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Repairing Glued Joints on a Table Top

When tabletop glue joints get old and dry out, they often crack open and weaken the furniture. By applying fresh glue and clamping the joint for a few days, you can invest the table with many new years of service. Optimal air and glue temperatures are 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. There is no reason to have a wobbly tabletop when water soluble wood glue is a low-tech solution to repairing the joint.

Things You'll Need

Pocket knife
Water-based wood glue
Stiff cardboard
1/2-inch rope
Rags
1/2-inch dowel, 6 inches long
100 grit sandpaper

Instructions

- 1
  Use a pocket knife to scrap and clean the old glue out of the tabletop joint.
- 2
  Make slash marks on the clean surface with your knife if it is very smooth after cleaning it. This creates a strong glue joint, as the adhesive can bond better with a rough area than a smooth one.
- 3
  Apply water-based wood glue into the crack with a small piece of stiff cardboard.
- 4
  Wrap 1/2-inch rope around the tabletop to create a tourniquet. Lay the rope in the direction opposite the glued crack. Place rags under the rope where it touches the table
- 5
  Insert a short 6-inch piece of 1/2-inch dowel into the rope and turn it to tighten the tourniquet. Depending how loosely you wrapped the rope you may need to turn the dowel around and around many times. The crack will pull itself together under the pressure of the rope.
- 6
  Remove any excess glue that squeezes out with a damp rag.
- 7
  Dry the joint under pressure for 48 hours to ensure good adhesion.
- 8
  Remove the rope tourniquet and lightly sand the repaired joint with 100-grit sandpaper.

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