Repairing a Split Wooden Tabletop

Pry open the wood split with a putty knife, making sure you don't further split the wood. Place a small strip of wood in the split to hold it open. Drip wood glue into the split, allowing the glue to seep into the crack fully. Wipe off the excess glue with a damp rag.

Clamp the tabletop together with 3-foot bar clamps. If the clamp is not long enough, clamp two clamps together to form a 6-foot clamp. Tighten the clamp so the split is completely closed. Wipe excess glue away with a damp rag to make the split visible. Make sure the split is completely closed.

Allow the glue to dry for 24 hours. Remove the clamps after 24 hours, and sand the table with 60-grit sandpaper attached to an orbital sander to remove the existing finish. Smooth the wood further with 80-grit sandpaper. Add wood filler to the split, matching the filler with the natural wood color. Sand the table a final time with 120-grit sandpaper.

Apply wood conditioner to the table. Let the conditioner dry for one hour, then stain the table with gel stain. Wipe the stain on with a cotton rag, allowing 30 minutes drying time between coats. Let the final coat of stain dry for two hours.

Spray on three coats of clear coat finish: matte, satin and gloss. First add the finish to an electric sprayer. Hold the spray nozzle 12 to 16 inches away from the table when applying the finish. Allow one hour drying time between coats, and lightly sand between coats with 220-grit sandpaper.