How to Repair Split Wood on a Storage Chest by Fixing Furniture

[@vebnew]

Thanks, this video brought back memories of watching my dad repair furniture. He's been dead for many years now and I am an old man. I still remember those lessons he provided without saying a word, I was watching him repair things, very pleasant memories. While repairing some furniture around the house when my dad was still alive I phone him and told him that when I was eight years old I was watching what he was doing and I used his methodology that day, Thanks again!

[@royc5936]

I just recently repaired a similar trunk for wife...while I did keep everything original, the biggest issue I saw causing problems was not having some sort of device for preventing the lid from relying on hinges to hold it when opened. I did add a cable lid holder while not original, I believe this will prevent future issues with the lid..Great videos....

[@SeasideASMR1]

Incredible job at repairing this, and I love your concept of "embracing the defects" to the point where you even restored the scratches filled in by your repair work.

[@margaretumbsen2398]

Agreed. Connecting the scratch lines was inspired!

[@DavidWhite]

Scott, Without a better look at the screw you said the ends were cut off might just might not be correct. In the early 1800's screws started to be lathe turned and did not have pointed ends and were straight shafed not tapered. When these screws became available around 1840. You can also note that with the early lathe turned screws the slots in the heads could be off center and crude looking as these screws had the slot hand cut with a saw ot chisel and many times done by the craftsman himself

[@joelsilver7199]

Scott you do a great job of conserving the pieces you work on. Conserving a piece is so much different than restoring a piece. You do a great job and you explain what you are doing and why. Keep up the great work.

[@markabrice]

Nice to see my old friend the Yankee screwdriver still being used.

[@edwardfitzpatrick1206]

Absolutely excellent job. It was really amazing watching you work. Thanks for the video.

[@richardhiggins9856]

you have wonderful talent ran across your Chanel by accident and have started watching a couple of videos a nite keep up the great work

[@grekiely6245]

Its tops when the rofessionalism has a Capital P at the start. For one who cannot cut a straight line, this was magic. Thanks for the tuition, and great to see the correct PPE, its so important.

[@garystrittmater8258]

As a retired woodshop teacher, I can watch this craftsman ALL DAY LONG! Truly a pleasure!

[@FixingFurniture]

Thank you so much. Glad you're enjoying our videos! Scott

[@kelstra1997]

You probably will have a fit but I would have made a dowelled joint to join the two pieces. Having said that, you did an excellent job which has worked out extremely well.

[@ruraloregon2347]

When I was young I used to use a piece of wire (hardware/mechanics steel) for a dowl. It is thinner so it can be used in places a wooden dowl cannot. It adds strength but alows flexibility when helpfull. It also helps line up a joint.

[@joanneschaffer7960]

I always learn something watching your videos. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

[@themapleafan]

I'm a big fan of your approach to repairs.

[@dosto233]

Same here. There are so many “restorers” out there on TY, even a bunch of pros. But Scott’s approach is always so well considered, accounting for its provenance, its age and patina, careful color matching and wood species identification, and even the way our brains tend to take in the “look” of repairs. Without outright over-toning everything and making unnecessary patches. True attention to detail. Keep it up Scott.

[@winstonsmith3690]

Such attention to detail.

[@kawilamana5768]

Very informative. Mahalo! (Thanks!). Just a tip. I like to keep the saw dust of various types of wood, especially certain exotics. For example, here in Hawaii, Hawaiian Curly Koa is becoming increasingly rare and extremely difficult to obtain. With saw dust from such wood, I am able to make my own wood putty which, by and large, works seamlessly in making small and minor repairs re any wood restoration project. You can create a pretty extensive labeled collection of saw dust for this purpose.

[@AndreaCuchetto]

Saved and catalogued by species sawdust is a terrific idea!

[@Goalsplus]

Thanks. I don't know why but when you said wood glue doesn't stick to wood glue I finally understood what that means and the implications as regards other glues and finishes, too. Goes to show there are levels of understanding.

[@amychilsongiampietro]

I’m learning so much about woodworking’ you explain perfectly

[@mjremy2605]

Very nice job! I refinish pieces and you did a splendid job of restoration.

[@FixingFurniture]

Thank you. I appreciate that! Scott

[@orbitalair2103]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge and expertise. I am grateful I found your channel before attempting to repair a couple old oak dining chairs.

