Carpentry and Woodworking - Help for cypress coffee table finish has cracked

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dragonlady1942
09-30-08, 04:46 PM
I have my Mother's coffee table and it was in the shed when the hurricane came through. She said years ago it was the heart of a redwood, but I have looked up red wood coffee tables and I can only find thin redwood tables and this one is about 6 inches thick, and has e legs that look like small stumps and so heavy. I think it is cypress. anyway something fell on it and the finish has cracked. it is that poor on finish that looks like glass. How can I repair it . It is about 30 years old.

Just Bill
10-02-08, 04:22 PM
Redwood and cypress are similar when it comes to moisture. The finish is another matter. Cypress was born in a swamp, and heartwood redwood was born in a rain forest. Both are very resistant to moisture. The problem with a piece of natural wood that thick is, if dried too quickly, it will split. That does not sound like your problem, however.

The problem is likely the finish, not the wood. I would strip the finish, probably a varnish, then see what is underneath.