Question for the woodworkers - filling gaps in wooden table top

[Emilio]

Not sure how the gaps emerged, as I say its definitely pre-WW2. The planks are spine jointed then screwed to the base from underneath. The planks arn't able to move freely. It would be a monumental job to take it apart and redo the spine joints and then reattach everything. Its beyond me, with my hand tools and hand planers. The table is about 10 ft long.

If you not change the construction so the wood is able to move everything you do is in vain. It will crack again.
I would take the top of, take a circular saw and a guide ruler and allong that cut right at the seems.
That way you get an even edge and then glue with a foodsafe woodglue, like titebond 3, which has some filling capacity.
After the glue-up re-attach the top with a moving construction, type depending on form of the base

 

[muddy42]

If you not change the construction so the wood is able to move everything you do is in vain. It will crack again.
I would take the top of, take a circular saw and a guide ruler and allong that cut right at the seems.
That way you get an even edge and then glue with a foodsafe woodglue, like titebond 3, which has some filling capacity.
After the glue-up re-attach the top with a moving construction, type depending on form of the base

In a perfect world, the table needs dismantling, edges planed on a table planer, slots recut for new splines and re assembled with tighter tolerance. But I dont have big machinery and space for that nor the time. Its a ten foot table.

 

[Navarone]

As mentioned above look into the repair care epoxy system. They now do dyes too so you can colour match to the table. The epoxy will move with the wood.

 

[shakey jake]

In a perfect world, the table needs dismantling, edges planed on a table planer, slots recut for new splines and re assembled with tighter tolerance. But I dont have big machinery and space for that nor the time. Its a ten foot table.

Old cabinet makers could finish long boards, must be possible with minimal tools

 

[Emilio]

As mentioned above look into the repair care epoxy system. They now do dyes too so you can colour match to the table. The epoxy will move with the wood.

No, it will split again, probably elsewhere. Epoxy is not flexible enough to compensate for wood movement

 

[Emilio]

In a perfect world, the table needs dismantling, edges planed on a table planer, slots recut for new splines and re assembled with tighter tolerance. But I dont have big machinery and space for that nor the time. Its a ten foot table.

Read my comment again and see that you'll only need a circular saw and can do the work in situ. Just make sure to change the fixation to the base, otherwise is will all be for nothing

 

[big ears]

If you know a friendly beekeeper (we are all friendly!) then some raw beeswax (not ultra processed so it has some propolis in) mixed with some rosin and turps. This produces a sticky polish which if combined with sawdust will adhere to anything.
Clean out the gaps as well you can, I’d use 0000 wire wool and meths, let it dry and apply the said mixture so it is proud. Once hardened it will sand off and you can then apply some more mixture without the sawdust to seal it.
Old fashioned but still works.

 

[Apthorpe]

Thanks. Vinyl is a no no - I tried that and underneath the wood went all sticky and horrible.

what about cleaning and then filling the cracks with some kind of thicker oil paste - raw linseed oil and sawdust? I could easily remove it if it failed. I have time over the summer to allow multiple layers to dry and harden slowly.

Sounds like the potential for a horrible mess…especially when it meets food.

What about getting a melamine faced panel to put on it during butchery?

 

[HonestJohn]

I’d probably use that for something else, maybe a planting table; and get an old butchers block or table instead, for authentic look and feel. Getting those cracks clean looks a pain in the hoop to me

 

[Woodenbeam]

If you know a friendly beekeeper (we are all friendly!) then some raw beeswax (not ultra processed so it has some propolis in) mixed with some rosin and turps. This produces a sticky polish which if combined with sawdust will adhere to anything.
Clean out the gaps as well you can, I’d use 0000 wire wool and meths, let it dry and apply the said mixture so it is proud. Once hardened it will sand off and you can then apply some more mixture without the sawdust to seal it.
Old fashioned but still works.

You beat me to it - a friend repaired his butchers block with some melted beeswax from myself. He just melted and poured into gaps (small not large) & then just sort of hot ironed smooth.
Without wishing to turn this into a beekeeping thread - you mention rosin which I’d never heard of. After a google resulting in pine sap, I’m guessing you could just add some additional propolis.

