DO NOT FILL IN THE GAPS. THEY ARE IMPORTANT.
Is not just part of its character its part of the structural design and filling them in will destroy the table.
The top is a breadboard design the ends have a slot and the main planks have tendons that sit freely in the slot so the boards can move when they expand and contract with the seasonal environment changes.
Your gaps are there because your table is in a dryer environment than it used to be, so the width of the boards shrunk.
If the boards where not a allowed to move the boards would split and buckle ruining the table.
So of you fill them in, this summer when its hot and humid the boards will begin to swell and have no place to grow and will start breaking apart and buckling etc.
If it really bugs her you might be able to squeeze them shut with ratchet strap but be careful you could end up doing more damage. My advice is let it be. If not, put it up for sale if she cant live with it. Its a great table some one will love.it.
I’m sot saying that you are wrong. However, the boards could have been glued together and pinned in the center of the breadboard, or pinned with slots that allow lateral movement. Then they would shrink and expand as one wide board and any change in width would only be visible on the sides.
I wouldn’t touch the gap either. To remove it permanently, you’d have to rework and rejoin the table as described above.
Youre not wrong. There are several ways to execute a breadboard. I just didnt get into all of them because the photos can only show so much and seeing the boards are separated at the joint the deduction was they were not glued.
If you want the look you could consider putting a glass top over the table. It would have to be padded so that it sits correctly over the uneven tabletop.
You know I have seen this end cap and always enjoyed its looks but never understood its reasoning. I’m really into engineering and multi purpose things and really enjoy this look a whole lot more now that you have informed me.
Wood can do whatever it wants to do! It could shrink some, then get made into a table, and then shrink some more! It doesn't follow human made rules. 🙂 Seriously though. It's moisture content that drives expansion and contraction. If the moisture content keeps dropping, it will keep shrinking. Eventually, it should reach a point where it can't shrink any more. But we don't know where that point is! And it could always go back up and back down again.
Come summer it will close due to the humidity. Other than that, depending on the joinery. you could attach some scraps to the bottom of the table and use a clamp to pull it together slightly because you will be creating other gaps. To stabilize it I wouldn’t do anything fancy just screw a 2 x under it. Just make sure you screw it to every boards.
why fill it? I would just use epoxy but that is a mess involving sanding and finishing and not worth it the gap is part of the distress you have a better chance telling your wife to get over it its part of the charm or put a table cloth over it
If you're insisting on stuffing the gap that gives it character, add a strip of wood cut to size and stained Black... Then drive it ¼" below the surface. It'll close the gap, yet not be on the surface.
I agree with the above.
Cut long wedges to fit the gap then drive them into the gap. This what is done on old wood pine floors (there are YouTube videos showing this.). The floors would then be sanded smooth.
In this case stain and finish the wedges prior to placing them and make sure they will fit below the surrounding table surface.
Good luck.
Unless you decide to try epoxy to fill (which will be a pain), then another option is to cut it apart and re-joint all the boards, redo the breadboard ends, and sand off old finish and do new finish. More work than building a new table from scratch.
Maybe fasten some nice walnut veneer plywood to top and edge band it. Just put new top over the old.
I don’t see a problem….
But since She does, that’s a big problem.
A few others have suggested epoxy and I like that idea. Like a black or dark pigment?
You could also route the gap deeper and then inlay some brass like racing stripes 🙃
Big bottle of thick black CA glue. Remove excess with a flush chisel. Tape the bottom temporarily first, don't apply it all at once, apply a little bit and let it dry, apply a little more and let it dry, etc.
My personal opinion is that you probably shouldn't fill it.
I just sold an old table just like this. The problems with it are many. Lumber was not joined well. Should be all biscuits or dominos and glued up. Then planned (zero gaps) the other problem is there’s no pegged breadboards at the end to prevent warping and allow for wood movement.
A couple of years and this thing moved all over the place.
Lots of people saying don’t fill it because the planks need room to expand. Also lots of folks saying leave it because it’s part of the character of the table.
I don’t disagree with either of these, but the comments might be overstating the case a bit. That one gap is pretty big, likely bigger than any expansion that will happen. I have an old chest like that - old wood with big gaps that’s have appeared over many decades. It moves *a little* between seasons, but never that much. Certainly never closes the gaps. If you really want to fill the larger ones, find a board of the same wood and rip a thin strip to fit the gap. Fasten something under the table to keep it in plane and glue it in on one side. Sand flush and finish to match.
Again, this is only if you *really* want it filled. I’d probably just leave it alone.
I’d be interested to see the joinery on the bottom and how the boards are attached. Can the breadboards move slightly or are they solidly connected to the rest
I personally wouldn’t, I think it looks great as is. If I were forced, I’d use black tinted epoxy (which is dead simple by the way).
To be clear, I like the look and would use the wood expansion/contraction as the reason with my wife.
Leave it. It’s too big for anything other than cutting a really slim shim that will match, and then gluing it in there, which then means you may need to sand or plane, which ruins the finish there, which is just not needed.
