I am building a bench based on Kevin Rodel’s Arts and Crafts coffee table out of reclaimed redwood boards from a picnic table that was a fixture for 60 year’s in my wife’s family’s backyard. I planed and jointed to good wood but the years have seen water infiltration and hidden weak spots that have lead to the panels splitting along the grain 3 times. The first two I thought were my fault but the third one happened when the panel teetered and flopped to the ground. I have been extremely lucky in that I have been able to glue the panels back together with epoxy. They feel strong but I’m suspicious that the pressure of the corbel wedge through the bottom shelf plus racking will lead to failure. My first thought was to reinforce the panel by gluing 1/8” plywood gussets to the interior side of the panels (a maximum crossgrain span of 12”) but I’m worried about wood movement. We live on the coast near San Francisco and we do not have huge swings in humidity. My question is will this work? All suggestions are welcome.
Replies
60 years outdoors is a longass time. Assuming the table was failing as a table, it might not be the best material for a weight bearing use. I think that A&C table was in oak, plenty strong for wedged joints.
Maybe altering the project to include screw blocks under the shelf and a couple of stretchers to resist racking would help. In redwood those corbels should probably be more decorative than structural.
I think I understand your issue. You definitely need to reinforce the panel in some way. I'm not too far from you and the temp swings 35 degrees per day as well a the humidity. Looking at that design, it was destined to crack outside without any reinforcement. Laminating redwood on to a plywood backing would be a help. Other than starting over and integrating a type of internal structure for strength, a repair might once again succumb to the weather and leave you with same end result.
Thanks to both of you for your comments. They have been helpful to clarify my thinking. To be clear I'm using this particular wood because my wife asked me to for sentimental reasons. I should have looked at the expansion tables for redwood since seasonal movement even for plain sawn where I live looks to be less than a 16th of an inch over 12 inches. I'm going to use plywood gussets and if there is failure I'll still have the top and shelf to put into something else.
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled