Wood repair help please

[ard]

I need some help with repairing a tread on a stair please. I am posting in this forum because I have seen some very impressive skills on pelican, albeit mostly involving metal.

My young pup had a bout of separation anxiety when I left her in the house while I did a brake job in the garage (my thinking was that I didn't want her exposed to brake cleaner, brake fluid, etc. I guess I didn't consider the collateral damage possible in the house).

I realize that repairing this damage may be a fool's errand, especially since I have no special skills or tools for woodworking.

I know the "right" fix is to have a professional specializing in carpentry for stairs fix it but especially because the main baluster has to be removed I am sure it will be painfully expensive. So before I go down that route I am evaluating what options I have and how close to "very good" each can get me.

I am fairly certain that the wood species is cherry wood.

Here is what I have considered so far:

Remove and replace the damaged section

• Cut out most of the damaged portion and attach a new piece
• Several challenges here

• Cutting out the damaged portion seems tricky because it extends beyond the curved base piece underneath the tread

• I am not sure how to best attach the replacement piece. Would dowels work?

• Shaping the replacement piece will be tricky given the curvature (see below for an idea)

Patch it with a sandable, paintable putty

• Fortunately I have an undamaged tread that is the mirror image of the damaged one.
• I thought of making a mold from the undamaged tread using moldable plastic clay, curing the mold, filling it with Plastic Wood, and pressing it against the damaged section
• I shudder just typing this because it feels akin to repairing extensive body damage with Bondo.
• Couple of thoughts on this approach

• The damaged section is fairly large

• I don't know how well such a large amount of Plastic Wood would adhere on what is essentially a cantilever

• I wonder whether the rough texture left behind by my puppy's teeth help with the adhesion

• In order to improve the likelihood of success I thought about using a few small steel rods and building a grid akin to what I've seen built out of rebar before pouring concrete

I'd really appreciate any ideas and guidance. The damage does not affect the functioning of the stairs but it sure is an eyesore.

Thanks in advance

[flatbutt]

Since it's in a spot that won't see foot traffic a cut and patch may be the way to go if you can get a nice finish. That's what I'd try first. But I'm no wood worker.

[Baz]

Paging Milt.......

[sc_rufctr]

The best fix would be to replace that entire ledge/step but I don't know how difficult it would be disassemble the post, rails and bars. And how deep does that post go and what is it secured to? I wouldn't recommend taking apart half of the stair case to fix this one issue.

I would cut out the chewed parts and replace it with a matched piece of wood. You could use "biscuits" to join the pieces together.
But the join line may become visible over time.

Like this.



The power tool to make the slots. Maybe you could rent one?

[fintstone]

I have fixed spots like that with filler. Apply it until you get the buildup you need then sand it to shape...just like with bondo on a car. It may take a few tries (and several layers) to get it right. A heavy dark stain like that will cover well. You can tape up everything else and just stain that entire piece.

[sc_rufctr]

Channeling "Lazy Pete"...

You could just cut off the offending area and paint over the edge to mach. Job done and I doubt anybody would ever notice.

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by Baz

Paging Milt.......

^^^^ This. While waiting for a true pro with just the skills you need for advice....

Tell us about your pup .... mebbe we can help ya with fixing the source of the chewing ....

But first a pic !

[look 171]

That's an easy fix but will require you to have a steady hand. Two way to do this:

Cut out a new piece where the tape is (must be straight and perfect), shape the round section, like Peter suggested, install a couple splines or biscuits, glue, let dry, fill with putty, sand or scrap, apply finish.

Here's the cheater way. Screw a few screws into the edge, for strength. Use a product or epoxy from Abatron. Its just like bondo but its a little less soupy so it will stay put. Let it harden, sand to shape, stain or paint to match. You will not see too much grain like the original due to paint or heavy stain but it will pass because the original stain is dark to begin with.

[908/930]

As Flatbutt said, carefully cut out required section and carpenter glue in a new section and refinish. The pcs need to be fitted well, biscuit joint not required just clamp carefully.

[Bill Douglas]

Originally Posted by sc_rufctr

Channeling "Lazy Pete"...

You could just cut off the offending area and paint over the edge to mach. Job done and I doubt anybody would ever notice.

Yep, either that or get the dog to do the other side too so it's even.

[look 171]

Originally Posted by 908/930

As Flatbutt said, carefully cut out required section and glue in a new section and refinish. The pcs need to be fitted well, biscuit joint not required just clamp carefully.

Biscuit help line things up while gluing. It doesn't offer much strength unless the edges aren't perfectly matching. That area is difficult to clamp especially if its rounded already.

[sc_rufctr]

Originally Posted by Bill Douglas

Yep, either that or get the dog to do the other side too so it's even.

