SWMBO has a favorite rocking chair. I have recently replaced the
rockers for her and I am still her favorite woodworker. We have now
noticed that the seat is starting to split. It looks like it along a
glue joint going from front to back. The splitting is wider at the
rear of the seat and narrower towards the front. At present it is only
about 6" long. The split is similar on the top and bottom of the seat.
At its widest is about 1/8". I believe the seat is pine.
What are your suggestions as to how I can stop the split from
continuing and rejoin it where is already apart?
Thanks for all your help.

Clamp the seat to close the split, then attach some cross pieces under
the seat.

Sonny

On Dec 17, 5:46*pm, Sonny wrote:

Clamp the seat to close the split,

Make sure she's not on the seat at that time....

then attach some cross pieces under
the seat.

Sonny

I had a similar problem with an antique table top. Opened the crack up
as much as I could with wedges. Works a SMALL amount of Gorilla Glue
into the crack with a paper clip. Then used "pipe" clamps to hold it
together while glue set up. Be careful, as Gorilla Glue "foams" and
you can have quite a mess. As on poster suggested, maybe a "mending
plate" or two underneath to strengthen it would be a good idea as
well. Set them when you have it clamped together. Make sure the drill
holes aren't too deep.

On 12/17/2010 5:39 PM, trvlnmny wrote:
SWMBO has a favorite rocking chair. I have recently replaced the
rockers for her and I am still her favorite woodworker. We have now
noticed that the seat is starting to split. It looks like it along a
glue joint going from front to back. The splitting is wider at the
rear of the seat and narrower towards the front. At present it is only
about 6" long. The split is similar on the top and bottom of the seat.
At its widest is about 1/8". I believe the seat is pine.
What are your suggestions as to how I can stop the split from
continuing and rejoin it where is already apart?
Thanks for all your help.
Can you split it completely and re glue it?

I have a rocker that has split twice and have successfully reglued it
bout times.

On 12/17/10 5:21 PM, fenwick person wrote:
I had a similar problem with an antique table top. Opened the crack up
as much as I could with wedges. Works a SMALL amount of Gorilla Glue
into the crack with a paper clip. Then used "pipe" clamps to hold it
together while glue set up. Be careful, as Gorilla Glue "foams" and
you can have quite a mess. As on poster suggested, maybe a "mending
plate" or two underneath to strengthen it would be a good idea as
well. Set them when you have it clamped together. Make sure the drill
holes aren't too deep.


There is no need to use Gorilla glue or any other polyurethane glue.
It is weaker than plain old yellow wood glue and wood glue doesn't
need water to activate it, like Gorilla glue does.


--

-MIKE-

"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com

---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply

"trvlnmny" wrote in message
...
SWMBO has a favorite rocking chair. I have recently replaced the
rockers for her and I am still her favorite woodworker. We have now
noticed that the seat is starting to split. It looks like it along a
glue joint going from front to back. The splitting is wider at the
rear of the seat and narrower towards the front. At present it is only
about 6" long. The split is similar on the top and bottom of the seat.
At its widest is about 1/8". I believe the seat is pine.
What are your suggestions as to how I can stop the split from
continuing and rejoin it where is already apart?
Thanks for all your help.


Sometimes you can pour epoxy resin into the crack. You can seal the
underside with parcel tape to stop it all running out onto the floor, and a
bit of wax on the surface you don't want it to stick to can be useful. Cut
away what you can when the epoxy turns to cheese before it hardens. That
will give you the strongest repair and without building in any stresses from
cramping.

Tim W

On 12/17/2010 6:18 PM, Tim W wrote:
wrote in message
...
SWMBO has a favorite rocking chair. I have recently replaced the
rockers for her and I am still her favorite woodworker. We have now
noticed that the seat is starting to split. It looks like it along a
glue joint going from front to back. The splitting is wider at the
rear of the seat and narrower towards the front. At present it is only
about 6" long. The split is similar on the top and bottom of the seat.
At its widest is about 1/8". I believe the seat is pine.
What are your suggestions as to how I can stop the split from
continuing and rejoin it where is already apart?
Thanks for all your help.


Sometimes you can pour epoxy resin into the crack. You can seal the
underside with parcel tape to stop it all running out onto the floor, and a
bit of wax on the surface you don't want it to stick to can be useful. Cut
away what you can when the epoxy turns to cheese before it hardens. That
will give you the strongest repair and without building in any stresses from
cramping.

Tim W

This would be my exact suggestion if my first choice of dismantling the chair,
fully separating the failed glue joint and re-gluing it were not an option.

--
Free bad advice available here.
To reply, eat the taco.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboyee/

In article ,
says...

On 12/17/10 5:21 PM, fenwick person wrote:
I had a similar problem with an antique table top. Opened the crack up
as much as I could with wedges. Works a SMALL amount of Gorilla Glue
into the crack with a paper clip. Then used "pipe" clamps to hold it
together while glue set up. Be careful, as Gorilla Glue "foams" and
you can have quite a mess. As on poster suggested, maybe a "mending
plate" or two underneath to strengthen it would be a good idea as
well. Set them when you have it clamped together. Make sure the drill
holes aren't too deep.


