Lady’s desk - quick poll

[Lappa]

I showed a lady’s desk under “Howard’s Products” regarding a repair to decoration around the keyhole. It came from Holland with my wife’s grandparents.

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The two sides were splayed out from the horizontal panels at the front but OK at the rear. It has a rear panel. The LH side was far worse with the lower side away from the base about 10mm. RH side only about 3mm.

The poll is regarding two domed 35mm screws that were through the side panels into the bottom panel at the front. They have been there as long as any of the members of the family can remember so I’m not sure if they are original (I personally think not) or were added later because the sides were moving.

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I’ve removed the back panel, pulled the sides away from the horizontal panels, cleaned the surfaces then reglued and pulled the unit back together

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So fellow formites, do I put the screws back in or leave them out and fill the holes?

Cheers

[cjbfisher]

Is there anything else other than the glue holding the joint together?
I think that they will look quite unattractive if you put them back in, but if you're going to have a hole to fill, why not put a countersunk screw in the hole first, then fill over it?

[homey]

I’d vote for drilling a hole and gluing in a dowel.

Brian

[Lappa]

Thanks,
There are nails but as they had pulled out of the lower panel when the side moved, their more locating than holding.

The holes are reasonably small and would be relatively easy to fill and disguise. I wouldn’t like to try and disguise the larger hole from a countersink though, as the wood is highly figured oak.

[auscab]

So the sides are trenched and would have had the horizontals glued in with hide glue . Its let go and sprung out . And the screw has been added to the 3mm sprung side ? Not the 10mm ?
Doesn't matter things must have changes more since .

First I'd just check the back of the sides. To see the end of the trench . Its not dovetailed is it ? Most probably cant be or it wouldn't have sprung out. You see stuff made that way sometimes and it stops the wood spreading or springing out of course.
Mostly on stuff 100 years older though. Its the first thing I'd check and I'd also be pushing and pulling to see if the joints are also loose at the back as well as the front .
If its loose at the back whats to stop that springing out when you fix the front . There is a good chance its just let go at one end or the other and not both .

What I would do is put a sash clamp across the front and test the needed pressure to pull the side back in . Check the back again to see if its staying put .
If it pulls in easy I'd let it out again . Pump in some PVA through the screw hole and get it to move along the joint by re tightening and loosening the clamp a number of times . Squeeze in some more if it takes it each time you take pressure off.
Now tighten and have the clamp positioned so you can see where the end of the horizontal would be if you had Xray vision .
Get two decent bullet head nails about 50 to 75mm long x 2mm . Cut the head off one and fit it into a drill . And while the pressure from the clamp is on drill through the side once or twice and skew the hole . Hit a nail or two in skewed so it will stop the side springing back out . Punch them , not to far . The trench probably takes away two thirds of the side. leave it overnight. Fill the holes with coloured putty the next day.

If you have a drill just a tiny amount smaller in diameter than the nail use that for the hole . Otherwise stick with the nail for the hole.
Rob

[Lappa]

The sides are not trenched. The last pictures shows that. As I said in my post, the back panel was removed, the back joints were O/K, the joins have been cleaned, glue applied and the unit pulled back together. It’s all complete.
The question was whether to refit the screws.
The idea re the skew nails is great and I will do that for future security.
Thanks

[Lappa]

All back together again after some minor repairs on the lower drawer, a thorough cleaning and a polish. I decided to fill the holes.

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[rustynail]

A screw going into end grain is three parts useless anyway.

[Lappa]

I think that’s a given.