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Thread: glue joint gaps - can it be fixed

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2021
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    Israel
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    317

    glue joint gaps - can it be fixed

    Hi all
    I was gluing up what would have been a leg for my workbench.
    I'm using dowels for alignment. Problem is the new dowels I am using are a bit longer than the old ones. using the same setting as before I found out that I didn't drill deep enough dowel holes and now I have gaps. is this fixable or do I chalk it up to the cost of tuition?

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  2. #2
    You could work in some glue with something real thin ,old spring from a broken tape-measure is good for that. I wouldn’t worry about small
    error on a work bench. But I would not use dowels for alignment on that project, maybe some cheap tape ,or some small nails driven
    “toe-nailed” at the ends until glue is cured.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2019
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    Fairbanks AK
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    tuiton I think. We are in dry season north of the equator. Can you slice apart, redrill at a different delta Y , and reglue with shorter dowels?

    You are going after it in spite of severe location restraints. Significant respect to you.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
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    Elmodel, Ga.
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    I'm with Scott on this one. I would rip it down the joint and re-glue. If you are worried about the size of the kerf and losing a bit of width, then use a thin kerf saw blade or do it on a bandsaw if available. Outside of that, if it is a structural matter, you may need to start from scratch. I would try ripping it first. What have you got to lose, except time.
    My Dad always told me "Can't Never Could".

    SWE

  5. #5
    Join Date
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    Another voice for the price of tuition.

    We often learn more from our mistakes than our successes. (this has made my learning legendary)

    One possible solution would be if you can find or make a shim to fill the gap. Use epoxy glue as it is good for filling gaps. It would either need some cut outs to get past the dowels or be inserted from both sides.

    Another would be to plow a slot over the gap and glue in a spline. Turn the pigs ear into a silk purse?

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jul 2019
    Location
    Northeast WI
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    Another tip would be to mix some sawdust with epoxy or wood glue and work it into the joint.

    But, being this is a workbench, I wouldn't worry too much about it.

    Put that leg in the back and facing the inside or something. If it was a furniture piece, always remember you can put the crappy side towards the wall

  7. #7
    I would saw them apart for a start. Afterward trim the remaining dowel ends on both pieces flush with the main wood surfaces. This time just reglue and clamp. With careful alignment while clamping there is no real need for alignment dowels.
    Dave Anderson

    Chester, NH

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Valrico, FL
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    62
    Great wisdom by my friend from NH.
    Hello Dave.

  9. #9
    Hi John,

    Glad to see your still alive and kicking. The guild is now 31 years old with almost 700 members.
    Dave Anderson

    Chester, NH

  10. #10
    While sawing them apart and re-gluing as Dave says is an excellent solution, if you are already to final dimension with the offending leg I would favor a saw kerf and glued in spline. If you use the walnut, with a good grain match it will never be noticed.

    Left click my name for homepage link.

  11. #11
    Join Date
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    I would try Jason's approach on scrap and see how it works. What do you have to lose.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
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    McKinney, TX
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    Using either a dado blade or router rout a full length groove just a hair wider than the stripe and 1/8-1/4” deep and glue in a new piece
    Steve Jenkins, McKinney, TX. 469 742-9694
    Always use the word "impossible" with extreme caution

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Lafayette, Indiana
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    1,378
    How thick are these legs? If all you need is a cosmetic repair, you could cut a 3/16ths deep dado the entire width of the accent piece and then glue in a 1/4” thick veneer face and plane it down

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
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    SE Michigan
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    …or if the gap is thin, just buy some commercial veneer and glue it in. For a workbench, I wouldn’t worry too much about it. We all like our benches to look good, but really, if it’s just cosmetic, perfume it up a little and move on to building stuff.

  15. #15
    As said you will have to rip it down the middle again.
    Since it sounds like early days yet in regards to the glue up, is there another leg which would benefit more aesthetically with the centerline "feature".

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