Kelci Williams Rathbun Posted August 17, 2018 Report Share Posted August 17, 2018 Hello, I just bought a magnolia market table second hand. Apparently it got rained on and a corner of it is now warped. I love this table and would like to fix. I was thinking I could use wood glue and clamps and flatten it out some? Please let me know your ideas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bombarde16 Posted August 17, 2018 Report Share Posted August 17, 2018 So sorry to see this, but my first reaction is that it's toast. Toast in the sense that a.) the work to repair would exceed the work to build a new top and b.) the repair process will disturb the rustic patina in a way that's hard to blend in. That said, you asked. So let's start with a request for more information. The slats that have lifted off, can they be lifted up higher? High enough to allow you to squeeze glue underneath? What does the underside of the table look like? If you can't squeeze glue in from above, can you drill holes in from below to inject glue? Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelci Williams Rathbun Posted August 17, 2018 Author Report Share Posted August 17, 2018 Thank you! It looks like it is lifted enough for me to squeeze glue in. I was pretty disappointed because the seller did not disclose. The bottom is solid so I guess it’s possible if I drill a little to let glue in Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coop Posted August 17, 2018 Report Share Posted August 17, 2018 Kelci, so you bought it sight unseen? You say the bottom is solid, solid what! Plywood, mdf, ? From the pics, it appears that the top is not veneer but thicker pieces of wood. Not sure where the line begins? @Bombarde16 is more optimistic than I am. Wood moves and it did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelci Williams Rathbun Posted August 17, 2018 Author Report Share Posted August 17, 2018 My husband picked it up and didn’t closely inspect it so they weren’t willing to refund me because they thought it was in great condition. Here is a photo of the bottom, the rest of it seems in good shape. I would just like to fix it enough to make it usable since it’s only one corner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..Kev Posted August 17, 2018 Report Share Posted August 17, 2018 Is that 3rd picture the top? If so, WOW! I'm late to this thread.. That's wood movement for sure! Looks to me like the builder didn't allow for this wood movement and the piece destroyed itself. I'd certainly ask for a refund and return the table. Even if you manage to repair this corner to acceptable, it's just a matter of time before the wood moves again and you're dealing with similar issues again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coop Posted August 17, 2018 Report Share Posted August 17, 2018 Can’t really tell from the pics but my guess, hopefully, the base is plywood or something similar. @Bombarde16‘s recommendation is as good as any. Several cauls (goggle it) and clamps will be required. Luckily, I don’t think the top pieces are veneer, giving you plenty of sanding thickness. Good luck ma’am. You have your work cut out for you. Let us know of the outcome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelci Williams Rathbun Posted August 17, 2018 Author Report Share Posted August 17, 2018 It’s actually a magnolia market table and is very expensive when brought brand new...unfortunately the previous owner (who I bought from) let it get rained on and that’s where the lifting came from. They already refused me a refund. At this point I am just trying to figure out how to get it in functional condition Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelci Williams Rathbun Posted August 17, 2018 Author Report Share Posted August 17, 2018 Thank you k cooper, I appreciate the advice. Yes the top pieces are definetly real wood so I’m trying to stay optimistic! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fcschoenthal Posted August 17, 2018 Report Share Posted August 17, 2018 Looking as closely as I can at the pictures, it appears that there is a skirt around the edge. You should be able to glue the boards as others have suggested, at least it will be closer than it currently is. The rest of the top appears to be in rough shape for a table as well. Were it me, I would repair the corner as well as possible and sand the whole top flat and smooth. You can always stain the "patina" back in. Chris "It's never too late to have a happy childhood" 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chet Posted August 17, 2018 Report Share Posted August 17, 2018 1 hour ago, ..Kev said: Looks to me like the builder didn't allow for this wood movement and the piece destroyed itself. I think she mentioned that it got rains on too. That probably contributed to some extra swelling of the wood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bombarde16 Posted August 17, 2018 Report Share Posted August 17, 2018 5 hours ago, K Cooper said: @Bombarde16 is more optimistic than I am. Wood moves and it did. In my defense, the first thing I said was that, "it's toast." I stand by that assessment, now after having done some research into this "Magnolia Market" thing. Looking at the website, it appears that the table in question is their Iron Trestle Dining Table which retails online for $800 or so. Reading