I did *exactly* what I told myself not to do and split a piece of wood.

I come here to humble myself...

I was assembling a nightstand similar to this:

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I modified the design to make it taller to match the height of a tall bed a nd also raised the top shelf so that it is flush with the top of the side s lats. (It's a nightstand for my daughter's college apartment)

I knew going in that I had to be careful when screwing the top shelf to the slats. Being so close to the end of the slats introduced a lot of potentia l for splitting. Of course, I pre-drilled and countersunk for the screws.

I specifically said to myself "If you need to remove a screw for any reason , be damn sure the screw gun is set to extract the screw, not drive it in f urther."

Low and behold, after attaching all 19 slats to both the top and bottom she lf, I noticed that 1 (one!) slat was not fully seated against the top shelf . Simple fix: remove the screw, clamp the slat to the shelf and carefully d rive the screw back in. Easy peazy.

So I grab the screw gun and promptly drive the screw further into the wood, splitting the slat.

Now I have to set up the table saw to rip a new slat. Luckily the router ta ble is still set up the same so the round overs will be easy to match. Then there's the finish sanding. I thought I was done!

Any other mistake during assembly would have been bad enough, but to do *ex actly* what I warned myself not to do really sucks!

Reply to
DerbyDad03
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Nooooo... Unless you really screwed up you can easily repair the split. Force some glue in the crack and clamp. Happens all the time.

Reply to
Leon

Whenever I make anything that has that multiple small parts, I always make an extra or two. I learned over time that there is two major difficulties with many small parts.

1) You will damage one of them. Similar to what you just did. 2) Sometimes there will be one part that just is just a little off. You save that part for an extra. Besides, for a project like this, one of those parts may get damaged down the road. Having an extra or two laying around would make repairs much simpler.
Reply to
Lee Michaels

Leon wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@giganews.com:

Yeah, sad to say I've done that more than once. As long as it's just one crack (and not two cracks with a loose wedge in between) the result is pretty much invisible.

John

Reply to
John McCoy

Damaged? In a college apartment? I don't think so. ;-)

Reply to
DerbyDad03

I had considered that, but it's not a single clean split. While there is on e small split down the side of the slat, the top is kind of spider-web cra cked. The slats are also rounded over on the top and corners so I'm not sur e I can close up the spider webs with clamps. I'll try.

I may see what other options I can come up with. I've thought about removin g a good slat near the back to replace the split one near the front. I coul d then flip the split one over (after filling the screw holes) and use it t owards the back where the filled holes won't be seen and the split will be near/on the floor.

If I was painting it I'd be less concerned but it's going to be wipe-on pol yed since I want it to match the bed I built for my daughter last year.

Reply to
DerbyDad03

Good advice, making an extra one or two. That insures that you end up with an extra one or two after the build. ;~) Don't make the extras and you will surely need them.

Oh heck no! Damage down the road just builds character. Replace a damaged part and the perfect part stick out like sore thumb. :~) AND,,,, you will never find that extra part. BTDT LOL

Reply to
Leon

I modified the design to make it taller to match the height of a

At least try, you have nothing to loose.

Yeah and when you move the slats around you will split those too. ;~) Just kidding, but you know how that goes.

Paint just that one slat. ;~) It'll be a conversation piece.

Sorry again, I know you are pissed. You will come up with a great solution I am sure. Keep up posted.

Reply to
Leon

I'm sure you're the only one in this group that's ever ruined anything. What a rookie! P-)

Reply to
Gordon Shumway

d and also raised the top shelf so that it is flush with the top of the sid e slats. (It's a nightstand for my daughter's college apartment)

the slats. Being so close to the end of the slats introduced a lot of poten tial for splitting. Of course, I pre-drilled and countersunk for the screws .

son, be damn sure the screw gun is set to extract the screw, not drive it i n further."

shelf, I noticed that 1 (one!) slat was not fully seated against the top sh elf. Simple fix: remove the screw, clamp the slat to the shelf and carefull y drive the screw back in. Easy peazy.

od, splitting the slat.

table is still set up the same so the round overs will be easy to match. T hen there's the finish sanding. I thought I was done!

*exactly* what I warned myself not to do really sucks!

Oh, I've ruined stuff before, don't you worry about that! :-)

I just can't believe (oh, sure I can) that I did exactly what I specificall y told myself to make sure I didn't do just a few hours before. As I'm sure many of us have done, I let my mind wonder - thinking about showing the co mpleted nightstand to SWMBO - instead of concentrating on the task at hand.

Well, better my mind wonders at the assembly table and not at the table saw , that's for sure.

Reply to
DerbyDad03

can close up the spider webs with clamps. I'll try.

Wide rubber band should do the trick.

I have cut tractor tire inner tubes, into long strips, for wrap-clamping sp lits as that. Works well. Sometimes the "black", of the inner tube, ma rs the wood.... easily sanded off. Glued on "black" is a little tougher t o remove, but easy enough. Takes 2-3 yrs for the inner tube to "dry-rot" and begin to break.

Chem lab rubber hoses work well and leave no marks on the wood.... dry rot in 2-3 yrs, also.

Making spare parts: I make extra upholstery buttons and attach to a piece , in an unseen spot.

Sonny

Reply to
Sonny

It's ALWAYS the "stupid" mistakes, isn't it?? Never the ones you'd never think of?

Reply to
clare

The BIG problem is knowing where the spare is when you need it a year or two down the road, and remembering what it is, and what it is for, when you are going through your pile looking for " a little piece of" for another project - the 2 weeks later needing that peice to do the repair!!!!!

Reply to
clare

I played around for a very short time last night, mainly just to see what a clamp would do for the split. I (carefully) unscrewed the slat from the nightstand and used a 24" trigger clamp to try and close the split.

Similar clamp:

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$zmmain$

I could not close the split completely with that clamp.

I then tried a Jorgensen bar clamp:

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With considerable effort, I was able to close the split, although it did not disappear completely in either the side grain or the end grain.

It really won't be much work to make a new slat. It'll probably take less time than it will for the glue to dry completely.

Reply to
DerbyDad03

DerbyDad03 wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@googlegroups.com:

That strongly suggests there was a lot of stress in that piece of wood, and it was probably going to split (or warp, or do something else undesirable) anyway. This may be a blessing in diguise...

John

Reply to
John McCoy

Those were my thoughts exactly. Now I can starting stressing over the internals of the other 18 slats (pun intended).

I just have to keep reminding myself:

College apartment furniture College apartment furniture College apartment furniture

Reply to
DerbyDad03

ernals of the other 18 slats (pun intended).

Replacement slat cut, routed, sanded and installed - unsplit.

I did 5 hours of greasy brake work (don't ask!) on an 85° Sunday. I was already dirty and sweaty, so I decided to add some sawdust to the mix before showering.

A few coats of wipe-on poly and the nightstand will be ready to be dropped off when I move my daughter into her next college apartment (actually a shared house) in August. Surprise!

Reply to
DerbyDad03

Early Fall? :-)

Reply to
Leon

Whoops...I guess I forgot that it's all relative. 85 is really hot around h ere, especially this summer. I will now tract my complaint.

Reply to
DerbyDad03

;~) I just checked my garage, 95 and it is 8:40 pm. But when the sun goes down my wife and I hang out on our back patio under the ceiling fan. With a cold drink you almost get a chill... So fortunately it cools off, or feels nice, with out the sun.

Reply to
Leon

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