[@jdrew500]

I'll never be able to repair my furniture to the level you do but, I can strive to do better with example you set. Kudos

[@timothyrose4052]

Impressive. Nicely done, sir.

[@bunkbedsunlimited]

Thank you! This was fun to watch. I love fussing with these things. I wish I had videos like this when I was learning carpentry. I will be back.

[@TranscendFurnitureGallery]

SO satisfying watching that cruddy old glue come off!

[@FixingFurniture]

Well, it was some of the easiest glue removal I’ve done in a long time. Thanks for watching Angie!

[@glencrandall7051]

Well done Scott. Excellent demonstration on old glue removal. I haven't seen a chisel used like that before. Thank you for sharing. Have a great day and stay safe.🙂🙂

[@vincentlivoti4184]

Great job. I enjoyed watching you repair this chest. Well done.

[@waltersmith8196]

Great video. I have a Haywood Wakefield end table with a cracked top surface that needs repair. This video provides some great tips.

[@mssixty3426]

What detailed work! Thank you. New subscriber here. My family heirlooms aren't that old, mine is MCM - repairing split wood caught my attention.

[@MartinMMeiss-mj6li]

Great video, and very informative. Here's a question, though: the overhang of the lid on the right side was slight, so in fixing it, the new holes for the new hinge position had to be very close to the old holes, which creates a weakness. Did you address this by filling the old holes with epoxy or something?

[@billdodson207]

SO SO helpful and inspiring -- above and beyond. thank you

[@caroltanzi29]

Scott: great restoration of the chest. I love the rustic good. Carol from California

[@navret1707]

Talk about fortunate timing. I’ve been trying to figure out how to fix a mahogany end table with a split/broken table top. Thanks.

[@alext8828]

This is a detective story. Very interesting.

[@gsp0113]

Excellent work.

[@eberntson]

You do wonderful work. Thank you for sharing your craft and knowledge.

[@k.b.woodworker3250]

It's a pleasure to watch a master craftsman like you fix this old piece. I love old furniture and have some built by my great-grandfather (born 1870"s). I had a small narrow cabinet with a missing drawer, which I built to fit, using the same type wood/construction and was able to find nails to match. But couldn't match the knob shape which he turned on the lathe, and I don't have a lathe nor the skill to turn such a small knob. I'll look at Kennedy hardware to see if I can find something like that. I've done some minor fixes, but nothing like what you show here. In looking at and repairing some of the furniture from my great-grandfather I'm fascinated by the way he did things. There are some plywood bottomed drawers, but it looks so different from the plywood found today. I wonder if he laminated it himself or if it was produced commercially.

[@wgoconnor33]

That scratch elongation part was very clever

[@billbucktube]

Excellent technique!

[@pettere8429]

16:12 Great to see someone on youtube actually taking safety when working with epoxy serious.

[@joshsibley6419]

That hinge bit made me "whoa!" Out loud....

[@TomRubicon5949]

I was in a truly foul mood before watching this video. I almost feel "zen" now after this. Amazing craftsmanship and attention to detail!

[@krzysztofccc2705]

Mądre rozwiązanie. Zdrowia i powadzenia życzę.

[@DogDog173]

one of my fav channels ever!

[@cawneyhawme7141]

That's really cool, thank you for sharing.

[@MrMountaincycle]

True craftsman! thanks for sharing.

[@lourias]

Thank you for the tip about nails verses screws.

[@ps4285]

Wow, I am so glad this came onto my feed!! Instant sub!

[@Richard-vw8no]

Nicely done.

[@jill552]

Great video.

[@skullheadwater9839]

I feel like you are an artist in wood so to speak. I am as well in other areas but wood working is a hobby.

[@adriangstern]

I love that you use a Stanley "Yankee" screwdriver. So do I!

[@tedwarden1608]

Why? Cutting edge back in the day but for that business I’d use an ordinary flat driver less chance of damage.

[@wolfie854]

Nicely done, sir.

[@kleineroteHex]

You are a true craftsman, love how you tackle all the problems!!!!!

[@dominicryan5227]

I have used cut iron nails from a manufacturer in the Boston area: Tremont Nail. They look great and have lots of sizes.

[@williesnyder2899]

8:00: Refreshing sounds, sights and voice…the gentle art of restoring usefulness and beauty!

