Separated back

[Tom Cole]

Clyde Hollinger wrote:
> 
> 
> One question:  I didn't pull the back all the way together, since
> resistance (originally about 1/8") while tightening the clamps was
> getting very high.  The crack was still 1/16 inch at the most.  Was I
> right to just stabilize the back the way I did, or should I have tried
> to force the thing the whole way?  I didn't want to break anything.
> 
Clyde,

I'd say that you wisely followed your instincts by not applying
herculean amounts of torque to the clamps. Over-clamping the joint would
only be asking for future cracking as the wood would want to spring back
to a more relaxed state, over and above the forces that pulled it apart.
Quite likely that there was debris down in the crack preventing a full
mating of the surfaces. Fortunately, epoxy is a good gap filler and your
repair should hold.

Tom
-- 
Thomas A. Cole RPT
Santa Cruz, CA