How Would You Fix This?

[Jonathan Dormody]

I bought a table at a garage sale for a nice cheap price knowing that I could probably repair it. The table is basically a thick door-like slab of wood that sits on two wooden saw horses. You use screws to attach the saw horses to the table top. The owner screwed up and drilled from the bottom of the table top too deep, and cracked the wood on the top (he didn't go all the way through). So, you have two patches of raised wood on the top. What would you recommend to fix this? I cannot seem to push the cracked wood back down - there are probably fibers in the way.

Thanks,

Jon

[Mario Lucchesi]

Do you have any pictures of the piece in question? It would be easier to assess it if we could see it. Plus I know that I am a bit dense and need more info.

[Blaine Harrison]

One way you could fix the "defects" is to install a dutchman. A dutchman is one of those oblong things you see on plywood to cover some defect in the outer veneer.

I'm in the process of making and installing a dutchman on a white oak sofa table I've made. I have to admit that I'm having some problems, but here's what I'm doing:

First off, buy a router template kit from someplace like Highland Hardware or Lee Valley. It will come with a 1/8" spiral bit, a brass collar and a bushing. Keep the bushing on the collar to make the hole for the dutchman using a template. Make the matching dutchman from the same wood (the same grain pattern would be ideal) by taking off the collar and cutting the outline from the template. Make a template using appropriate thickness of wood, MDF, or material of your choice. I made mine using some 1/2" MDO plywood - and then another from 1/4" ply.

As a side note, the problem I'm having has to do with the template I've made. The thickness of the collar seems to be slightly greater than 1/4". Even though the base of the bushing is slightly inset from the router base I made, I can't use 1/4" plywood as the template because the thickness of the collar won't allow the router plate to ride flat on the top of the template. Also, the spiral bit is too short to reach through 1/2" plywood. I need to either find or make some material that is 3/8" thick. After making three separate templates, which were either the wrong thickness or not large enough to support the router base, I threw the last one I made on the shop floor on Monday and haven't gone back into the shop since. :mad:

Good luck with your fix.

Blaine

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

Whack 'em with a piece of wood a little bigger than the protrusions.

After you pull the screws. They might be too long.

[Frank Fusco]

Whack 'em with a piece of wood a little bigger than the protrusions.

After you pull the screws. They might be too long.


That was my thought exactly. When all else fails, get a bigger hammer.