how concerned should I be about ...

[Dave Novak]

... the little cracks forming on my false drawer fronts. I'm very concerned, but don't know what I can realistically do about them. I resawed this wood because I liked the figure and could bookmatch it, it would be a tragedy to have to start over with differnt wood, especially since it would require a couple of hours of driving to find something suitable. And I was so close to done ...

[Michael Pyron]

you can try flooding the cracks with super glue...I would start with thin stuff and then flood again with a thicker version...be aware that superglue (cyano acetate aka CA) is some very nasty stuff and you will of course not want to get yourself glued to the work...its fumes are very toxic and you should probably wear a respirator and sealed eye goggles when sanding (don't ask me how I know that)..then again I did some filling and sanding with the attempt to mix in some wood dust...i.e. I sanded it while it was still wet....stupid....

[Joe Jensen]

Are the false fronts glued to the real fronts, or held by screws. If they are glued, they will crack. From the looks of it they are glued, can you get them off?

[Dave Novak]

Are the false fronts glued to the real fronts, or held by screws. If they are glued, they will crack. From the looks of it they are glued, can you get them off?

They're just screwed on, in a previous thread I asked for advice regarding their attachment, and the experts here suggested no glue. More evidence of the geniousness of the help offered in this community.

[William OConnell]

They're just screwed on, in a previous thread I asked for advice regarding their attachment, and the experts here suggested no glue. More evidence of the geniousness of the help offered in this community.

Did you pre drill pilot holes? It looks like the crack may be happening at a screw location
Thats an odd looking crack and doesn't appear to be normal checking that occurs when wood dries

[Paul Atkins]

It might be a 'shake crack' from falling the tree - I've see lots of otherwise sound wood ruined this way.

[David DeCristoforo]

What has happened here is grain failure. Notice that the cracks do not follow the grain and that they "bookmatch". The cracks have nothing to do the method of attachment. There is little you can do about this. The wood may not have been completely dry or there may have been some internal stress that was released when the wood was resawn. Let the wood stabilize and fill the cracks. Or attempt to work some glue into them and clamp them tight. Or make new fronts. Woodworking can be frustrating sometimes....

[Derek Stevens]

What has happened here is grain failure. Notice that the cracks do not follow the grain and that they "bookmatch". The cracks have nothing to do the method of attachment. There is little you can do about this. The wood may not have been completely dry or there may have been some internal stress that was released when the wood was resawn. Let the wood stabilize and fill the cracks. Or attempt to work some glue into them and clamp them tight. Or make new fronts. Woodworking can be frustrating sometimes....
I agree 100 % with David. let the drawers rock and roll, then fix them. or dive in with new fronts. sorry bud.

[Sean Kinn]

Yep, I just noticed some similar cracks open up on some 1 3/4 x 1 3/4 cherry leg blanks I had all prepped and mortised for some end tables I'm making. Ah, working with wood can be fun at times. I like working with 8/4 stock to do bookmatches as well, but sometimes you just can't win. Just be glad your drawer fronts are screwed on.....very easy to replace at any time in the future if you choose to. If they were true, glued half blind dovetails you'd have a lot more work to replace them.

[Bob Genovesi]

They're just screwed on, in a previous thread I asked for advice regarding their attachment, and the experts here suggested no glue. More evidence of the geniousness of the help offered in this community.

Those look like stress cracks that have become apparent as the wood's become acclimated with in its new surroundings. Note that they don't follow the grain pattern and actually cut right through it.

The advise that the geniuses have given you to use no glue is dead on correct. By using only screws it allows the wood to expand or move slightly. Gluing the false front to the drawer face will only restrict movement and failure will occur at the next weakest point.

[Don Bullock]

Dave, I'll jump in here and add a possible reason for the cracks. Is it possible they came from near the end of a board that you bought? They seem to me to be the type of cracks called checking that are often formed when wood dries. I suspect that they were there before the wood was re-sawn by you, but opened up more as the moisture content in the wood changed. As has been suggested Superglue (cyano acetate aka CA) can work on this type of crack, but like David said, you may just need to make new fronts if the glue doesn't prevent the cracks from getting larger. Good luck.

[Frank Drew]

I once crosscut a piece of mahogany that was to go into the top a large dining table; what I assume was an internal stress check immediately developed right at the sawcut, somewhere around the middle of the board's width, but only on one side of the cutline, and, luckily (I thought), not on the piece destined for the table top. There was no sign of any checking on the piece I needed, not even the merest shadow of a check. Fine (I thought).

A few weeks later, after the main table was built, the top inlaid with ebony stringing, finished and polished out, I came in to the shop one morning to find a newly developed, narrow check going into the table top about 2-3 inches, of course right at what was the other side of the cutline from that crosscut two weeks earlier.

If I'd had a noose I think I would have hung myself from a rafter right there and been done with it.

[Maurice Ungaro]

More evidence of the geniousness of the help offered in this community.

Let's play nice, huh?

[Matt Day]

They're just screwed on, in a previous thread I asked for advice regarding their attachment, and the experts here suggested no glue. More evidence of the geniousness of the help offered in this community.

Are you saying "geniousness" sarcastically? If so, why are you asking for help from the same people you just took a dig at? If you think this community isn't helping you, figure it out yourself or by some other means.

Sorry I don't know why your drawer fronts cracked, but if anyone does it's these guys.

[Dave Novak]

Are you saying "geniousness" sarcastically? If so, why are you asking for help from the same people you just took a dig at? If you think this community isn't helping you, figure it out yourself or by some other means.

Sorry I don't know why your drawer fronts cracked, but if anyone does it's these guys.

Wow, some of you seriously misinterpreted my comment. For that I apoligize. Fellow creekers here very wisely talked me out of gluing the fronts on. Had I glued them, they'd crack more and I'd have very few options regarding their repair. My comment was an attempt to compliment their wisdom, not take a crack at them.

[frank shic]

thanks for clarifying, dave! now let's all get back to woodworking... :D