Replies

1. 
   Jammersix | Feb 20, 2011 04:43pm | #1

   Clamps?

   Sounds like a clamping issue to me.

2. 
   HowardAcheson | Feb 20, 2011 04:55pm | #2

   I would bet on a temperature problem.  Were all the parts given 24 or more  hours to reach indoor temperature before you applied the adhesive?  Applying the adhesive to cold wood would cause the adhesive to not develop proper adhesion. 

   The glued up assembled parts also need to have the temperature maintain for 3-5 days for the adhesive to fully cure and develop full adhesion.

1. 
   oxbowpercussion | Feb 20, 2011 08:33pm | #3

   Yeah you are on to something there. As I was cursing the oil finish, I realized that the leg components were left inside much longer (easier to store than the top). The temperature has something to do with it for sure. Lesson learned, the hard way. Atleast the bench is still functional- just not as pretty. The bench is now in its permanent home, so hopefully this is the end of the problem...hopefully. 

   Thanks for the input

3. 
   AutumnWoods | Feb 23, 2011 11:09pm | #4

   Don't overlook humidity

   I don't know what the climate is like where you live, but I'm in Florida and we experience wide variations in humidity down here.  I can tell you that if I did what you did, I would have the same problem and here's the reason why.  Moving the piece back and forth between the shop and the house exposes it to drastic changes in humidity.  The heated house will most likely have warm dry air (or cool, dry air in the summer) while the relative humidity will be greater outside.  As the wood absorbs the moisture in the air and tries to equalize it will naturally swell slightly.  Normally this wouldn't be to much of an issue as long as you take into account wood movement, but your finishing is possibly the culprit here.  Instead of using the same finish on the top and bottom, you used water based poly on the bottom - which has much greater water resistance than the teak oil which isn't much of a barrier at all.  You said the glue joints on the bottom were fine, that's because the top is experiencing the greater moisture transfer and the bottom can't keep up.  I"ll bet if the top is unsupported (unattached to the base) and you put a straightedge across it you would notice a problem with flatness as well.  I've seen this problem before on other tables I've repaired, and usually they builder applied only a quick sealcoat of finish, if anything, to the bottom.  It's important with any piece to thoroughly and completely finish both sides of anything with equal (or close to) amounts of the same finish to stabilize it. 

   Anyway, that's my idea, not saying the other things mentioned weren't contributing factors.  Best of luck on the next step - fixing it!  Anybody have any ideas for that???