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17 votes

Making wood filler from sawdust

I remember hearing a while ago that sawdust and wood glue can be used as a wood filler to fill in gaps and imperfections. Yes you can do this, but note that the term "sawdust" might be slightly ...
Graphus's user avatar
  • 67.5k
14 votes

how to fix very light scratches in polyurethane finish?

You're going to have to make this look worse before it looks better. The first step is *gulp* to lightly sand or scuff the entire surface until the existing scratches aren't evident, and then do one ...
Graphus's user avatar
  • 67.5k
10 votes

How to fix a wooden floor

In the past removal of old finish from floors was done manually, by scraping, and it does a superb job and doesn't generate large volumes of dust. But it's backbreaking labour and can't be recommended ...
Graphus's user avatar
  • 67.5k
10 votes
Accepted

Repair a crack on the side of an oak table

There are several things that can be done, and it depends on how much effort you want to put into it (and what tools you have). The 'best' way of actually 'fixing' the problem is to run it on a table ...
bowlturner's user avatar
  • 16.2k
9 votes
Accepted

Making wood filler from sawdust

Yes, that is a method still in use. You can use it to fill gaps. But, the unfortunate thing about this method is... You create a place on wood that is different in absorbing the oil/stain that you ...
borgs's user avatar
  • 144
8 votes

Repair a crack on the side of an oak table

A basic crack in wood is very easy to fix as long as the crack surfaces are clean, you can thoroughly coat the surfaces with glue (various tricks can help with that), and then can clamp nice and ...
Graphus's user avatar
  • 67.5k
7 votes
Accepted

Advice on repairing a broken bed

It appears you are on the right track. It should be possible to repair the piece by gluing it. You will need 3 or 4 clamps to keep the loose piece in full contact with the board shown in the photo. ...
Ashlar's user avatar
  • 8,529
6 votes

how to fix very light scratches in polyurethane finish?

The polyurethane will be well cured by now. Without stripping everything back and starting over (which you should NOT do cause it's far too much work for a few scatches) all you can do is try and mask ...
Dave Smylie's user avatar
  • 1,055
6 votes

How to repair the edges of a plywood

I don't think this can be repaired. And if it can the cost will certainly be a lot higher than to replace the sheet entirely.
ON5MF Jurgen's user avatar
6 votes
Accepted

Screws back into a splitting pole

Frankly, that post looks like it has served its days. I would replace it. However, to try and extend its life, I think the simplest solution would be to drill out the existing holes, glue in dowels ...
Eli Iser's user avatar
  • 3,620
6 votes

Reuse screw holes in wood [oak]

If later we want to replace the legs, and the holes end up in the same places, it means most likely the screws won't have a secure hold since the holes have already been used. Er, not so much. There'...
Graphus's user avatar
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5 votes
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How can I remove water damage from my improperly stored slab?

Usually with any stain of this sort removing the surface should reveal pristine wood. Normally you won't need to go down that far since neither watery nor oily things penetrate very deeply on long-...
Graphus's user avatar
  • 67.5k
5 votes
Accepted

Why is clear epoxy not often used to fill cracks in live edge slabs?

Why is clear epoxy not used? Two related reasons I can think of plus a third unrelated. The first is just because people don't want to make their fills transparent (or to put it another way, they ...
Graphus's user avatar
  • 67.5k
5 votes

Restoring old oak chair but at a loss for something I've never seen

It looks to be some sort of fabric or material that has long since hardened. Check the chair for markings that could tell you who manufactured the chair. That could help you find other examples that ...
Caleb's user avatar
  • 9,598
5 votes
Accepted

How to repair broken spindles on chair?

While it alters the height of the back, a reasonably simple repair would be to cut new tenons on the existing spindles. Commercial tenon cutters exist (for instance, see Lee Valley), but they're an ...
Aloysius Defenestrate's user avatar
5 votes

Kayak wood structure crack repair

If the break is the result of too much force, and not due to decay in the wood, it can probably be very adequately repaired. To do this you need: a thin bladed tool such as a narrow putty knife (in ...
Walnut Close's user avatar
  • 1,411
5 votes
Accepted

Epoxy table exposed wood cracked

But some pieces are exposed. One of them started cracking. Trying to fix this will probably only make the problem worse. It looks like the crack is at the edge of one exposed piece that has shrunk. ...
Caleb's user avatar
  • 9,598
5 votes
Accepted

How can I repair the bent legs on my couch?

Sorry about your couch man. That freakin' sucks. The amount of work it would take you to get this piece of furniture ship-shape, based on its construction, is probably more than it is worth. I've had ...
YoStephen's user avatar
  • 167
4 votes

How to get writing out of a soft wood desk top

Depending on how damaged the wood fibers are, you might be able to salvage at least some of it by dampening the area and heating it to swell the fibers. This is commonly done with a wet cloth and hot ...
aaron's user avatar
  • 2,426
4 votes
Accepted

Hand planing punky wood

Minwax makes a hardener that will harden up punky wood to a point (your mileage may vary). I've used it and am a fan, particularly for water damage on a house where the wood is typically pine or fir. ...
user3158591's user avatar
4 votes
Accepted

Fixing a cracked breadboard tabletop

I would like to attempt a repair at this. My naive attempt would involve buying a couple long clamps, and gluing the two halves back together, however I would assume that the table would just tear ...
Graphus's user avatar
  • 67.5k
4 votes

How do I fix a hairline crack in a hollow core door stile?

Many woodworkers use superglue for hairline cracks, but epoxy is also good for this and is stronger. Superglue is thin, will enter hairline cracks due to 'capillary action'. With no further help ...
Volfram K's user avatar
  • 2,119
4 votes

Advice for repairing thin fragile, irreplaceable Pella window trim pieces

If gluing is your only reasonable choice (which is to say, you can't make replacement pieces yourself, and you don't care to spend the many dollars having them custom made would cost), then I would ...
Walnut Close's user avatar
  • 1,411
4 votes
Accepted

How to fix a wooden chair leg that was cracked?

No to super glue. You'll want to get a quality wood glue and wood screws at a minimum. I'd be looking at drilling in some dowel pins, maybe even sistering pieces of wood on either side of the crack. ...
JACK's user avatar
  • 156
4 votes

What are my options for filling a groove in a cutting board?

As @bowlturner suggested in the comments, filling with epoxy is probably the easiest method. It can be transparent or tinted, and once it hardens you can cut the overflow away with a chisel or block ...
stanch's user avatar
  • 706
3 votes

Making wood filler from sawdust

I use a cabinet scraper on a piece of scrap to create the dust, mix with glue until it has a putty like consistency, and the press it into the gap with a plastic spatula (I use the end of my glue ...
Nicole Zeckner's user avatar
3 votes
Accepted

Is this a good approach to fixing damaged mdf holes along the edge?

Fixing the MDF: I'm planning on mixing a glue/sawdust/wood-filler/mdf/sawdust mixture up, clamping the board in place, applying the glue, letting the glue dry, removing the clamps and board, and then ...
Graphus's user avatar
  • 67.5k
3 votes

How should I fix a broken chair stringer?

I agree with Ashlar's answer and I was going to say many of the same things, so I will just add some alternatives. My answer will depend on exactly what the break looks and how easy you think it will ...
Gareth Shepherd's user avatar

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