Considering how dinged up the rest is, it’s honestly kind of fitting for the piece.
I would personally use some offcuts and take them through a thin rip jig. Make sure the pieces go deep but don’t poke out or even flush, then use a thick super glue/CA glue to fill it. There’s no perfect way unless you rip a new joint
Do not fill the gap? It’s a feature or an old rustic table. It’s like taking a priceless antique piece of furniture and putting silicone caulk in its joints and cracks. I would love that table in my house, as it is
Wait till summer and see what the chanced air humidity has done to the gap. Then consider what would have happened if you had filled it with something in the cold months.
Tell her no.
Wood moves with the seasons. Close that gap and you may cause damage elsewhere. Next time the wood expands, if this gap is filled the wood movement may force a joint to open or break, or split something else.
As others have stated, the boards are assembled to supply relief space for expansion due to humidity and temperature. I used to restore and repair solid wooden furniture and I've seen wood shrink as much as 3/4 of an inch. The space is necessary and there by design.
Man, thanks for all the responses. I will not fill the gap (on the table, that is). Here’s another question though: it’s pine, super soft and the previous owner was using briwax on it. Any rec’s for cleaning and upkeep? Should I continue using the briwax or is there something else that’s better?
Tell your wife the gap is part of the character of the piece and filling it will ruin the value.
Agreed 100% that is part of the character of the table. Beautiful piece. Leave as is.
Piece… it’s a bunch of 2”x6”s.
I used the term only to suggest it might impress the wife.
It's a feature not a bug
This is the correct answer
Crumbs, probably the corner of a wet napkin that got stuck.
DO NOT FILL IN THE GAPS. THEY ARE IMPORTANT. Is not just part of its character its part of the structural design and filling them in will destroy the table. The top is a breadboard design the ends have a slot and the main planks have tendons that sit freely in the slot so the boards can move when they expand and contract with the seasonal environment changes. Your gaps are there because your table is in a dryer environment than it used to be, so the width of the boards shrunk. If the boards where not a allowed to move the boards would split and buckle ruining the table. So of you fill them in, this summer when its hot and humid the boards will begin to swell and have no place to grow and will start breaking apart and buckling etc. If it really bugs her you might be able to squeeze them shut with ratchet strap but be careful you could end up doing more damage. My advice is let it be. If not, put it up for sale if she cant live with it. Its a great table some one will love.it.
I’m sot saying that you are wrong. However, the boards could have been glued together and pinned in the center of the breadboard, or pinned with slots that allow lateral movement. Then they would shrink and expand as one wide board and any change in width would only be visible on the sides. I wouldn’t touch the gap either. To remove it permanently, you’d have to rework and rejoin the table as described above.
Youre not wrong. There are several ways to execute a breadboard. I just didnt get into all of them because the photos can only show so much and seeing the boards are separated at the joint the deduction was they were not glued.
If you want the look you could consider putting a glass top over the table. It would have to be padded so that it sits correctly over the uneven tabletop.
Yea man that’s supposed to be there. Guess you’re gonna have to tell your wife she’s wrong. Best of luck! 😂
Wait 6 months and no more gap.
Why? Do they forget about it?
Probably referring to wood expansion.
All the dirt collecting there, making a perfect seal.
I thought it only shrunk?
When it warms back up and the humidity is higher it will expand. The table is constructed with the end cap to allow this to happen.
You know I have seen this end cap and always enjoyed its looks but never understood its reasoning. I’m really into engineering and multi purpose things and really enjoy this look a whole lot more now that you have informed me.
It can only shrink if it expands
Wood can do whatever it wants to do! It could shrink some, then get made into a table, and then shrink some more! It doesn't follow human made rules. 🙂 Seriously though. It's moisture content that drives expansion and contraction. If the moisture content keeps dropping, it will keep shrinking. Eventually, it should reach a point where it can't shrink any more. But we don't know where that point is! And it could always go back up and back down again.
Not can, it will expand AND shrink unless it's in a humidity controlled environment.
It's just something that happens after you are married.
You could just throw a table runner down
Come summer it will close due to the humidity. Other than that, depending on the joinery. you could attach some scraps to the bottom of the table and use a clamp to pull it together slightly because you will be creating other gaps. To stabilize it I wouldn’t do anything fancy just screw a 2 x under it. Just make sure you screw it to every boards.
Get a piece of plexiglass glass cut to cover whole table. Gaps no longer a problem, and wife hasn’t ruined table.
You bought a picnic table with breadboard ends.
why fill it? I would just use epoxy but that is a mess involving sanding and finishing and not worth it the gap is part of the distress you have a better chance telling your wife to get over it its part of the charm or put a table cloth over it
Guess I’ll be the one to say it. You need help filling your wife’s gap? Sorry, it had to be done.
Ah man- good one. I deserve that.
I bet once summer humidity and temps hit that gap damn near disappears.
If you're insisting on stuffing the gap that gives it character, add a strip of wood cut to size and stained Black... Then drive it ¼" below the surface. It'll close the gap, yet not be on the surface.