[@markwebb8376]

great jobs, i would only add like wood flour into the epoxy to help fill the void . it will be darker but less mess with the shellac burn in. looks great. you legend!

[@digitalmusicservices1]

You are so talented at this. Great job as always. I don’t fully understand “exactly” how you “fixed” the hinge. It looked like you removed the screws and put them right back in again without sharing how you dealt with the old holes. What did I miss?

[@dosto233]

If you pay close attention you will notice that he removed the hinge in order to realign it to its’ correct position. The old holes were simply covered up by repositioning the hinge. He then used the hinge bit to drill the pilot holes and remount everything. This yields the front of the lid being properly aligned to the front of the casework.

[@digitalmusicservices1]

@@dosto233 I missed that they were in a new location. I recall him marking the outsides with blue tape and him drilling new holes. My thoughts were he fill the holes with dowels and then re-drilled. It wasn’t clear so asked. Thanks for your reply.

[@MrMjt888]

I couldn’t work out how positioning the hinge closer to the cross brace fixed the misalignment at the front. I thought it would worsen it. What am I missing?

[@167curly]

It wasi interesting to watch you removing the incorrect glue from the previous repairs to the chest's lid, and then blend in the distressing.

[@curiouscharacter1]

I'm in the same boat. Moving the hinge position closer to the front edge as he did by mounting it touching the batten shortens the lid in front rather than lengthens it. You're essentially moving the back edge further away from the front of the chest. I'd love it if someone could reconcile this action for us. (Building and repairing furniture for 26 years.)

[@fredrossman1189]

I liked this very much. I am inclined to fix stuff and learned some new metheds, and thanks. I will look forward to more.

[@FixingFurniture]

Great to hear! We have 90+ more videos on our channel you can watch and we have more coming. Thanks! Scott

[@ThisIsToolman]

With a broken piece like a picture frame that has a few chips of wood missing I place a piece of carbon paper in the broken joint and wiggle it ever so slightly. Then I take the Dremel with a small spherical burr and carefully “erase” the carbon left in the joint. I repeat the process until the carbon marks cease to be “marks” and essentially becomes the entire joint and the two pieces fit together perfectly.

[@krenwregget7667]

great video, Scott.

[@davidwright9688]

Very good videos! I'm learning a lot watching you in action. I was amused to see you using a Yankee screwdriver. My dad had several that I never could master. His were likely out of the 30's or earlier. I think I was glad I didn't inherit them.

[@andrewvoros4037]

Funny that you're using that 1900s screwdriver; my house was built in 1925 and we found one inside a wall druing a repair.

[@1954JDR]

Excellent work!

[@janstafford1490]

Outstanding cheers what an inspiration

[@WillN2Go1]

Good video. I like you pointing out the difference between a valuable collector's item, original hardware, finish, etc.. and a piece with very little (relative) value. I would love to have something like this in my home, and even if I could afford a museum quality piece-- if it was better off in a museum, then that's where it should be. It's too easy for a dealer to let a potential buyer believe they are purchasing something far less valuable than what they are paying. (A dealer, arts, antiques, furniture, anything. If they have no reason not to believe a piece is X then they have little stopping them from selling a fake or a low value piece.) So my tip after decades in the 'arts business,' is don't suddenly become a collector of anything until you do a lot of homework. (What's odd is that when I used to photograph at the low end 'consumer' arts show, the dealers spent a lot of time talking about 'collectable value,' and when I worked the high end, top galleries, they never mentioned this. (If you buy any work of art for say 10,000, and it goes up to 15,000 and you resell it? In almost every case you're going to net 7500. 50%. The dealer gets the other 50%. So it's foolish to buy anything you can't sell by yourself, as an investment.) Shouldn't those nails be in 'slots' instead of pilot holes? So that lid can expand and contract with the seasons without splitting. Pine will expand and contract (I think) 7 - 9% across the grain and only 1 - 2% along the grain. That's more than enough to split that top board. I do this with screws and pegs on a table top or bread board. The screws have heads and the pegs don't have to hold anything down. So maybe there should be three screws in each of those support strips instead of nails. Also, in my experience over many years with the same pieces of furniture. When it shifts over the seasons the bread board ends always seem to move in the same direction. So one will be forward, the other side back. I just tap them back to center. I'm also curious that you used epoxy. Would you have used epoxy on a museum piece? It was always my understanding that any materials used for restoration should be removable at a later date. Also, I've done a lot of epoxy. Another safety tip is to wear long sleeves. Contact dermatitis is common with epoxy even if you don't touch it. I always wore long sleeves. Fine Woodworking Magazine in an article on safety pointed out that acetone which smells like strong chemicals is not that dangerous to work with, but epoxy which often has a nice nutty smell is highly carcinogenic. (the resin is 90% BP A) Definitely read the data sheet. When I made a couple of strip kayaks I just got used to wearing a respirator with the organic cartridge whenever I was using epoxy, sanding, cutting wood. They breathe much better than the paper masks. (The most basic paper masks are nearly worthless judging by the ring of dust that will form on your cheeks around the edges. That's where a lot of the air in and out is passing right around the filter material.) And vinegar is a great tip. Is it acetone that's the other solvent for epoxy? I don't remember. I always used vinegar. I'd even soak my cheap chip brushes and use them again.

