[Sleeper]

OK I have more trouble with my Red Oak. This time it decided to splinter right on the outside edge after I got the door all put together.

I think I can fix it with glue but the glue is going to make one unsightly stain. I have not installed the hinges and I might be able to hide some of it with the hinge, but I wonder if there is something I could color it with right over the glue.

 

[cabinetman]

You might be able to slice a thin strip, and carefully remove a section of the splinter and fit in the new piece.

.

 

[Sleeper]

Thanks Cabinetman. I just now finished staining the top side and the whole splinter fell off as I was rotating it around. I was thinking about super gluing the splinter back on. But now that you mention it maybe I can rabbit out a small section just enough to cut out the bad spot and glue in a new piece.

 

[woodnthings]

If it's on the outside edge...

Just saw off a a full length 1/8" strip and glue a new one back on. Pick a piece with matching grain. If you only do a local repair it will look like a "local repair". If you do a full length strip it will likely not show at all.

A circular saw and straight edge guide will insure a good line. Keep the greater width of the saw base on the surface to prevent tipping.

 

[Sleeper]

Just saw off a a full length 1/8" strip and glue a new one back on. Pick a piece with matching grain. If you only do a local repair it will look like a "local repair". If you do a full length strip it will likely not show at all.

A circular saw and straight edge guide will insure a good line. Keep the greater width of the saw base on the surface to prevent tipping.

Thanks Bill,
Well that is another way except that I Rounded the top in my router table and stained it already. The crack is only about 1/8” up from the Bottom (or back if upright). I went ahead and stained it all so I will not have glue marks. I’m going to set up a straight cutter in my router table about ¼” high and rabbit it so that I don’t have to redo the top.

I found some more cracks along the same height after I stained it so I will probably rabbit the full length and glue in a ¼” thick strip.

 

[Sleeper]

Fixing Splintered Stile with Rabbit

So I cut out all the bad rotted oak with a rabbit cut on the router table after problems with the router. But anyways I’m just wondering if I should go a full ¾” wide and I don’t want to go any deeper. What do you think?

I was thinking of making it smaller and then using a trim bit with the bearing to clean it up. I know this will work great for the sides, but I’m not so sure about the flat side because I would have to have the door vertical with the table.

 

[BernieL]

The problem isn't the router - it's the oak, beautiful wood but prone to splintering because of the deep grain.

Now that you have cut the rabbit and stained the frame, glue will not penetrate the stain. As you prepare too glue in the filler strip, decide which surface will be exposed after the glue-up and stain that surface prior to the glue - up. Any glue that will ooze out from the bonding will not stick to the frame as all surfaces will have been stained. Just don't stain the surfaces you intend to glue and you'll be fine.

Nice work thus far - like I said, oak tends to splinter. The trick is to slow down the feed rate but not too much as to burn it.

 

[Sleeper]

I Finally got around to cutting a piece to fill in the rabbit cut. I got one coat of stain and not sure if I’ll do a second since it’s on the inside, but tomorrow I’ll be finishing with Clear polyurethane and attach the hinges.

 

[Rob Brown]

splintering oak

Just wondering if you know any history of the tree your oak boards came from? I have planked out a couple of oak logs from trees that were wind damaged. Sometimes the twisting from the wind will cause hidden damage that will not appear until the wood has been inside and acclimated for a while.

 

[Sleeper]

Just wondering if you know any history of the tree your oak boards came from? I have planked out a couple of oak logs from trees that were wind damaged. Sometimes the twisting from the wind will cause hidden damage that will not appear until the wood has been inside and acclimated for a while.

I have no idea of where these oak boards came from. I don’t think there are any lumber mills within 300 miles of here. Possibly in the Sierras, but I don’t think there is oak.
There are a few oak trees in the mountain residential areas and they are subject to high winds most of the time, but they aren’t lumbered except maybe for fire wood.