would restart the project knowing that it would be better.

[Jim Becker]

Stuff happens.

What glue did you use? If it's not something like TB-III, you may be able to get it appart with some heat and moisture to recover.

[Gary R Katz]

I only thought of shortening the long stretcher instead of replacing the short stretcher with a longer piece. I like your idea of flush cutting and starting over. That might be the best course. Thanks for taking the time to write!

[Gary R Katz]

You may be right but I hope I don't have to dismantle it. I've never so much trouble getting everything to fit precisely. But I might just have to do this. Hey, I've got lots of time as long as I don't get Corona! Thanks for your ideas.

[Gary R Katz]

Thank you, it helps to have beautiful wood. I bought this wood from a cabinet shop retiring and now I wish I had bought more wood! I know what you mean by learning by failing, too well!

[Bradley Gray]

sh!t happens. Dig in and save what you can and remake the rest. it probably won't take that long, you have already done it once.

[Gary R Katz]

What a great idea! I used TB, I'm not sure which one but it was definitely interior use only. I used the same glue on a garden gate that came apart during the winter. and I had to re-glue it with exterior glue a few months ago. I think I'll try wetting and heating the joints that have to flex for me to fix this. Thank you for responding!

[Gary R Katz]

Thanks Bradley, it's going to be a long road of learning ahead.

[Jacob Mac]

So when I goof up terribly, I pull out the heat gun and loosen it up. As long as you don’t burn the wood, it is fairly easy.

[Jim Becker]

What a great idea! I used TB, I'm not sure which one but it was definitely interior use only. I used the same glue on a garden gate that came apart during the winter. and I had to re-glue it with exterior glue a few months ago. I think I'll try wetting and heating the joints that have to flex for me to fix this. Thank you for responding!

TB-I (original) can be disassembled with great care as it's not waterproof. Google "how to dissolve titebond glue" for some techniques.

[Robert Engel]

Personally I've never had much luck heating glue but I may be too impatient.

My thinking would be saw the joint apart and redo the M/T with a double mortise/floating tenon.

[Pete Staehling]

So when I goof up terribly, I pull out the heat gun and loosen it up. As long as you don’t burn the wood, it is fairly easy.
That is what I would try if it is original titebond 1. Keeping it a little wet with a spray bottle while heating may help avoid scorching the wood and help loosen the glue.

I am far from an expert, but I'd try taking apart only enough to cut down the longer stretchers. I probably remove them entirely to cut them down. If you find the joints come apart easily and you think it will aid in getting everything properly square and aligned you could completely take it apart.

[Gary R Katz]

Thanks for the idea!

[Scott Bernstein]

Dissolving the glue somehow is the best bet. Easy to do with a heat gun if hide glue is used. I once did something like this with a floor-standing cabinet...which I had put together with epoxy. I cut out the stretcher with an oscillating tool, re-made it to the correct length, and used pocket screws to re-install into the piece (rather than the original mortise and tenon).

[John TenEyck]

All Titebond glues are thermoplastic and have poor strength at 150F or higher. If you can heat the joints and apply reverse clamping force, they will come apart.

John