Ok - I have a board that has substantial sentimental value that developed a crack that I would like to glue back together. I would like a bit of advice as I do this to make sure that I’m thinking about it correctly, and that I clamp it reasonably.
If anyone with a fair amount of glue up expertise is going to be at the shop in the next few weeks, and wouldn’t mind me asking a few questions while I also work in the shop, could you let me know?
The full board with the broken off section up laying across the top
History of the piece - this is the board my grandma used across her lap when she was creating, and is the place she taught me a lot of those skills as well.
The left side (as seen in both photos) has a groove that could be used to align and to strengthen the repaired joint if you’re willing to add new material to the repair. Does the right side have any useful features?
I would suggest measuring the groove and cutting a splint to fit, it might be productive to clean up the groove before measuring to ensure a consistent and clean glue surface. If there isn’t an existing feature on the right side (and if modifications are acceptable) then you might consider adding a small groove to that end as well to bolster the repair.
If significant modifications are acceptable then bow ties—as suggested earlier—would make a really robust repair; although it is worthwhile to consider the condition of the rest of the piece before that. If the other side is ready to break too then making the repaired side extra super beefy might be counterproductive.
