1948 Chevrolet Woodie Wood Repair

[buckaroo01]

My 1948 Chevrolet Fleetmaster Woodie needs a little repair where a new wood member meets an old wood piece (photos attached).

 

What suggestions do you have for a repair other than total replacement?

[demco32]

it's possible to repair the wooden part but you need to remove from the car.

It's not difficult to repair.

[Tom Boehm]

How about filling in the gap with epoxy putty and touching up with wood colored paint. This may sound hokey but it does not prevent you from a different remedy in the future. I have done this with little chips on mine. Hardware stores sell a wood colored epoxy putty that actually blends in pretty well when varnished. In order to splice in a piece of wood, a straight  cut is required and that means at least peeling back the top fabric a little. Maybe you could use a wood chisel or an oscillating multitool to remove some wood for a splice without peeling back the top. Even  the best wood splice is not guaranteed to match. Also, there is already some wood putty filling the gap. 

Edited September 13, 2023 by Tom Boehm (see edit history)

[46 woodie]

 The car might have been re-wooded at one time and the gap was filled with some sort of filler. If it's been that way for a while, I would bet that the end grain has already been compromised. I would get a woodworkers catalog such as Rockler or McFeeley's, because they do make fillers that can come very close to the finish you show.

[Shootey]

Regarding fillers, are they typically epoxy with a catalyst? I recently have a very skilled carpenter install a new door in my old house and he filled voids with a two part epoxy. In the bad old days of the ‘60’s I built a surfboard with fiberglass and resin and of course the resin had a catalyst. That’s really the last time I did work like that although I did do a little fiberglassing on my 1966 Lotus Elan more recently. Thanks. 

[Tom Boehm]

Epoxy putty or even liquid epoxy can be used as wood filler. BUT, to me, the term "wood filler" refers to the stuff that comes in small cans in the paint department at Home Depot. It dries/hardens by evaporation of water or solvent and is similar to spackle. 

Edited September 13, 2023 by Tom Boehm (see edit history)

[Shootey]

My dad was a woodworking teacher in the 1950’s and 1960’s. His product of choice was Plastic Wood. My carpenter actually called his filler Bondo. For metal body work Bondo was always a bad word. Lead was a good word. But my carpenter did a fine job on my door. 

[NewOldWood]

Not too bad a job, I've done several repairs of that same joint and been able to do the work without removing the quarter panel. I don't know if the glue joint in the left side is original or not, it could very well be the result of a previous repair. That's what you need to do though, remove a wedge shaped piece to get rid of all the rot and filler and replace it with new wood. With some careful grain and color matching and a little bit of luck you could even get it to blend in pretty well.

[Tom Boehm]

"Remove a wedge shaped piece" is the difficult step here. Can that be done without peeling back the top fabric? How do you get a straight cut so inserting a new piece is easier? 

[NewOldWood]

On 9/14/2023 at 8:37 PM, Tom Boehm said:

"Remove a wedge shaped piece" is the difficult step here. Can that be done without peeling back the top fabric? How do you get a straight cut so inserting a new piece is easier? 

Whether or not he would have to get under the roof fabric depends on how far the rot goes, having to pull a few tacks wouldn't be the worst that could happen. I would probably start the cut by attaching a straight edge of some sort to the car somehow (there are a variety of ways to do this, none of them difficult) and start the cut with a zero kerf hand saw. That would get you at least a good start, then finish with chisels, sandpaper, whatever.

[PhilWood54]

looks like the rear post was replaced at one time and mis cut where it meets the top rail.  Rather than deal with fillers I would cut out the last three inches or so of the top rail, maybe a quarter of an inch deep and fit a piece in that will close up that gap.  A multi tool or even a good sharp chisel should do it, you just need to be careful at the drip rail.  Unfortunately your top rail is a single piece to I would just go to the next finger joint.  You would essentially be skinning the existing top rail.  Oversize it and use good titebond II or III glue.  Good luck!