Splitting veneer on my Corns...

[chops]

Is there anything that can be done about splitting veneer?

The reason I ask is because my brother jt1stcav pointed it out to me several days ago. It's right in the middle of the top panel of one CW. Obviously sanding won't do any good. I don't think there are any other splits anywhere. I'm assuming the veneer is splitting because it's just getting dried out over the years. Is this the reason?

Anyway, I was wondering of using linseed, tung, or any other kind of oil would "moisturize" the veneer and possibly either slow down the splitting or eliminate it completely from happening anywhere else on the CWs.

Thanks,

Charles T

[colterphoto1]

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[chops]

I'm thinking maybe inject a little wood glue in there and weight it down....

Then moisturize on a regular basis to prevent drying out.

M

Alright, stupid question...

What would the wood glue do? It's just a thin split. The wood isn't raised.

Here's a few pics. Hopefully, these will help a little. The split is just over an inch long.

[chops]

Here's a close up...

[chops]

And one more at a slightly different angle...

[PrestonTom]

Actually, it does not look all that bad. I was expecting something more noticeable.

I assume the cabinets have an oil finish. I am guessing that the split is a result of the wood drying out.

Given that assumption & guess, I will suggest that you you simply mix up some dilute oil (1 part BLO with 3 or 4 parts turpentine) and re-oil the cabinets (perhaps repeating this once every year or so). Oil the the cabinet, re-oil after about 5 minutes and wipe off. Then within 10 minutes wipe/buff with a soft cloth. This can be repeated several times over a weekend. Do not leave any residue. If it feels "gummy", then add a bit more oil and wipe it off.

This will not fix the split wood, but it will help prevent the condition from getting worse. The cabinets should look better after this also.

Good Luck,

-Tom

[greg928gts]

Look for colored wood putty, the kind that comes in a small jar and can be worked by hand like a soft putty. You can mix two or more colors together to get just the right color match. Mix a little bit of putty and work it into the split with your finger. Wipe off the putty residue with rubbing alchohol or maybe a simple cleaner. The putty will dry after a few days and you can clean the speakers and apply a new oil finish.

Look very closely, I bet there are other splits too, maybe smaller ones.

Might be a good time to refinish. No?

Greg

[chops]

Actually, it does not look all that bad. I was expecting something more noticeable.

I assume the cabinets have an oil finish. I am guessing that the split is a result of the wood drying out.

Given that assumption & guess, I will suggest that you you simply mix up some dilute oil (1 part BLO with 3 or 4 parts turpentine) and re-oil the cabinets (perhaps repeating this once every year or so). Oil the the cabinet, re-oil after about 5 minutes and wipe off. Then within 10 minutes wipe/buff with a soft cloth. This can be repeated several times over a weekend. Do not leave any residue. If it feels "gummy", then add a bit more oil and wipe it off.

This will not fix the split wood, but it will help prevent the condition from getting worse. The cabinets should look better after this also.

Good Luck,

-Tom

I'm sorry, but what is BLO? What about linseed oil or tung oil. I have never used any of these oils before, so please be patient with me. [:$]

Also, these CWs were originally raw birch, and my father used walnut Minwax stain on them. I don't believe Minwax is oil, is it?

[3dzapper]

Boiled Linseed Oil you can get it at any HD or Lowes. If you don't want to mix it yourself, pick up some of the Watco Danish oil they sell there.

I was going to mention what Gregg said above about filler. HD/Lowes sels that also.

Rick

[PrestonTom]

Sorry, BLO is linseed oil (primary ingredient in Watco oil for instance).

Minwax would be the stain, but he may have coated them after that (perhaps oil, lacquer, urethane etc). It is possible that the minwax was a "one-step" that had a urethane sealer in it. Hopefully this was not the case.

Can you make an indentation with your fingernail? If so, it may not have any finish on it, in which case you should apply one.

-Tom

[chops]

Boiled Linseed Oil you can get it at any HD or Lowes. If you don't

want to mix it yourself, pick up some of the Watco Danish oil they sell

there.

I was going to mention what Gregg said above about filler. HD/Lowes sels that also.

Rick

Yes, thanks Rick. I'd much rather get the Watco oil for fear of not making the mixture just right and possibly making things worse.

Sorry, BLO is linseed oil (primary ingredient in Watco oil for instance).

Minwax would be the stain, but he may have coated them after that

(perhaps oil, lacquer, urethane etc). It is possible that the minwax

was a "one-step" that had a urethane sealer in it. Hopefully this was

not the case.

Can you make an indentation with your fingernail? If so, it may not have any finish on it, in which case you should apply one.

-Tom

Tom, other than the stain that my father applied, the wood is bare. There is no sealer or lacquer on them.

Does anyone remember in that other thread about some kind of spray you can use to put a lacquer type finish on wood? I can't find that thread right now, but I'm sure someone remembers.

Thanks guys!

[WMcD]

Take what I say with a grain of salt, because I'm no expert and it a bit difficult to see what is going on.

I suspect the problem is somehow related to the dark area to the left. It may or may not be the equivalent of a knot hole. Certainly the area to the left was an anomaly in the veneer. It may have been light and soaked up more stain or was naturally dark..

Also, it doesn't look like a seam in the veneer where two pieces were butted up against each other.

When I look at birch ply in HD, i note that knot hole areas are not smooth, the are dark and the manufacturer will patch them up with putty. Of course I don't buy those pieces.

In any event, when I've been working with plywood and there is a chip or tear out or loose ply off the veneer, I glue things back together with super-glue. I choose this over wood glue. This is because the superglue (not the thick type) is as viscous as water and soaks into the any little underlyng areas of separation. Sometimes I hold things in position wth a sewing type pin because a relative flood of superglue takes some time to set up.

Yellow glue just can not penetrate like that. It is too thick.

So I'd suggest you do that. Put some superglue in the area before you apply varnish or BLO.

Superglue will leave a bit of a gloss. However, I've never had a problem with applying a finish after some light sanding. My woodworking has other problems; this is not one of them.

FWIW: I believe I've been able to detect a poorly glued, separating, top veneer by running a finger over it. A well glued surface make no noise. In the loose area the sound gets a bit "hissy". Of couse sometimes you can feel a mild bubble.

Best,

Gil

[Xover]

Wood is a living breathing thing or maybe a dead breathing thing but anyway when it is humid it swells and when dry it shrinks. Putting protective finishes on wood helps to lessen the moisture transfer but it still happens and sometimes splits happen.

Minwax stain is linseed oil based but it is intended to be top coated with additional protection. BLO is a misnomer in that it is not boiled but has ingredients added to expedite curing. BLO is normally reduced to 1/3 with (2/3s) mineral spirits, turpentine isn't used much anymore because of it's pollutants. The ready to use topcoats like Watco oil are already thinned. Polyurethane despite the fancy name is a seed oil finish as well it is made from cotton seeds. Tung oil is of course a seed oil finish also.

I would apply a oil coat as described as described by Tom above. I would not use any glue unless the veneer is lifting. I would not use any filler either at least not until after you have a coat of oil finish on it I'd let the oil seep down into the crack for protection against the moisture. BTW you might want to drip a spot of stain in there to help hide the split.