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The Care Of Wood Work In The Home
Difficulty is sometimes experienced in applying the necessary light pressure while the glue is setting. If the shape of the objects under repair permits, tightly tied string is simple and effective; insertion of a sharpened match or wedge adjusts the tension. Wads of paper or cardboard should be used under the string to protect corners or carved surfaces against marking.
Sometimes the nature of a break, particularly on a small or delicate object, makes the holding of the fracture difficult during setting. A splint made of match-sticks, bound round with string or adhesive tape, is one good aid, but for certain repairs a tight binding of clear cellophane tape, without the splint, will be found ideal. For positioning small objects, so that the two parts come together by gravity, a temporary stand or support of plasticine is invaluable.
If none of the wood is missing, the join or joins should be almost invisible if carried out as advocated. If any of the wood is missing, or if the crack or gap has occurred, as it often does in a wooden bowl or cylinder, through stresses set up by uneven shrinkage or warping, then never try and bring the two broken edges together by pressure. If you do, you will only induce fresh and worse breaks. In such a case, you must carefully cut a new but well-seasoned piece of wood of similar species and grain and fit it in the gap if you wish to make a competent repair and not ruin the piece of furniture or other object. Leave the 'insert' too thick, so that it stands 'proud' of the adjoining surfaces and then, after allowing a few days for shrinkage, carefully work it down flush with a chisel and smooth off with No. 0 wire wool. Never use plastic wood for filling such gaps. It is an amateurish and unsatisfactory way of tackling the job and ruins the value of good woodwork when used in this manner. It is not good 'trade practice', either, to use it to model in missing pieces of carving. If you have the necessary skill to replace carving to equal the original, then do it; if not, leave the piece off or, if the gap creates a weakness, glue in a plain block, rather than 'botch' a fine piece of work. Alternatively, have it repaired professionally. Plastic wood is, however, an excellent material for certain purposes which will be described under the next heading.
