# Repairs required to Oak Table



## anthm27 (May 12, 2015)

My Friend had this table custom built of OAK in Japan.

Its very new, only a week old actually and already cracks appearing. Can anybody give advice if this is repairable and how? The obvious of course glue and clamp. Anybody can elaborate? Thanks in advance.




























Regards
Anthm


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## Loren (May 30, 2008)

Maybe caused by central heating. Japan is a 
humid country and the maker may not have
anticipated the climate it was being shipped to
by bringing the moisture content down prior
to glue-up. This would not be surprising as 
furniture shops are not typically set up with 
kilns in house. Or it could be just sloppy quality
control.

A room humidifier might help. The cracks may
close up in the warmer months on their own.


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## anthm27 (May 12, 2015)

> Maybe caused by central heating. Japan is a
> humid country. Central heating breaks guitars
> especially. I d say send it back to Japan but it
> may be cost-prohibitive.
> ...


Thanks for the reply, actually he lives in Japan and yes runs central heating. Its gonna be hard to take watching this thing crack more. The guy that made it lives locally so I suspect he should have been aware of the circumstances.


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## Loren (May 30, 2008)

Edited my reply while you were posting. Sam
Maloof in his book mentioned cracking because
I guess he got a lot of repair inquiries. He
said to leave it alone because what the piece
wanted was a more humid climate.

There are exceptions of course due to rushed 
production of furniture panels where it's the 
maker's fault for not allowing milled boards
to acclimate and move before jointing and 
gluing.


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## anthm27 (May 12, 2015)

> Edited my reply while you were posting. Sam
> Maloof in his book mentioned cracking because
> I guess he got a lot of repair inquiries. He
> said to leave it alone because what the piece
> ...


Yes I saw the edit thank you. With the above comments of yours I am thinking leave it for a couple of months before doing anything, lets see if it gets worse.


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## jdh122 (Sep 8, 2010)

How is the top attached? It's hard to tell from the photo, but I wonder if there is a square structure on each end that is attached to the top in a cross-grain orientation. If this is the case (without slotting the holes in the top of the square or using z-clips) it would inevitably lead to cracking.


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## Nathansiwem (Mar 20, 2018)

You can fill the cracks with several different products, including wood putty, wax sticks, and shellac sticks.

Wood putty comes in a variety of colors, so you're sure to find one to match the wood you're working with.
Wax sticks are like hard crayons. You can use it before you apply the final finish and afterward. If you use it before applying the final finish, you need to seal the wood with shellac first.
Shellac sticks are easy to apply, you melt with a soldering iron and let drip into the surface imperfection. You then press it in with a putty knife or chisel and wait for it to harden. After the shellac is hard, you scrape it flush with a chisel or thin cabinet scraper and then sand it lightly with fine sandpaper.

I think your cracks are not so serious, if they do not grow.


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## bondogaposis (Dec 18, 2011)

The no. 1 thing is to figure out why it is cracking. The first thing to look for is how is the top attached to the base? Does it allow for movement? If not, that is your culprit and the table will have be reworked to allow for movement.


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## RichT (Oct 14, 2016)

If I had a table custom made and one week later it was cracking, I'd raise raise hell with the seller. I would demand either a flawless repair, a replacement, or better yet, a refund so I could go buy one from a reputable source.

The notion of having to repair it yourself is ridiculous.


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

Send it back, get a refund. 
The crack is a symptom of either poor wood selection or improper construction.


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## anthm27 (May 12, 2015)

> How is the top attached? It s hard to tell from the photo, but I wonder if there is a square structure on each end that is attached to the top in a cross-grain orientation. If this is the case (without slotting the holes in the top of the square or using z-clips) it would inevitably lead to cracking.
> 
> - jdh122


Thanks for the reply, Yes interesting point, Im still trying to find out exactly but yes the top is attached to square steel beam at either end, and seems the screws go through the beam into the wooden top. (are you saying possibly not enough play in the holes drilled into the steal beam?)
Regards
Anthm


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## anthm27 (May 12, 2015)

> You can fill the cracks with several different products, including wood putty, wax sticks, and shellac sticks.
> 
> Wood putty comes in a variety of colors, so you're sure to find one to match the wood you're working with.
> Wax sticks are like hard crayons. You can use it before you apply the final finish and afterward. If you use it before applying the final finish, you need to seal the wood with shellac first.
> ...


Thank you for the reply, The Shellac thing is something I've had very little experience with. 
Thanks for the advice.


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## anthm27 (May 12, 2015)

> The no. 1 thing is to figure out why it is cracking. The first thing to look for is how is the top attached to the base? Does it allow for movement? If not, that is your culprit and the table will have be reworked to allow for movement.
> 
> - bondogaposis


Thanks for the reply, yes I am hearing you, maybe not enough play in the holes in the beams that the screw go through to attach to the table top.
Thanks


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## anthm27 (May 12, 2015)

> If I had a table custom made and one week later it was cracking, I d raise raise hell with the seller. I would demand either a flawless repair, a replacement, or better yet, a refund so I could go buy one from a reputable source.
> 
> The notion of having to repair it yourself is ridiculous.
> 
> - Rich


Cheers for the reply, Yes there has been some of that, The manufacturer is in the picture and has asked for the table to sit for a few weeks and see if the cracks evolve.
Thanks
Regards
Anthm


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## anthm27 (May 12, 2015)

> Send it back, get a refund.
> The crack is a symptom of either poor wood selection or improper construction.
> 
> - Woodknack


Maybe this will be the final outcome,
Thanks for the reply


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## Loren (May 30, 2008)

It's possible the beam holes were not appropriately
slotted. It would be a jawdropping oversight in a
shop set up to build fine furniture however.

Exposed panel ends like this are especially vulnerable
to problems. I saw a thread awhile back where 
a shop with a showroom was having problems with
cracking ends in tables made from otherwise well-
seasoned wood. It turned out there was a heating
duct nearby I think. Even a big window can cause
problems with prolonged sun hitting a piece.


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## anthm27 (May 12, 2015)

> It s possible the beam holes were not appropriately
> slotted. It would be a jawdropping oversight in a
> shop set up to build fine furniture however.
> 
> ...


Yes all interesting, I,ve learnt that from a manufactures point of view to build these style of tables is a bit of a risk, even if the beam holes are slotted appropriately. 
The guy that built the table has guaranteed it and has responded that he will fix or replace the table , hes requested it sits for a little longer before he does anything though.
Will keep you updated.
Regards
Anthm


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## anthm27 (May 12, 2015)




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## Mahdeew (Jul 24, 2013)

Looking at the second picture, it appear that crack pre-existed and was repaired prior to shipping. I assume that because the surface grain and especially the end grain don't match. Off course this is a common practice in woodworking however, it should not fail the way it did.


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## anthm27 (May 12, 2015)

> Looking at the second picture, it appear that crack pre-existed and was repaired prior to shipping. I assume that because the surface grain and especially the end grain don t match. Off course this is a common practice in woodworking however, it should not fail the way it did.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I'm thinking yes that it may have been cracked before and repaired. Ill be interested to see what the manufacturer has to say.
Thanks for the comment


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