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Tips & Techniques

Fixing Splinters

Issue 252 - June/July 2015

All wood is prone to splitting. I had this occur in a Victorian door recently. The split worked its way from the jamb on one side all the way to the plate behind the doorknob. To get this fixed before somebody stabbed a hand on it, I used a semi-stiff splint.

Strips cut from the hard plastic of a blister pack can be the right combination of thin and stiff to work glue into the crack. Or if you need something with a bit of a radius in it, you can try cutting a strip out of a soda bottle. The price is right, too. You can shape a piece to fit a specific need, then toss it afterward if you don’t feel like washing it off.

Bill Houghton, Sebastopol, CA

Edited and Illustrated by Charles Miller

From Fine Homebuilding #252

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  1. user-6965954 | Jan 29, 2018 07:07pm | #1

    Good Thinkin!especially the radius part...

  2. suburbanguy | Jan 29, 2018 08:30pm | #2

    Or use an artist's pallete knife which is only a couple of bucks at that well known craft store. Flexible, rounded corners, offset handle.....

  3. Edspa | Jan 29, 2018 08:40pm | #3

    Or blow some glue in there using an air compressor

  4. t01100879 | Jan 29, 2018 10:43pm | #4

    All great ideas! I love this series.

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