# Coffee table apron crack



## JimBress (Sep 7, 2016)

Hi Folks, I've been a lurker here for a while as I learn to use hand tools and starting to make furniture for the house. I learned a lot from you folks, but now I am in a fix. About a month ago I came across some nice wood, Sapele and leopard wood and decided to make a coffee table with it. I finished the table top and frame. Unfortunately I didn't notice a crack in the side apron until after I stained it with Watco Danish Oil. I tried flexing the board and there is no movement in the crack. Any suggestions on how I can repair the crack instead of replacing the apron?

Thanks,
Jim


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## Unknowncraftsman (Jun 23, 2013)

Since the crack is mostly cross grain.You should remake the part.
The crack is not fixable.

Aj


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## nightguy (Aug 2, 2016)

Here is what I would do, on the back side run a piece or wood about 8" long, by about an 1" less then the width of the apron, 3/4" thick, flush with the top of the apron piece, and put 3 or 4 screws on each side of the crack. Then fill the crack on the exposed side with a wood putty that matches the color.


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## TheFridge (May 1, 2014)

I'd say about the same but I'd scrape the finish off and glue it.


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## nightguy (Aug 2, 2016)

> I d say about the same but I d scrape the finish off and glue it.
> 
> - TheFridge


I thought of that too, it would not be a bad addition, better over kill then under.


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## bondogaposis (Dec 18, 2011)

I would replace that board, you are never going to be happy with a scab. It is not fixable.


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## JBrow (Nov 18, 2015)

JimBress,

I doubt the crack will cause problems down the road. Therefore leaving it is alone is a viable option. There appears to be some intact wood in the rail below the crack and the rail and top appear to be fairly thick. If someone were to sit on the table directly over the crack, the downward forces would be largely distributed by the top. The crack would compress. I assume the top overhangs the rails by some distance, which would make the crack less visible.

But if repairing the crack is a must, then Option 1 would be to replace the rail; a job I would not want to undertake. Option 2 is offered by nightguy, a scab. This is probably the strongest repair. Option 3 would be to install pocket screws that would span the crack. I would think installing one pocket screw from left to right and the second pocket screw in the opposite direction, right to left, would provide the greatest support.


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## Halc (Jan 5, 2014)

You might consider attaching a piece of angle iron to the back side of the apron piece. You can get them about 1.5" x 1.5" with holes and slots in them. Get the longest one that will fit the length of the apron, or buy one longer and cut it to the exact length and use screws to attach it. If the top of the angle iron is flush with the top edge of the apron you won't see it. It should stabilize the apron and hold unless you're going to be dancing on top of the table.


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## JimBress (Sep 7, 2016)

Thank you all for your help. My initial thought was to inset a piece of steal bar stock to the top of the apron and screw it in. I wanted to find a repair for this instead of replacing the apron because the apron was still structurally sound enough that I could not get the crack to move by flexing the board in any direction. I went with the early morning advise and hadn't been on the board after 6am. After scraping and sanding the area I glued and screwed an 18" support board out of the same material (leopard wood). I chose the length by putting the crack in the middle of the board with one end butted to the leg. I think it looks nicer that way even if you will have to crawl under the table to see it. I don't think the outside crack will be visible with 2" of overhang from the top and the two layers of shellac I will finish it off with.

Cheers,
Jim


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## TheFridge (May 1, 2014)

good deal.


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## Cooler (Feb 3, 2016)

> Thank you all for your help. My initial thought was to inset a piece of steal bar stock to the top of the apron and screw it in. I wanted to find a repair for this instead of replacing the apron because the apron was still structurally sound enough that I could not get the crack to move by flexing the board in any direction. I went with the early morning advise and hadn t been on the board after 6am. After scraping and sanding the area I glued and screwed an 18" support board out of the same material (leopard wood). I chose the length by putting the crack in the middle of the board with one end butted to the leg. I think it looks nicer that way even if you will have to crawl under the table to see it. I don t think the outside crack will be visible with 2" of overhang from the top and the two layers of shellac I will finish it off with.
> 
> Cheers,
> Jim
> ...


Nicely done. The glue alone would probably have done the job. Lots of surface area. But the screws are a good way to clamp a piece.

Tell the girlfriends not to dance on the table in the future. The aprons will last longer that way.


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## JimBress (Sep 7, 2016)

Nicely done. The glue alone would probably have done the job. Lots of surface area. But the screws are a good way to clamp a piece.

Tell the girlfriends not to dance on the table in the future. The aprons will last longer that way. 

- Cooler
[/QUOTE]
The screws were great for locating the board, and probably over kill. The screws alone didn't have the clamping power to cause glue squeeze out. That surprised me. The main reason I used the screws, and a lot of them, is because even though I scraped and sanded I still had doubts on how much the danish oil application would affect the adhesion of the glue.

-Jim


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## Woodchuck2010 (Jan 19, 2016)

You definitely fixed it. I'd have done a couple of pocket hole screws.


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## nightguy (Aug 2, 2016)

The screws may not have pulled tight if you did not have the hole in the scab piece larger then the thread diameter.


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## Unknowncraftsman (Jun 23, 2013)

Thats some nice looking wood.Good save.

Aj


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## JimBress (Sep 7, 2016)

> The screws may not have pulled tight if you did not have the hole in the scab piece larger then the thread diameter.
> 
> - nightguy


Nope, screws slipped in and out of scab piece (new term for me), but there was a slight bow in the wood and this leopard wood is extremely dense (SG 0.97) and stiff. I sent a couple of the off cuts to an amateur bow (cello) maker to use as practice pieces.

-Jim


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## JimBress (Sep 7, 2016)

> Thats some nice looking wood.Good save.
> 
> Aj
> 
> - Aj2


Thanks. Leopard wood is a thing of beauty, but not a lot of fun to work with.


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## waho6o9 (May 6, 2011)

Great save!


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