Cutting a board from the top

[Marilyn & Bob]

In the tenants' apartment in our 1840's townhouse a portion of the wide plank soft pine floor has cracked. My intention is to cut out and replace the cracked piece with a patch of modern clear pine stained and polyed to match the rest of the board (it is under a rug anyway). The patch would be three inches wide between two joists (22" OC) while the original board is 8 feet long. In order to do this I have to cut out about a 3" wide piece of this board out across the top of one joist. So I only have access from the top of the board. My guess is the best way to do this is with a sharp pointed knife. Do you think either one of these would work:

or (my guess is the Murphy Knife set would be better for cutting from the top with the knife at an angle) or what about a simple utility knife? Any other thoughts?

[Noozer]

What's wrong with a circular saw? Just be careful of the depth you set it to. You'll still need to finish the corners though.

A rotary saw may be better for this job, but they can be quite hard to control.

[dpb]

What kind of "crack"? In general for an 1840's vintage floor, I'd tend to think it part of the ambience unless it is split so badly as to be a safety as opposed to cosmetic defect. Pictures?

What's beneath the floor, anything? I don't think the knife is a very useful tool for the job, whatever it is. The other poster's suggestion of a circular saw at the proper depth is reasonable, particularly if you had a small diameter trim saw (like one of the cordless 5" jobbies).

Failing that, I'd like to see what we're actually talking about for a real plan of attack...

--

[Harry K]

You will be in for a looooonnng project trying to cut it out with a knife. I consider it in the 'impossible' range. Yes, using a saw from the top will cause a rough cut (splinters pulled up) on the cross cut. To avoid that make a cut with a very sharp knife and cut just inside that. The rip cut shouldn't be a problem.

Harry K

[EXT]

Modern clear pine will not be the same thickness as your antique pine floor nor will it be close to colour or grain even with stain. Is it possible to lift the entire board out and glue or repair it and replace it back? This would look much better and fit in with the age of the building.

You may also have to put some cleats on the side of the joists and span the joist with a pine board or plywood installed flush with the top of the joist to support the cracked antique board. Your lack of description of the crack makes it hard to suggest real solutions that would work for you.

[DerbyDad03]

Try This:

[Don Young]

Lots of good advice on cutting, but it sounds to me like something I would just fill with epoxy and then trim and finish to suit. You can add some sawdust or other filler to the epoxy if desired.

Don Young

[Toller]

I agree with the guys telling you to fix it. A patch will look like crap.

What is under the floorboards? Could you drill a large hole in it and use that to get a saw blade in? (if you decide to cut it out that is...) I don't know how 1840 floors were made.

[Harry K]

messagenews:RTHYi.7875$Cc.7251@trndny09...

I agree, the simple way is usually best. If the board is sound other than for the crack, the epoxy patch would fix it and add a bit of character.

Harry K

[Heathcliff]

First, I agree with the other posters who have recommended repairing the original board rather than patching. If the crack is longitudinal it doesn't much affect the strength of the board and it should be possible to do something with epoxy that will prevent creaking, splinters, etc.

If patching, as I understand the question you want to remove a piece of wood about 3" wide by 22" long from the middle of the board. I would recommend using a circular saw to make the long cuts and then a sharp straight wood chisel for the short cross-grain cuts and to clean up the corners where your circular-saw cuts don't go full depth all the way to the corner.

As others have pointed out, most likely a new piece of pine won't match the thickness of the original and will have to be built up or planed down somehow. -- H

[Marilyn & Bob]

OP here. Thanks for all the comments. And sorry I wasn't clear about the situation. The "crack is actually a break and is not reparable. I will try to explain it as best as I can in words as I do not want to disturb the tenant by having to move furniture and lift the rug just to take a picture). The board in question is about eight feet long by twelve inches wide. It is flat plank and laid directly over the joists which are about two feet apart. It is held in place by flat cut nails. The joists are about 9" deep and have the lathing for the ceiling below attached to their bottoms. Essentially what happened is that a piece of the board about 3" wide separated from the board and cracked in two. this is just between two joists and which I want to patch. This house has some detail and a lot of "old feel" to it, but is far from museum quality. It has seen a lot of "muddling" including some floor patches using modern wood done by professionals in its time. Thus the patch would be unfortunate, but not a total disaster.

Now in order to do this I have to I have to cut this broken piece that is still attached to the rest of the board on its end over the joist. This is what I wanted to cut with a knife. Based on what is universal opinion that this is a terrible idea, I will do it with a rotary saw (I don't have the confidence to do this with a full sized circular saw). When I have these two pieces I will see if it is possible to epoxy them together and support this glued piece in the middle with a piece of wood glued to the bottom of the adjacent boards. Or I'll do the patch of the broken piece is too far gone. BTW the board and the patch do match in thickness. Bit if the new board is a 32" of an inch thinner, it is easy to build up since it owly touches something underneath it at the joists.

Thanks again for all the help.

[Don Young]

Be aware that the new board does not have to lap over the joists. You can cut the old board next to the joists, remove it and secure blocks alongside the joists to support the new board. You can also install blocks partially under the adjacent boards and the easiest way to do that is by using glue and hex-head screws droven from the bottom up. A small socket and ratchet will allow you to easily turn the screws from below. Screwing the blocks to the joists will also prevent vibration damage to the ceiling from driving nails.

To cut out the old board, drill holes inside the corners and use a sabre saw. You can use a piece of cardboard or thin wood to protect the floor finish from damage by the shoe of the saw. Piece of cake!! Drills and a sabre saw are essential tools for home repairs.

Don Young

[Marilyn & Bob]

Wow. Absolutely brilliant. Thanks for the suggestion.