 

[Bo Diddley]

I think if the table were mine, I'd not try to mess about with it, maybe try the beeswax trick mentioned above, but the shakes and shrinkage are all part of the table's story.

Someone else mentioned the oak worktop offcuts, you may be lucky to pick these up for next to nothing, that's the road I'd go down.
I made up an Island top 1700x2500 for a kitchen from two lengths of oak worktop. The customer never wanted the offcuts, so I use one, and the nephew uses the other, just the job for home butchery. I put the belt sander over it ever now and then.

Edit: Keep an eye out for woodworm.

 

[Navarone]

No, it will split again, probably elsewhere. Epoxy is not flexible enough to compensate for wood movement

Thanks for that. Look up repair care and come back to me.

 

[Emilio]

Thanks for that. Look up repair care and come back to me.

I'm a building enigineer and repair care expert. Now go play.
You do not even get why this will not work, so just do not give advise if it is not in your professional scope. Repair Care needs a certain moisture content and freemoving construction to give any guarantee because of the limited movement it provides.

 

[Navarone]

I'm a building enigineer and repair care expert. Now go play.

How very dare you.

 

[BRYAN]

The top needs to expand as a whole, not individual boards.
That's why buttons are used or cleats into a groove in the rails/frame.
Another way is to use metal angle brackets with slots to allow movement.

 

[NoIDeer]

For personal use I'd leave it. Get a big plastic cutting board and a good scrubbing brush.

 

[big ears]

You beat me to it - a friend repaired his butchers block with some melted beeswax from myself. He just melted and poured into gaps (small not large) & then just sort of hot ironed smooth.
Without wishing to turn this into a beekeeping thread - you mention rosin which I’d never heard of. After a google resulting in pine sap, I’m guessing you could just add some additional propolis.

I guess you could not thought of that.
The mixture I mentioned is what I was taught to used to make wood filler prior to French polishing.
The antiseptic properties of propolis might improve it.
Good idea

 

[muddy42]

Read my comment again and see that you'll only need a circular saw and can do the work in situ. Just make sure to change the fixation to the base, otherwise is will all be for nothing

Sorry I dont understand what you mean about using a circular saw. You realise there is a full length spline joint holding each plank together and old fashioned hide glue? If I was disassembling this properly, it would just knock apart. Then plane, remake the spline joint, reassemble, make new screw holes for reattachment etc.

 

[weblyish]

I make a lot of log tables and serving boards etc and often use epoxy fill both flush top and flooded so you have a full layer of epoxy surface

If you want it for actually chopping on then epoxy is no good. It scratches and goes cloudy if you scrub it and is a pain
if you flood the table and have a 1mm+ layer of epoxy you can refinish it many times but why ruin a traditional table.
If you only gap fill with epoxy you will also have a nightmare at the wood joint when it gets wet and swells

If you want it as a relatively cleanable surface to put a board on then just scrape/saw the gaps insert reasonable fillets of wood friction fit and danish oil it

If you want to put the effort You could also try steaming it (wet the table and use an iron/heat gun) and seeing if you can clamp the gaps shut and put Dutchman joints in - that can work better than you'd expect but only worth it as a labour of love

 

[Emilio]

Sorry I dont understand what you mean about using a circular saw. You realise there is a full length spline joint holding each plank together and old fashioned hide glue? If I was disassembling this properly, it would just knock apart. Then plane, remake the spline joint, reassemble, make new screw holes for reattachment etc.

No, just camp and saw the joint. Side will be parralel so can be glued. This is how big beams get patched is situ, they just run a handsaw between the old and new piece to get the faces parralel and then glue.
After sawing take the top planks apart and reglue with a somewhat filling glue. If needed use a new spline.
All this can be dine in the room, if you don't mind a little sawdust or use a vac on the saw.

I can't advice how to attach to the base, because I have no info on how this is made, but this is mostly not very difficult to do in a way the top can move.