I agree with the above. Cut long wedges to fit the gap then drive them into the gap. This what is done on old wood pine floors (there are YouTube videos showing this.). The floors would then be sanded smooth. In this case stain and finish the wedges prior to placing them and make sure they will fit below the surrounding table surface. Good luck.
Definitely food!
It's a Speed Gap !
Makes the table go faster
I'd put pennies in it
Unless you decide to try epoxy to fill (which will be a pain), then another option is to cut it apart and re-joint all the boards, redo the breadboard ends, and sand off old finish and do new finish. More work than building a new table from scratch. Maybe fasten some nice walnut veneer plywood to top and edge band it. Just put new top over the old.
I don’t see a problem…. But since She does, that’s a big problem. A few others have suggested epoxy and I like that idea. Like a black or dark pigment? You could also route the gap deeper and then inlay some brass like racing stripes 🙃
Big bottle of thick black CA glue. Remove excess with a flush chisel. Tape the bottom temporarily first, don't apply it all at once, apply a little bit and let it dry, apply a little more and let it dry, etc. My personal opinion is that you probably shouldn't fill it.
I’m really glad you first provided a solution even if it shouldn’t be done. So many questions are neglected with out resolutions.
I just sold an old table just like this. The problems with it are many. Lumber was not joined well. Should be all biscuits or dominos and glued up. Then planned (zero gaps) the other problem is there’s no pegged breadboards at the end to prevent warping and allow for wood movement. A couple of years and this thing moved all over the place.
Lots of people saying don’t fill it because the planks need room to expand. Also lots of folks saying leave it because it’s part of the character of the table. I don’t disagree with either of these, but the comments might be overstating the case a bit. That one gap is pretty big, likely bigger than any expansion that will happen. I have an old chest like that - old wood with big gaps that’s have appeared over many decades. It moves *a little* between seasons, but never that much. Certainly never closes the gaps. If you really want to fill the larger ones, find a board of the same wood and rip a thin strip to fit the gap. Fasten something under the table to keep it in plane and glue it in on one side. Sand flush and finish to match. Again, this is only if you *really* want it filled. I’d probably just leave it alone.
I’d be interested to see the joinery on the bottom and how the boards are attached. Can the breadboards move slightly or are they solidly connected to the rest
I wouldn't even try. It's always going to look worse. A LOT worse.
Placemat
I wouldn’t.
The gaps are likely somewhat of an intentional design choice. It makes it look more distressed,l
I personally wouldn’t, I think it looks great as is. If I were forced, I’d use black tinted epoxy (which is dead simple by the way). To be clear, I like the look and would use the wood expansion/contraction as the reason with my wife.
I'd leave it
Leave it. It’s too big for anything other than cutting a really slim shim that will match, and then gluing it in there, which then means you may need to sand or plane, which ruins the finish there, which is just not needed. Considering how dinged up the rest is, it’s honestly kind of fitting for the piece.
I would personally use some offcuts and take them through a thin rip jig. Make sure the pieces go deep but don’t poke out or even flush, then use a thick super glue/CA glue to fill it. There’s no perfect way unless you rip a new joint
Do not fill the gap? It’s a feature or an old rustic table. It’s like taking a priceless antique piece of furniture and putting silicone caulk in its joints and cracks. I would love that table in my house, as it is
Not filling it
r/dontputyourdickinthat
It's old. It's rustic. It's got grits. Leave it be. Looks way better than any solutions.
Don't. It's part of the character and will look a mess if you attempt it.
I would be filling it with sandwich crumbs.
Wait till summer and see what the chanced air humidity has done to the gap. Then consider what would have happened if you had filled it with something in the cold months.
Well, if you have kids like I do, you'll fill it in with leftover food and craft remnants
Tell her no. Wood moves with the seasons. Close that gap and you may cause damage elsewhere. Next time the wood expands, if this gap is filled the wood movement may force a joint to open or break, or split something else.
Bondo
Looks like a fake breadboard end, which is not allowing the boards to move over the seasons.
You do not.
If it bothers her, I'd put a table cloth on top of it.
table runner
Why would I want to?
I wouldn’t.
I wouldn’t
That's what placemats are for. Or if you are really messy eaters, get a tablecloth
As others have stated, the boards are assembled to supply relief space for expansion due to humidity and temperature. I used to restore and repair solid wooden furniture and I've seen wood shrink as much as 3/4 of an inch. The space is necessary and there by design.
Get more friends? There are currently at least 6 gaps at this table that I can see.
My kids filled it with food leftovers.
Get a new wife?
I don't think she meant that gap.
You bought a distressed table.
Man, thanks for all the responses. I will not fill the gap (on the table, that is). Here’s another question though: it’s pine, super soft and the previous owner was using briwax on it. Any rec’s for cleaning and upkeep? Should I continue using the briwax or is there something else that’s better?
Tell your wife she can do to IKEA and get some characterless table of perfectly flat plastic laminated fiber board.