There is no need to use Gorilla glue or any other polyurethane glue.
It is weaker than plain old yellow wood glue and wood glue doesn't
need water to activate it, like Gorilla glue does.

However regular wood glue creeps, which when you are trying to close up
a check is no help at all. So does Gorilla Glue according to their Web
site.

Then there is the issue that if it is in fact in a glue line then the
glue has to stick to whatever is already in there.

Epoxy would be your best bet--sticks to just about anything, fills gaps,
and doesn't creep.

If you can separate the pieces completely and joint them, then Weldwood
Plastic Resin Glue would be another good option.

"Lew Hodgett" wrote

As suggested, tape bottom and open end of crack closed, then pour in epoxy
and clamp shut.

I would add one more thing to that.

LIGHTLY clamp it shut.

Because that will induce less stress in the wood structure that caused it to
split in the first place, and that epoxy has the characteristic that it
requires less clamping force for a good bond. Clamping too tightly is a
fairly common mistake for people who usually work with yellow glues that use
epoxy for the first times. If you clamp epoxy too hard, you actually starve
the joint of the epoxy needed to bond the two pieces.
--
Jim in NC

On Dec 17, 6:44*pm, -MIKE- wrote:
On 12/17/10 5:21 PM, fenwick person wrote:

I had a similar problem with an antique table top. Opened the crack up
as much as I could with wedges. Works a SMALL amount of Gorilla Glue
into the crack with a paper clip. Then used "pipe" clamps to hold it
together while glue set up. Be careful, as Gorilla Glue "foams" and
you can have quite a mess. As on poster suggested, maybe a "mending
plate" or two underneath to strengthen it would be a good idea as
well. Set them when you have it clamped together. Make sure the drill
holes aren't too deep.

There is no need to use Gorilla glue or any other polyurethane glue.
It is weaker than plain old yellow wood glue and wood glue doesn't
need water to activate it, like Gorilla glue does.

--

* -MIKE-

* "Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
* * *--Elvin Jones *(1927-2004)
* --
*http://mikedrums.com
*
* ---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply

I'm sorry, after reading the subject header I keep double checking if
indeed I opened the wreck newsgroup or if I accidentally wandered into
either a taylor/sewing newsgroup or weight watchers.

On 12/17/2010 11:28 PM, Robatoy wrote:
On Dec 17, 6:44 pm, wrote:
On 12/17/10 5:21 PM, fenwick person wrote:

I had a similar problem with an antique table top. Opened the crack up
as much as I could with wedges. Works a SMALL amount of Gorilla Glue
into the crack with a paper clip. Then used "pipe" clamps to hold it
together while glue set up. Be careful, as Gorilla Glue "foams" and
you can have quite a mess. As on poster suggested, maybe a "mending
plate" or two underneath to strengthen it would be a good idea as
well. Set them when you have it clamped together. Make sure the drill
holes aren't too deep.

There is no need to use Gorilla glue or any other polyurethane glue.
It is weaker than plain old yellow wood glue and wood glue doesn't
need water to activate it, like Gorilla glue does.

--

-MIKE-

"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com

---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply

I'm sorry, after reading the subject header I keep double checking if
indeed I opened the wreck newsgroup or if I accidentally wandered into
either a taylor/sewing newsgroup or weight watchers.

I kept wondering how long it would be before somebody made a crack.

--
See Nad. See Nad go. Go Nad!
To reply, eat the taco.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboyee/

"trvlnmny" wrote in message
...
SWMBO has a favorite rocking chair. I have recently replaced the
rockers for her and I am still her favorite woodworker. We have now
noticed that the seat is starting to split. It looks like it along a
glue joint going from front to back. The splitting is wider at the
rear of the seat and narrower towards the front. At present it is only
about 6" long. The split is similar on the top and bottom of the seat.
At its widest is about 1/8". I believe the seat is pine.
What are your suggestions as to how I can stop the split from
continuing and rejoin it where is already apart?
Thanks for all your help.

Not an answer, but I wonder what glue was used in the initial assembly and
would such glue residue affect the bond of the new glue used in the repair?

On Dec 18, 12:30*am, Steve Turner
wrote:
On 12/17/2010 11:28 PM, Robatoy wrote:





On Dec 17, 6:44 pm, *wrote:
On 12/17/10 5:21 PM, fenwick person wrote:

I had a similar problem with an antique table top. Opened the crack up
as much as I could with wedges. Works a SMALL amount of Gorilla Glue
into the crack with a paper clip. Then used "pipe" clamps to hold it
together while glue set up. Be careful, as Gorilla Glue "foams" and
you can have quite a mess. As on poster suggested, maybe a "mending
plate" or two underneath to strengthen it would be a good idea as
well. Set them when you have it clamped together. Make sure the drill
holes aren't too deep.