[@madtitan9639]

Scott, watching the glue up, I had an idea: slightly hollow out the inside of the joint, so only the top, bottom and edges are touching for a tighter joint, since epoxy will fill the gap. Is this a good idea, or one of those ideas that seems good until you try it? The business membership sounds interesting, btw. I hope that's still going about a year from now when I finish up some projects. (fingers crossed for both) A tip for anyone who happens to be reading: I've had trouble with hinge drill bits going off center (I used to install doors for a living) in woods, like Douglas fir, which have alternating soft and hard growth rings. A very slow feed rate at the start solves the problem.

[@dominicryan5227]

I like to get one screw installed before drilling out the others. That keeps the hinge, or whatever, in place without moving around. It also lets you have a firmer hold on the drill and more control to make sure it is vertical.

[@johnburns2940]

Scott, I'm sure you did this, but you did not show packing the old screw holes with wood, to allow a New hole to be drilled in the new hinge position. It seemed that your repositioning was quite slight. ☮️peace brudda+thanks. I loved the solder iron and burn in stock combo!

[@alanplumbridge9097]

Nice job.

[@glitched4070]

Nice work 👍

[@Tboyhoot777]

Great video!!!

[@MASI_forging]

Such a great work ❤❤

[@Robert-nj8io]

Great video scott but you fixed the Crack on top but what about the Crack on the under side of the lid

[@debandmike3380]

on a similar fix I ran the top surface through a bandsaw after gluing, then re-glued. this made the gap virtually invisible. The underside was less important and since cracks are usually at an angle I just filled that side with putty since the bandsaw would not follow the angle of course.

[@remusb1]

Nice work

[@Sagart999]

I just received a cedar chest made by my grandfather for my grandmother about 100 years ago. It has sentimental and family value, but no real value as an antique. The top has split, as in your example. In my case, a thin (3/8" x ~4") oval sliver of wood is missing along the crack, which follows one of the edge-to-edge joints. I've seen several brands of hot melt wood fillers/adhesives. Is there a particular brand that you would recommend for that now-empty space? The chest appears to have a shellac finish that needs to be replaced due to abrasions here and there. My first thought regarding re-finishing the chest after removing the current finish and lightly cleaning up the abrasions is shellac again. Your thoughts?

[@ronwoodward716]

You positioned the hinge in the wrong location to fix the misalignment. The mount location needed to move further back instead of forward. When did you fix that mistake? Where do you get the wood filler wax? Liked your crack filling technique.

[@Looey]

Thank you !!!!!!

[@BrianSmith-xx4zh]

Question: when taking out the bow in this top I noticed you didn't use dowels or biscuits to help with that. I have fixed a couple of old pieces like this but I cheated and used dowels. Am I bad for doing this? I love the adding scratches to blend in, I am going to use that going forward!.

[@FixingFurniture]

No need for dowels if you use the right adhesive for the situation. I hope that helps. Scott

[@browill9]

Awesome. I just subscribed. Thanks for sharing. GBU

[@FixingFurniture]

Excellent! Thank you for your support

[@ann7318]

I would be interested to see the next video on that table, but cannot find it. I love old wooden furniture.

