Rotten End Grain

Hello all,

Been a while since I've posted. I can usually find help on this great site with searches but to no avail this time. This is not what you'd call a high class resto job but...

Is there any product that will fill the end grain in the attached pic. (OK not in the pic but in the real object). Really, it's not end grain anymore - more a veneer without the substrate. So I can try to fill it with something (timber and glue/end grain filler) or just bite the bullet and chop it out and replace the corner. Although there's enough foot left for support I suspect the later will be the way to go.

Mainly, I'd like to protect the feet a little better. I'll look at getting some plastic "feet raisers" to get it off the deck but suspect it'll need better protection. It was varnished but I'll be oiling them now. Is standing the feet in oil for a good soaking good enough to prevent water getting up (This doesn't damage the timber does it)? I recall reading about some product that soaks in to protect/strengthen damaged end grain. Does anyone know what this is and whether it'd be suitable here.

It's just a comfy chair for the deck that was really built for inside (someones discard put to good use) so it doesn't have to look like fine furniture. Although they're out of the weather mainly, the pine decking was installed with the grooves up so water runs along and up the end grain.

Cheers,
Mike.

Builders Bog:cool: But you'd have to open it up and clear away the rotten wood first, to stop it spreading.

I think you are right though, cutting out that section and adding a new section in would work better.

cheers
Wendy

Mike
There is a product, Èarl`s wood hardener,that may help.It is available from Bunnings.
Cheers
gidgee 1

I am in the process of repairing the feet of some outdoor western red cedar stools.
The photos show how the outdoor setting has been on a paved patio. The bricks were old sand-stock and retain moisture. hence the rot has started on the wooden feet. I initially was going to use traditional round plastic feet, but the nail would have rusted in no time. The setting is on a horse stud, so what better to use than old aluminium horse shoes, attached with stainless screws. The horse shoes were cut up on a band saw (old blade), very hard to cut alloy aluminium.

I removed 6mm from the end of the legs, so as to remove some rot, and keep the same height for the stool.

All the furniture was washed with oxalic acid, some seat rails repaired, sanded and finally a solar wax applied.

I like the idea of Earls Wood Hardener, prior to using builders bog on MikeT's legs.

Mike, I'm wondering if there's enough meat left in the "veneer" to be able to cut a mortise in from the end that'll remove the rotted section so you could replace it with a tenon?

That way the repair could only be seen on the end-grain... but looking at the pix I suspect it'd be a high risk operation. Perhaps if you flooded the inside with cheap CA (the $2 for several tubes type stuff) before & during the mortising operation to stabilise the wood. it'd increase the odds of success?

How much time and money are you going to spend on a 2bob piece of pine, throw it away and buy a new piece.

That depends on what's more important: the journey or arriving at the destination. :p

Claw, 2 bob piece? Do I look like I'm made of money? Anything more than scrounged is too much for me.

It's a damn comfy chair for under cover on the deck is all (actually there's another two seater I gotta clean up later too) . But you're right it's not worth a great deal of my time so the mortising, although it appeals to the pedant in me, is probably a little too far.

I'll probably chop the corner out and just replace it. And thanks for the advice on the Earls Wood hardener Gidgee, but I think I'll use it on the chairs legs rather than mine thanks Hap. The builders bog on the other hand...

The wood hardener seems popular stuff. Bunnings said as soon as it's in it's gone.

Cheers

Hi Mike, if it's that comfortable, then it's definitely worth repairing :)

cheers
Wendy

Could try drilling straight up the centre of the rot into solid wood and gluing in a fairly hefty dowell. That would give something solid to build around.
Jim

Sorry MikeT, I was in a bit of a tired gruff mood when I wrote that, shouldn't have been commenting on anything. The dowel and bog idea sounds good, my dentist puts posts in my teeth to fix my cavities.

Thanks again for the suggestions. I filled the end with a piece of dowell and some bog. Looks like it'll do the job.

The fix has been dragging along amongst work and other jobs and was about to give it a final sand and oil - when I noticed one of the (other) joints has some play.

As I usually do with these sorts of jobs. I try to do as little as possible, and end up doing the lot - taking twice as long it would've if I'd decided that to start with. So I've pulled all the joints to bits.

There is another question in this. The joints were never the closest fit I don't think, and after digging the old glue out they definately aren't now. What sort of glue would you use for large gaps. All that comes to my inexpert mind is construction cement which I'm sure would hold but just seems wrong. And don't tell me there's some great stuff at carbatec cause I've just been down there buying some sash clamps

I have another to do. It's all coming to bits first thing.

There is a glue made for regluing chairs which is supposed to swell the wood and so fill the gaps.
A more elegant way is to glue strips of veneer to the tenons to make a good fit and then glue up as usual. That way you can really clean the old glue off.
Jim