Split Table Top

[Jan Bianchi]

A friend has asked me to fix a small oval mahogany table. One oval end of the table top split off along the grain more or less along the rails. I can't tell whether someone sat on it or whether the original maker didn't allow for movement of the top. Someone piled glue on it over the years and put a couple of metal pins in an effort to fix it. I got the pins out and most of the glue off. Unfortunately the split is slightly bowed, not straight, so if I saw both boards to get a straight glue face, the edges won't match. Any ideas for fixing this?

[Joe Chritz]

A picture would help but if I got it right there isn't much that will hold short of cutting it straight and gluing it up. You may have to re cut the edge profile and refinish.

If the crack closes easy you may be able to glue it then fix whatever caused it to split in the first place but it doesn't sound like that is feasible in this case.

Joe

[Andy Pratt]

It's not exactly fine woodworking, but you could use pocket hole screws on the underside to close the (glued) gap. They should hold it with more than adequate force in whatever areas you need it and would be invisible from the top. Hopefully I'm not just offering a simple idea you've already thought of, but this sort of thing has worked well for me in fixing projects in the past.

[Jan Bianchi]

Yes, I think I'm going to have to re cut the edge profile too. Serves me right for thinking it was going to be easy. Thanks though.

[Jan Bianchi]

Thanks for the idea. I'd probably try it if the table were mine.