[@FixingFurniture]

That video is coming soon. Turn on "all notifications" on your subscription to get notified when we publish it. Cheers

[@BobMatthews]

What a shame you used epoxy - hardly sypathatic to the age of the piece. I know it does a good job on imperfect and contaminated surfaces and is also good for gap filling, but I was hoping for a rather more in keeping repair. A proper clean up of the old glue residue (several well known products and home brewed solutions available) and a much more traditional glue up would have been do-able with some splints used to fill any gaps. Check out some acoustic guitar repair videos if you really want to deal with old splits in timber. Don't want to be nay sayer though, the video was very well put together and informative.

[@MR-si1eq]

Excellent ❤ I'm about to do something that is outside my experience. A friend has a favorite chair that is about 80 years old. The fabric is newer. Less than 30 yrs and is out dated but she loves it. My problem. I don't know jack about apholstery. I know I can fix the loose arm joints. Just scared about wrecking her material. Any suggestions?

[@FixingFurniture]

We have a few basic upholstery videos on our channel you can look at. If you'd like to deep dive into learning upholstery skills, Kim's Upholstery website has a membership plan for learning. I hope that helps. Scott

[@Brian-Burke]

Scott, I'm a big fan of your work. Question. Have you ever considered taking a strong magnet to a piece to see if there are any nails in it where repairs were attempted?

[@mickwtaylor438]

Awesome!!

[@gershonperry5952]

Hi Scott: Where did you buy the filler kit? I tried Kennedy but they do not carry it. Thank you in advance.

[@Starboatbuilder]

Hi k Looks great , who is the supplier of Mohawk filler wax. It looks easy with a bit of practice ( colour matching may not be too easy)

[@bjaminf113]

Thanks!

[@nomansland4811]

Can you put a poly type finish on over the burn in wood filler?

[@aswanderson]

Where did you get the skeleton key chain? I need to find a replacement for a couple of old pieces

[@colinsmith7576]

Hi Scott, thank you for the video. Could you have used some heat to help remove the glue? Did you consider using some biscuits to rejoin and strengthen the split? I don't think the top and the moulding strips are genuine to the piece. Thanks again.

[@geostar09]

Hi Scott, I really learned a lot from this video but I must point out that OSHA recommends that a proper seal when wearing the organic respirator requires direct contact to the skin . This means no beards or other items that may not allow skin contact to create a proper seal.

[@jasperfranklin5116]

Wonderful video! But, I have not been able to find those burnt filler sticks - even at Amazon.

[@mrscalifdreamer]

Thank you so for this video...exactly what I was looking for as I have two items I need to fix. A small plant table and an early 20th century wash stand that belonged to my grandmother then my dad and after my dad's passing, it came to me. My son who just became a grandfather says he has dibs on it after I pass..lol. I will be burning in names and dates on the back of it and hopefully it will stay in the family for years to come. My question is...should I put the names right on the back or should I place them on a thin piece of wood then place on the back...

[@margomoore4527]

Any reason you’re not cleaning the hinges before reinstalling them?

[@goldcountryruss7035]

We have a few rough pieces of 1800's American furniture that certainly need repair and new homes. We would love to pair them with someone locally that can repair & give them a new life. How would you direct someone to start?

[@johnrobinson1020]

An easy method to remove hide glue is to apply heat or steam to soften it. Hide glue softens at around 140 deg. It can then be removed quite easily by wiping it with vinegar. Acetone or vinegar is also used to dissolve PVA glue. These methods are much quicker than the method used in this video with no damage to the wood as is the case in the video using a chisel to remove the glue. Using heat, steam, vinegar or acetone leaves the timber undamaged so the repair when re-glued using hide glue will be less visible because the wood will match up at the join and will be almost invisible and authentic. I would not use an Epoxy resin to repair an original, hand-crafted lovely old piece of furniture. I feel sure the craftsman who built this chest would be horrified to see the method in this video applied to his precious creation. I am now retired and in my 84th year with over 60 years experience in cabinet making and restoration.

[@rickcimino743]

curious why you did not take the lid off to work on the piece (before you chose to in order to deal with the hinge issue)?

[@andrewvoros4037]

Nice Angus and Jukia Stone music.

[@Elon_Trump]

excellent

[@rogertyler3237]

Where Do You Get That Wood Filler?

[@patrickhayes3099]

Why not biscuit joints or dowels in break in addition to epoxy/clamps? Thnx 4 vinegar tip!