Making a Workbench: Patching the Cracks

HI!

I completed the work to flatten the top and bottom of the bench by hand planing and now need to address the cracks that run from one surface to the other. They may not create any problems, but I don't want to have any in the future, so I'll do the correction now.

There are quite a few cracks in the bottom near the one that goes all the way through, so I'll use a piece of Poplar large enough to cover them with one patch. Here the patch has been cut and laid over the area to be covered, and I mark around the patch with a marking knife to get a good edge definition. I'll remove all the material inside the outline of the patch, put the patch down into the hole I've created, glue it in, let it set and then plane off the part sticking up.

 Here's the hole for the patch with much of the inside material removed. You can see the mark of the knife where I still have to remove more material. I'll be very careful along the edges, using a chisel to remove the material along the outline of the patch.

And then I apply glue to the removal area, place the patch, pound it into place, and clamp it for 24 hours before planing off the excess and making the patch flush with the top.

Eeeeezy Peeeezy, huh? In concept, yes .........

Here's the final patch all planed off. The patch grain runs cross-grain to the grain of the bench top to keep the top from splitting more than it already has. I'm confident it's strong, but I don't think the patch is "pretty." I'll do one that's a little different (and more attractive) next time.

This is the bottom of the bench top and it won't be seen, so it's OK to do a lot of experimentation with techniques on this surface prior to trying it on the part that will be seen!

The dark part below the patch is a half-circle cut out of the top from top to bottom. I suspect it was a hole drilled in the original glulam beam, for what reason, I can't tell.

Deb remembers seeing the people who installed our hickory flooring use a neutral putty mixed with water to fill the cracks in the flooring; she suggests that I try that on the bench top, so I'll be looking for the putty and some water in the next few days.


CHEERS!

Phil