There is no need to use Gorilla glue or any other polyurethane glue.
It is weaker than plain old yellow wood glue and wood glue doesn't
need water to activate it, like Gorilla glue does.

--

* *-MIKE-

* *"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
* * * --Elvin Jones *(1927-2004)
* *--
*http://mikedrums.com
*
* *---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply

I'm sorry, after reading the subject header I keep double checking if
indeed I opened the wreck newsgroup or if I accidentally wandered into
either a taylor/sewing newsgroup or weight watchers.

I kept wondering how long it would be before somebody made a crack.


Well, somebody had to do it.....

"woodstuff" wrote in message
...
"trvlnmny" wrote in message
...

the seat is starting to split. It looks like it along a
glue joint going from front to back.


Not an answer, but I wonder what glue was used in the initial assembly and
would such glue residue affect the bond of the new glue used in the
repair?



You are right, I missed that. A very pertinent question.
It might need to be sawn through to clear the old glue.

Tim w

If you glue and fill the crack in the winter it will split and crack again
at the other end next winter.

You probably have a piece of reinforcing wood at right angles to the saddle
wood grain that is pushing the saddle apart. This should have been "slide
fastened" to allow expansion of grains at right angles to each other.

Fix up or install a humidifier to stop this.


"trvlnmny" wrote in message
...
SWMBO has a favorite rocking chair. I have recently replaced the
rockers for her and I am still her favorite woodworker. We have now
noticed that the seat is starting to split. It looks like it along a
glue joint going from front to back. The splitting is wider at the
rear of the seat and narrower towards the front. At present it is only
about 6" long. The split is similar on the top and bottom of the seat.
At its widest is about 1/8". I believe the seat is pine.
What are your suggestions as to how I can stop the split from
continuing and rejoin it where is already apart?
Thanks for all your help.

On Fri, 17 Dec 2010 21:28:12 -0800 (PST), Robatoy
wrote:

On Dec 17, 6:44*pm, -MIKE- wrote:
On 12/17/10 5:21 PM, fenwick person wrote:

I had a similar problem with an antique table top. Opened the crack up
as much as I could with wedges. Works a SMALL amount of Gorilla Glue
into the crack with a paper clip. Then used "pipe" clamps to hold it
together while glue set up. Be careful, as Gorilla Glue "foams" and
you can have quite a mess. As on poster suggested, maybe a "mending
plate" or two underneath to strengthen it would be a good idea as
well. Set them when you have it clamped together. Make sure the drill
holes aren't too deep.

There is no need to use Gorilla glue or any other polyurethane glue.
It is weaker than plain old yellow wood glue and wood glue doesn't
need water to activate it, like Gorilla glue does.

I'm sorry, after reading the subject header I keep double checking if
indeed I opened the wreck newsgroup or if I accidentally wandered into
either a taylor/sewing newsgroup or weight watchers.

Who's "Taylor" and why is he on a sewing newsgroup for Weight
Watchers?

Kontext, yew Krazy Kanuck, is KEY.

--
The art of life lies in a constant readjustment to our surroundings.
-- Okakura Kakuzo

In article ,
Steve Turner wrote:
On 12/17/2010 11:28 PM, Robatoy wrote:
On Dec 17, 6:44 pm, wrote:
On 12/17/10 5:21 PM, fenwick person wrote:

I had a similar problem with an antique table top. Opened the crack up
as much as I could with wedges. Works a SMALL amount of Gorilla Glue
into the crack with a paper clip. Then used "pipe" clamps to hold it
together while glue set up. Be careful, as Gorilla Glue "foams" and
you can have quite a mess. As on poster suggested, maybe a "mending
plate" or two underneath to strengthen it would be a good idea as
well. Set them when you have it clamped together. Make sure the drill
holes aren't too deep.

There is no need to use Gorilla glue or any other polyurethane glue.
It is weaker than plain old yellow wood glue and wood glue doesn't
need water to activate it, like Gorilla glue does.

--

-MIKE-

"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com

---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply

I'm sorry, after reading the subject header I keep double checking if
indeed I opened the wreck newsgroup or if I accidentally wandered into
either a taylor/sewing newsgroup or weight watchers.

I kept wondering how long it would be before somebody made a crack.

Not very, or sew it would seam.

"Tim W" wrote in message
...

"woodstuff" wrote in message
...
"trvlnmny" wrote in message
...

the seat is starting to split. It looks like it along a
glue joint going from front to back.


Not an answer, but I wonder what glue was used in the initial assembly
and
would such glue residue affect the bond of the new glue used in the
repair?



You are right, I missed that. A very pertinent question.
It might need to be sawn through to clear the old glue.

Tim w

Yeah, this is an old problem, repairing seat splits. Disassembly can be a
pain and cause damage elsewhere. It's a hard road to travel. I have two
antique chairs to repair and just keep putting it off. I keep thinking the
best solution is epoxy in the split with a mortised-in piece across. Hard
call for me, as it would not help the value of the antique rocker.