Companionway Step Split

[sailscituate]

Several weeks before haul-out, the lower step on the upper section of my companionway steps cracked and split. I tried gorilla glue with 3 3/4' wide ss repair plates running perpendicular to the split.  That repair lasted all of about a day. I'm thinking of trying again with additional & wider plates, may also look at gluing dowels or using long screws from the side of the step for added support.

Given that I've got plenty of time before launch next spring, I'm not going to rush into anything, so I thought I'd throw it out there and see if anyone else has run into a similar problem, and if so, how they approached the repair.

Thanks in advance for any thoughts/help.

J

[KWKloeber]

Post a pic.

-kk

[Ron Hill]

Guys : The only "glue" that I've found that will hold on teak is epoxy.
You need to first clean the break with lacquer thinner or acetone to get all of the natural oils out of the teak wood.  Then apply the epoxy. 

I believe the resorcinol "glue" will also work, but haven't tried it.

A thought

[DaveBMusik]

Biscuits might be easier to work with than dowels.

[tommyt]

No fix is going to be as strong as a new teak step. If you are not capable of doing the work, take it to a woodworker to replace. Not that expensive, and should only have to be done once!

[Phil Spicer]

   Our 1988 had a broken step when we got it in 1993. The epoxy is still holding. The step also has 2 ss straps on the bottom. Each strap has
2 screws on each side of the crack. Another option would be pocket screws, but I would still use straps on the bottom.

[KWKloeber]

No fix is going to be as strong as a new teak step.

JTSO, but a poor attempt to repair anything ends up weaker than the original and is just a bad fix.
A proper repair should be stronger than the original, otherwise it wasn't done correctly.

With proper materials and techniques, a wood joint will break at the adjacent wood fibers (not at the repair itself.)  Teak, oak, several other woods, are a challenge, but can be repaired (would need to see the extent and how "bad" it is) to say the best way to repair, but most likely it can be done and never budge again.  For instance, I might use steel dowels (cut threaded rod for grab, epoxied in) or if really bad, thru drill it front to back, tension the halves using 3/16" rods, and bury the nuts. 

Additionally, instead of mending plates (the only holding being 2 screws,) I might epoxy on wider, light-gauge plates -- or laminate the entire bottom of the step with 6mm Meranti (not that you need waterproof glue, but it's 5-ply and flex strength is hard as nails) or a sheet of G-10.

There's many different ways to make good repairs which -- by definition -- means it must be stronger than the original.

-kk

[britinusa]

Biscuits might be easier to work with than dowels.

2nd that!

[KWKloeber]

Biscuits

I'm not a professional cabinetmaker, but my understanding was that biscuits are good for aligning two pieces, but is not reliable for improving strength.  Is that wrong?

Much stronger than either, I would think is a lap joint. 
With a trim router or dremel router bit (w/multiple passes) cut a rabbit down the split (finish up w/ a chisel if necessary to go the full width of the step) and epoxy in a mending strip (metal, teak, Meranti, or G-10 (strongest) that laps onto both sides.  Add a full size 3mm Meranti plywood, or thin G-10 sheet, laminated patch underneath and it will outlast everyone on here. 

I used a 1" thick G-10 bar to reinforce in order to install two crossover winchfeeders where there wasn't strong points under deck --- it's amazing stuff. 

-kk

[Ed Shankle]

A couple of years back I also split a step while hauling the rolled up dingy into the cockpit. I repaired by installing 90 degree brackets perpendicular to the step, underneath it. through bolted to the "stringer" part of the stairs and just wood screwed into the bottom of the stair. used Gorilla glue just to seal the joint. It's held up well, the seam hasn't even shown signs of re-opening. I'll take a couple of pics over the weekend and post.

regards,
Ed

[Ed Shankle]

Here are the pics of my repair. One is a side view the other is bottom up view.

regards,
Ed

[Noah]

Here is how my steps are made. Whether they are OEM 1990?  That's the way they were when I purchased. Sturdy!
Pic 1 is top
Pic 2 in underside

[KWKloeber]

noah

that looks like someone (CTY or H&L Woodwork) realized the problem and upgraded in later assemblies. The cleats would be a GREAT mod for anyone w/o them to epoxy/screw on and reinforce there before a step cracks and gives way.

-k