the description, here's what concerns me: Quote Traditional styling today is a timeless blend of familiar details combined with unexpected elements. Just like this Iron Trestle Table has with its curved metal base paired with a V-match planked top in our worn and rugged Shop Floor finish. The "worn & rugged shop floor finish" on a "V-match planked top" sounds like it'll be a bugger to repair. Realistically, yes, you can squirt some adhesive under the planks and clamp them back down. Once that's dry, however, you'll have a trip trying to blend things to match the rest of the table. If my spouse had brought this home and after we had a nice long talk about the meaning of the phrase caveat emptor, I'd be thinking as follows: Short term Break out a tube of Liquid Nails and brute force the slats back down. It'll look awful; but I could live with that because... Long term Salvage the ironwork base and make a new top. It's just a sheet of particle board with some pallet lumber pasted on top. Frankly, you can make a replacement top that's as good as (and likely better than) the original for less aggravation than trying to do a convincing repair on what you have. Sorry again that you got stuck with a lemon. Good luck and let us know how it goes. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted August 17, 2018 Report Share Posted August 17, 2018 I'm going to agree with @Bombarde16 on this one. Examining your photos closely, the table top appears to be a slab of softwood or particleboard, laminated on the bottom with a fake woodgrain veneer, and the pattern boards on top are essentially pallet planks. Materials cost to completly replace the top would be less than $120 in my neighborhood. Plenty of good repair options provided above, I wish you luck going forward! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gee-dub Posted August 17, 2018 Report Share Posted August 17, 2018 That is a bummer. The difficulty in repairing decorative pieces like this (and don't take this as degrading, just the facts) is that they are built to achieve a certain look and the visual aesthetic trumps other aspects. The construction is not designed to survive more than casual use. That's not bad unless something goes wrong. Some of the responses may sound like they are dogging your table choice. I think it is more the difficulty in dealing with this type of furniture than a disrespect for the piece. Please try to read past that tone if it strikes you that way. I agree that short of replacing the top material completely, your best bet is to squirt some glue under the raised planks, lay a couple of cauls across them and clamp things down as best you can. It is possible that the soft wood will fail and pop back up leaving the glued material behind. In that even I would repeat the procedure at the new failure and move on. If you can get those boards to stay down, a tablecloth will cure a lot of things. Good luck 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drzaius Posted August 17, 2018 Report Share Posted August 17, 2018 The construction of the top is fundamentally wrong & will never survive long term. That is because the solid wood slats will expand & contract a lot across the grain with changes in humidity, whereas the plywood or particle board substrate will not. That aside, it's now yours & you might as well try to salvage it. Repair is complicated by the fact that new glue generally doesn't stick well to old glue. The best bet would be to remove the top from the iron frame & work some epoxy under any loose slats & then clamp the heck out of it to force things flat. Make sure you use slow setting epoxy, not the 5 minute stuff (you'll thank me later ) Make sure you use pieces of wood on top to protect the slats from clamp damage. It would help to rough up the old glue surfaces to aid with adhesion. To do this, you could stick some coarse, say 40 or 60 grit, sandpaper to a putty knife with double sided tape & work that back & forth under the slats. The aesthetics of rustic furniture are personal taste, but the sad thing that is almost universal with it is that it is built by people who don't know and/or don't care about good building practices or how wood moves. You've got nothing to loose by trying & good luck with it. And the seller is just a dishonest jerk & deserve the most negative feedback. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted August 17, 2018 Report Share Posted August 17, 2018 If you do get the boards glued & clamped down you should look for some furniture touch up markers. Careful use of a marker will disguise some of the scratches and bare wood showing. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Swanson Jr. Posted August 24, 2018 Report Share Posted August 24, 2018 @Kelci Williams Rathbunyou can probably flatten those pieces simply by taking them off the table, turning them upside down and waiting. They're cupped like that because they got wet and the top dried faster than the bottom. This is an old trick with cutting boards. Take them off, turn them over and wait. They will flatten all by themselves as the moisture comes out of the underneath side. Here is a link that explains it perfectly https://www.earlywooddesigns.com/blogs/earlywood-llc/how-to-fix-a-warped-cutting-board Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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