Round oak table repair

[msschmenk]

Asking help from the woodworking wizards...

I'm "restoring" a solid red oak table that is 4' round with 2 solid half round skirts. Among many things needing repair is one lamination of the top seperated and needs to reattached. In addition, the skirts are straightening out and are probably the reason why the above happened.

I made some U shaped gluing cauls to glue the top up again. I can probably get the lamination back on with 2 bar clamps and cauls, one on top and one on the bottom as I can't overlap any due to the roundness. However, there is another glue joint beginning to fail in the center I'd like to drop some glue in and clamp too, but I can't figure out how to clamp without making 2 huge cauls encompassing the entire top with to apply clamps. If I need to make these, anybody have any tips??? Other ideas???

The skirts are clamped now "bowing arrow" style 1" under their estimated mounting diameter. What is the best way to mount these again? They were drilled & screwed into the top evey 8" with their ends meeting against the grain (prolly forcing the above joint failure) along with some scrap 45 deg blocks every 12" or so glued and tacked using these funky razor looking things. I'm thinking of making some large oak strips to join the skirts together and to try to keep them round, and then screwing them into the table and maybe using 4 triangular pieces in strategic places. Any thoughts???

I appreciate any response and will be glad to elaborate if needed, Thanks again, Sam

[igor]

Would this help?

(watch out for wrap of link)

[SonomaProducts.com]

Not sure I understand all of this without a few pictures but here is a try.

1. Attaching aprons to top: The attachment should allow for some slip. They have items called table irons, little metal figure eight type things with one screw in top, one in apron. Or you can build (l shaped) wood blocks that screw to the top and fit in a slot in the apron. You don't need much slip so eeven screws in a sloppy hole will work.

1. Regarding gluning the top: If I understand this right you have a round top made out of a glued up panel and one of the edge joints in the center of the panel is failing. Just put one clamp directly perpendicular to the crack, then another about 10 degrees to each side of that and again to each side of that. That gives you 40 degrees total and should easily pull the crack in. I'm talking about a radial pattern, like spokes on a wheel or slices of a pie.

[msschmenk]

Wish I would learn how to post pics, but nevertheless, there are 2 primary issues:

1. Joining 2 solid bent aprons to top while keeping them from pulling the joints of the top apart again. Thought: Maybe join the 2 together first with some oak strips and mount with the 8 shaped fasteners avoiding any triangular supports???

1. Clamping a round surface to repair a crack starting at the top's edge. Imagine an face cut of a 48" diameter oak log with a check 4" long starting from the edge. Thought: Maybe use 2 Jorg wood clamps parallel to the crack and clamp the jorgs perpendicular to the crack with bar clamps???

Hope this eliminates the confusion. Thanks! Sam

[Duane Bozarth]

Take the top completely loose of the frame first to relieve any residual stress. You'll have to work the separated joint loose enough to clean the old glue and any dirt, etc., out of the joint to have any chance of a repair holding. If possible, I would prefer to separate the entire joint, clean it up thoroughly and then re-glue.

To clamp a round edge, make a clamping caul and clamp it securely to the table top so that one then has a square edge for the long clamps to bear against.

To re-attach the top to the frame, arrange for it to not be a solid connection as another poster has noted...look at any other table you have for ideas/examples of proper connection details.