Cracked!

[Carl Beckett]

Putting together a recent project and this board cracked. Looks like structural failure (at first I thought perhaps a defect in the base material, but nope). I can get it to open/close a small bit by pressing or deflecting it.

It is not structural in that the piece is not going to fall apart. Worst case the lower part of this seatback falls completely off - still functional.

But I am going to do 'something' to close it up, some ideas include:


Just let the finish seep in (likely general finishes urethane) then clamp it to close up and if successful some will squeeze out

Hit it with superglue. Some time ago I had some Loctite 420 - it was very thin and wicked very well. I have never used superglue on wood though.

Countersink a couple screws from the underside (hidden), to pull it together.

Or some combination there-of. For any of them, I will try to make the crack bigger to get something to wick as deep as possible, then clamp until it dries.

Welcome opinions and other ideas (its not worth re making the piece, simple everyday bar stool and likely to get beat up over time)

-C

[Paul F Franklin]

Thin superglue would wick in well. Or you could use regular wood glue and work it into the crack with dental floss or thread. I wouldn't do anything to make the crack bigger. In either case, a hidden screw or two from the bottom is a good idea. If you use glue, you will have to re-sand to get rid of any squeeze out; a quick wipe with DNA will show if any squeeze out remains.

[Jim Becker]

Looks like it was some internal stress inside the wood.

I would not increase the size of the cracking...fill in the manner of your choosing but otherwise, let the cracking be. The method you use will be influenced by how you intend to finish.

[Gordon Stump]

I would water down some Titebond II and force it in by brushing across the crack with an acid brush. Then clamp. It is rare to see a crack across the grain like that. Best of luck!

[John Kananis]

Blue tape over the crack, then trace out the split with a razor blade. Follow the line you just made with the razor with some TB2 and then use a putty knife to force it (the tb2) into the crevice. Clamp so you get a little squeeze-out, pull the tape and you're done after a little clamping time.

[Andrew Hughes]

I vote for remaking the part. It looks like the top of a chair.
The only way I would let that go if it were a blind spot without any concerns of strength.
Squirting glue in a crack sound hokey
Good Luck

[Mel Fulks]

Looks like it was some internal stress inside the wood.

Yeah , like : “Wood this be good for my future?” “ All my life I’ve been going in circles “ “Squirrels use me as a ladder now, pretty sure
I don’t want to em-Bark in something that could end up killn-ing me”

[Thomas Pender]

Epoxy and dental floss. But, I kind of agree with the sentiment to make it again, That kind of thing always bugs me - I know about it and wonder when it will get worse.

[Cameron Wood]

Let in a little bow tie and celebrate it.

[Carl Beckett]

Let in a little bow tie and celebrate it.

Had not considered that.... nice idea

(again its not structural but the lower part of the board could come apart - unlikely, but 'maybe'. Something like a bowtie would eliminate that from consideration...)

[Rick Potter]

I would drill a tiny hole at the end of the crack, then do as Cameron suggested. Then a dab of filler for the hole.

EDIT: Oops, I didn't notice the crack gets wider and runs to the tenon on the bottom side. If you still want to save it, I would add trying some thinned glue using the old shop vac suction trick to pull the glue in.

[John TenEyck]

If it will be invisible from the bottom, I would put some glue (your choice) and install a couple of screws from the bottom to close it, and keep it closed. What wood is that? Some kind of locust?

John

[Myles Moran]

Bow tie and a touch of superglue in the biggest part of the crack are my favorite ideas so far. I won't pretend I haven't used GF urethane to fill small defects like this before with good results, so what does get glued should finish out nicely.

[Carl Beckett]

Sucked some superglue into it, put a clamp across and got some decent squeeze out. Let it sit an hour and seems to have taken hold nicely.

Whether I bowtie or not... may just wait and see if it ever loosens up and if so then go that route. These are users not show pieces.

Thanks for the usual great ideas!

Moving on.

[Carl Beckett]

Finished product.

490248
490249

[Jim Morgan]

Which one had the crack? Can't tell. Nice job!

[Carl Beckett]

Which one had the crack? Can't tell. Nice job!

Ha, I had to look again: the one on the left. Pretty subtle (one of those where you had to know it was there to begin with and look closely to see it).

[Rick Potter]

To you that might look like a "simple everyday barstool", but to others (like me), they are aspirational. Nice job.