Table Builders - I NEED SOME HELP!

Dex

Well I messed up. I'm trying to find the best way to fix this problem

My table is almost done. I decided to put casters on it, which means I had to cut down my legs so the table wasn't too high. Well I wasn't thinking, and on one of my legs, I ran the circular saw the wrong way against the straight edge. Now I am stuck with this. Any suggestions to fixing this cut?



Of course... it has to be on the side that the Egg sits on so there is more weight on it. I will Dr. it up the best I can for the looks, I am more worried about it being sturdy. What can I do? How can I fill it?

ydouask2dogs

cut all the legs down just a hair more, table would just be a bit shorter. Or you could just cut the one leg shorter and put a shim between the caster and the leg to raise it back up.

BuffaloBrewer

How about a decorative casing for the legs that act like a cast?

Gadfly

Why don't you find some thin piece of plywood (or shave a piece of wood thin for that matter) and jam it into the cut(with some glue to go with it)?

Gadfly

or maybe a couple of rectangular steel plates with holes on both side (kind of half a hing?) and screwing it to the leg over the cut?

E.Redshirt

Get some wood the same thickness as the kerf (width of cut) of your saw, slather glue on both sides, and jam it in. It won't look great, but it should work, since most of the pressure is downwards. You can ring it with cover pieces afterward for cosmetic reasons, but the most stability you'll get is from filling the gap.

Or you can yank out the wood and replace it, while chanting the mantra "measure twice, cut once, measure twice, cut once." Don't worry, we've all done it at some point.

Gadfly

BTW, if you can't find something thin enough, I think you can make the cut wide enough for the thinnest piece of wood you can find.

Hungry Joe

Using glue you will not get a good bond to end grain which is what you would have there. Is it possible to unscrew and remove the leg and turn it to the position you want it? Maybe make another leg and replace it?

If I were going to repair it I would slice it down and remove the piece then step it one more time and build a stepped piece to replace it. Possibly gluing and screwing or bolting back together. That way you would have a nice secure joint.

Cagey

Cut the rest of the leg off. Then find and mark the center of the 4x4 on the short leg of your table and the now removed piece. Drill a one inch hole in both pieces approximately 2 inches deep to insert a one inch hard dowel. Glue the pieces together. It should be as strong as the original piece of wood. All you have to do is sand/cut a saw blades with off of the remaining legs. Or just use some spacers on your wheels to make up for the lost wood from the saw blade.

If you are worried about not being able to line up the two pieces, brace the leg with C-clamps and a few scraps of wood. Then drill the hole from the bottom of the leg all the way through the short piece, and stop about 2 inches into the main table leg. Remove the clamps, and cut off the leg, and glue as previously described.

Capt Frank

Did we not address this problem extensively in the regular forum just a couple of days ago??

Capt Frank
Homosassa, FL

Dex

Yes sir.... I tried to delete this one with no luck.

Earless

Cut the one leg all the way through then cut a piece long enough to make it the same length as the other 3 legs. Screw and glue it back on to the short leg then put a small piece of molding over the seam and put the same molding on the other 3 legs. It will add a nice accent. You may decide to add some more molding at other places on the legs to dress them up.