Refinishing an old table
 

I am refinishing a table made in the Philippines in 1946. The top is two
pieces of lauan, 40x20; screwed to two pieces running perpendicularly. It
is then just set in bamboo base.
The lauan pieces are connected by dowels, and are about 1/8" apart. The
owner says the gap has been there as long as he can remember, and since the
screw holes don't seem distorted, it has probably always been there.
I could joint it and glue them together. Good or bad idea?

Also, when I sanded the top down I cut ever so slightly into one of the
dowel holes. I could chisel a piece off the bottom and glue it in and then
(carefully) sand it flush. Does that seem reasonable?

Refinishing an old table
 

"Toller" wrote in message ...
I am refinishing a table made in the Philippines in 1946. The top is two pieces of lauan, 40x20;
screwed to two pieces running perpendicularly. It is then just set in bamboo base.
The lauan pieces are connected by dowels, and are about 1/8" apart. The owner says the gap has been
there as long as he can remember, and since the screw holes don't seem distorted, it has probably
always been there.
I could joint it and glue them together. Good or bad idea?

Also, when I sanded the top down I cut ever so slightly into one of the dowel holes. I could chisel
a piece off the bottom and glue it in and then (carefully) sand it flush. Does that seem
reasonable?

Ah that famous "cross-grain situation". The two pieces of luan have shrunk since they left the
Phillipines for dryer climes, but the perpendicular pieces haven't since wood shrinks very little
along its length. The joint has popped.

Refinishing an old table
 

"Dave Gordon" d@p wrote in message
...

"Toller" wrote in message
...
I am refinishing a table made in the Philippines in 1946. The top is two
pieces of lauan, 40x20; screwed to two pieces running perpendicularly. It
is then just set in bamboo base.
The lauan pieces are connected by dowels, and are about 1/8" apart. The
owner says the gap has been there as long as he can remember, and since
the screw holes don't seem distorted, it has probably always been there.
I could joint it and glue them together. Good or bad idea?

Also, when I sanded the top down I cut ever so slightly into one of the
dowel holes. I could chisel a piece off the bottom and glue it in and
then (carefully) sand it flush. Does that seem reasonable?

Ah that famous "cross-grain situation". The two pieces of luan have shrunk
since they left the Phillipines for dryer climes, but the perpendicular
pieces haven't since wood shrinks very little along its length. The joint
has popped.
So, do I joint and glue them, or just reassemble with the gap; since that is
how the customer knows it.
The stretchers are warped badly and have to be replaced.

Refinishing an old table
 

On Aug 13, 10:19 am, "Toller" wrote:

So, do I joint and glue them, or just reassemble with the gap; since that is
how the customer knows it.
The stretchers are warped badly and have to be replaced.

I'd joint and glue. Dowels almost always indicate the joint was
originally glued.
I'd also think about trueing the stretchers with a hand-plane,
but that depends on how bad the warp is. Obviously, you'd want to
retrofit
the stretchers with some provision for wood movement, too.

Refinishing an old table
 

"whit3rd" wrote in message
ps.com...
On Aug 13, 10:19 am, "Toller" wrote:

So, do I joint and glue them, or just reassemble with the gap; since that
is
how the customer knows it.
The stretchers are warped badly and have to be replaced.

I'd joint and glue. Dowels almost always indicate the joint was
originally glued.
I'd also think about trueing the stretchers with a hand-plane,
but that depends on how bad the warp is. Obviously, you'd want to
retrofit
the stretchers with some provision for wood movement, too.

The stretchers are about 35" long, with a 1" dip in the middle. Trueing
them would leave them 1/2" thick!

The stretchers certainly should have had some provision for movement, but
they don't. Okay, the center joint split and must have relieved some of the
stress, but they were still 20" across themselves. Built in the Philappines
and moved to a Rochester winter, I am really surprised they didn't split
into several pieces. But since they didn't, I wonder if they aren't safe
now?