I wouldn't recommend that approach. lol

[Sooner or later]

Picture of your pet beaver.

[ard]

Thank you for all the helpful suggestions so far. Yeah, “matching” the other side is a “ah no thanks”

Here is a picture of the little rascal - F1 Labradoodle - wire coat

[ard]

Originally Posted by KC911

^^^^ This. While waiting for a true pro with just the skills you need for advice....

Tell us about your pup .... mebbe we can help ya with fixing the source of the chewing.

But first a pic !

See my last post for a picture. The eyes kill me. Just CANNOT hold a grudge when encountering that look.

Yes, I’d love help on the chewing issue. She doesn’t chew furniture or shoes, which are both easily accessible. She’s 7 months and can generally be left unattended. Recently she did find a loose thread on an area rug and tugged / pawed / yanked at it until we had a good size hole in the rug

IDK what tempts her to chew wood - the tactile feel?

[KFC911]

^^^^ LOL .... "Yeah .... I did that" !

My 3 year old Chocolate Lab "Moka" sez .... a crate is your friend for the first 6 months or so... then aren't needed anymore.

Good lookin' dawgy !

[Bill Douglas]

Originally Posted by ard

Here is a picture of the little rascal - F1 Labradoodle - wire coat

Oh, look at that face. I'm sure it wasn't him.

[herr_oberst]

[Tobra]

They will chew on stuff when bored or anxious, I always try to have something they can chew on, elk antler or something. I have had cherry and peach trees, and they chew branches I prune, so maybe it tastes good to a dog.

Cherry wood works great in a smoker, I can tell you that for sure.

I would not do anything until Milt checks in, but that biscuit thing looks pretty good. Nice that it is not a spot that will get much wear.

[drcoastline]

This repair isn't as difficult as you may think. However it isn't a job that will be finished in ten minutes if you want it to be imperceptible when finished. This isn't a case of measure twice cut once. This is patience you will need to fit and refit until it fits properly. Your post is on the right track with the tape edges.

Before you do anything, make a pattern from what you have before you remove the damaged piece. It doesn't appear your other side of the tread matches? The pattern is in orange, sorry for the not so great arch's. Use a piece of cardboard or poster board. The pattern will be larger than the repair so it can sit flat and firm on the tread surface.



Next, square the long tape edge, so it is running as parallel to the grain as possible. As you have it now the tape edge appears to have a slight angle to the grain. The closer to parallel with the grain you can make the cut the less noticeable the repair will be. I would also move away from that torn up edge slightly into better material. You will want to make a single cut that dies into the stair skirt. (The red line)

In all likelihood the tread dies into the skirt board and isn't fastened to the skirt it just buts so should be easily removable in a single piece. The single cut line is in red all the way to the skirt.

Next you will want to square the face of your cut line to the tread surface. You will need a small wood square and a very sharp chisel for this. You want the vertical surface of the cut to be at a ninety degree angle to the tread surface.



You can now take a piece of matching wood and make a repair piece using your template. Once you are satisfied the repair matches the shape and profile you can move to finishing and attaching. DO NOT attach or stain stain your repair piece yet.

When purchasing your repair piece of wood buy extra so you can make more than one repair in the event you make a mistake and so you have extra material to match your stain color. Rarely will you find a stain that matches perfectly off the shelf so you will need to buy a range of colors and custom mix the stain until you are satisfied with the color. Your stain appears to be a solid stain so you probably are not going to find a match at the box stores you may need to go to Woocrafters or someplace similar. Use the extra wood to test color, depth and the number of applications you will need to match the original. As you test colors place the test piece directly up against the tread at your repair so you can see the color right where it will live. Take a few steps back and take a look. Once satisficed with the color and depth you are ready to attach your repair.

This is a low traffic area and appears the most use it gets is from your pups teeth so being "overly" strong doesn't appear to be an issue. A simple glue joint should suffice and a few brads but as Peter suggested a biscuit won't hurt and it loos like you may have the room to get a jointer in the space. You could also use a dowel or two if you don't have a jointer. If you choose to ad a biscuit or dowel cut these in before you start shaping your repair. It will be easier to secure and cut or drill into the repair piece while it is square. A good wood wood glue such as Titebond III will be more than strong enough to bond this repair. Before gluing run your tape down the glue edge of your repair and your tread so when you place the pieces together any glue that squeezes out will not run onto the wood surface. Secure in place and immediately wipe with a damp rag any squeeze out. You do not want the glue to dry on the surface any dry glue will be noticeable later. Once the surface is wiped down remove the tape and let the piece set.

Once set check the surfaces sand as needed to level, stain and apply your finish.

Good luck.