Repairing a split in a teak column

Saltram31

Saltram31

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Whats the best way to repair a 1mm wide split in situ,that runs from top to bottom, on a solid teak jib winch support? The split(6" in length) runs parallel to one of the 6mm threaded bars which is through bolted to hold the winch on. The column straddles the teak coaming, so cannot be removed without major works. I would like the repair to be cosmetically acceptable as well. My concern is that using epoxy might make things worse, when the wood expands?
TIA.
 
Difficult to envisage until you see a photo, but would it be possible to install a pair of bolts or studding at 90 degrees to the vertical bolt to close the spit up permanently.You would counterbore deep enough to bury the nut/s and then a timber plug over the top. This would reinstate the strength if my imagined set up is accurate. You would use some form of glue prior to tightening the nuts as a back up. Done properly this would be invisible if the grain plugs are of similar timber and a good fit.
 
Agreed, it is difficult to advise the best course of action without a photo but, if the split is in a straight line, I would try and enlarge it to a uniform width and make a sliver of teak (tapered slightly across its width) to be coated in glue and tapped into the split. When the glue has dried, plane flush and revarnish. If it fits the split well, the result should be almost invisible.
 
johnlilley said:
Difficult to envisage until you see a photo, but would it be possible to install a pair of bolts or studding at 90 degrees to the vertical bolt to close the spit up permanently.You would counterbore deep enough to bury the nut/s and then a timber plug over the top. This would reinstate the strength if my imagined set up is accurate. You would use some form of glue prior to tightening the nuts as a back up. Done properly this would be invisible if the grain plugs are of similar timber and a good fit.
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The split is only a few mills deep from the edge before it runs into the through bolt hole,so there is no place to fit bolts or screws. Thanks for the idea though.
 
parsifal said:
Agreed, it is difficult to advise the best course of action without a photo but, if the split is in a straight line, I would try and enlarge it to a uniform width and make a sliver of teak (tapered slightly across its width) to be coated in glue and tapped into the split. When the glue has dried, plane flush and revarnish. If it fits the split well, the result should be almost invisible.
Click to expand...

Might be the better option,and then rebore the hole for the threaded rod. Just need to find some proper teak to match the grain. I''ll try get a pic posted for clarity.
Thanks for the replies.
 
Skatt said:
Might be the better option,and then rebore the hole for the threaded rod. Just need to find some proper teak to match the grain. I''ll try get a pic posted for clarity.
Thanks for the replies.
Click to expand...

Howells, the teak specialists, had an offcuts bin last time I went there.
 
Ah. Yes I can see that idea would not work in that case but if the rod is almost on the edge there is no structural repair that would really work other than fitting a full length section vertically on to the post, glued and screwed to give extra meat to the post but if the post is anything other than flat sided at that point then that creates difficulties.. Sounds like a slight misjudgement when originally fitted. Even if you hide the split it sounds as if there is a weakness that could benefit from strengthening though.
 
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