AboutGreg Scholl Expertise Questions on Woodworking, wood finishing and refinishing of all kinds, repairing furniture and wooden objects,Architectural details, Woodturning, carving, tool usage, product usage, some chemistry as it applies to woodworking and related interests,cabinet making and furniture construction/design, etc. I have experience with all manners of colorants, finishes, paints, stains, dyes, glazes, and coatings of all kinds.
Experience Fine furniture restorer and cabinet maker for over 30 years,serving high end Antique dealers, Interior designers, Collectors in the CT area. Sold, built, serviced, setup Home,Industrial and Commercial stationary woodworking tools for a major tool retailer in CT. for three years, sold hand and power tools, and offered instruction on use and care as well.I even have some Trade show Demo experience.
Organizations none at this time.
Publications Published in Fine Woodworking Magazine (12/97), included on Fine Woodworkings first "Best of Fine Woodworking" CD-ROM (2002) ...("27 year compilation of expert know-how"), local newspapers as well
Education/Credentials Art School at Silvermine Guild in Norwalk, CT., 9 year apprenticeship in a European run Cabinet and Restoration shop in CT., various classes on subjects having to do with the field.Seminars by Major tool manufacturers, Delta, Powermatic, Performax, Porter Cable, Skil/Bosch to name a few.
Past/Present Clients Many varied clients including work on Martha Stewarts' Westport, CT. show house, many fine Antique dealers and private collectors in and around Fairfield County and in Woodbury, CT.(the Antiques capital of CT.) Consulting for area Painting/Decorating and Building contractors on non painting issues..(staining, wood prep.,clear finishing, floor restoration and architectural detail restoration and repair, etc.), local Museums and Historical Societies.
Expert: Greg Scholl Date: 4/18/2008 Subject: old wood windows
Question QUESTION: I have a house that is about 105 years old and has a very nice front porch that is enclosed. The windows are tall and 4 of them open. My son got overzealous when opening one this week to let in the spring and broke the frame at the top corner and one of the panes of glass. I can replace the glass, I'm just not sure what to do about the frame. I really don't want to replace the whole thing, I just need a way to fix the corner. The rest of the window is fine and in good shape.
ANSWER: Hi Kelly, if the joint just came apart, then you can reglue it, but to do a proper repair, the window should be removed from the casing. That way you won't end up gluing it shut by accident. You'll probably also find other issues with it when you take it out and have a close look at it. This is actually pretty easy, you'll need to locate the front trim that holds the window in it's track and then pry those off carefully to remove the window. Old windows like these were pretty well built, and repairing them is pretty straight forward, and you'll need to clean out the old glazing putty to replace the window pane as well, and it's a good time to inspect the whole frame and even repaint the window if you desire. Youcan buy a cheap piece of plywood, and have it cut to the same size as the window, to put in it's place while you're working on the broken one. Hope that helps- post back if need be and best of luck- Greg
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QUESTION: I can take the window down by removing the hinge screws, so that's no problem. When I looked at it last night, it looks like the wood was torn. I'm not sure how to explain it or the proper name, but the window frame is put together like tounge and groove. The horizontal piece of wood is narrower at the end and fits into the opening on the of the vertical piece. That's where it is broken. I was thinking about using a bracket of some kind to rejoin the 2 pieces, on both the inside and outside and painting over it to conceal it. I want to replace all the windows eventaully, but not for 5-6 years and need something that will be sturdy for opening and closing the window, but not too terribly expensive.
ANSWER: Hi Kelly, hmmm...it sounds like the wood is dry rotted then, if the wood just broke out around the mortise and tenon....you could always screw an "L" bracket across the joint, but this is just a temporary fix for sure...as the joint is the key to the whole frames strength, and when it gave way, you can be sure it compromised the other end as well, and you'll probably find the whole structure of the window is now loose if you examine it closely. This type of damage is severe enough that it really should be properly repaired and painted, as it will continue to be an issue, and if you decide to just screw on a bracket, it won't be strong enough to allow you to replace the glass and glaze that properly either, and it certainly won't last 5-6 years I wouldn't think, especially because this is a sign that the whole frame needs attention....you'll probably find that these are not a common window size, so replacing them will require a custom window to be made for each one...that will be alot more expensive than restoring and repairing the original windows, usually, as well...Hope that helps- post back again if need be- regards- Greg
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QUESTION: Greg, you were right. I took a closer look and the whole window is off kilter. There are 5 panes of glass, 3 across the top and 2 on the bottom. One of the 3 on top is cracked and broken and I will replace it, but the other 2 are loose but intact. I have done small repair jobs before, so I'm familiar, but not advanced. Here is what I am thinking I need to do. Remove the window from the wall, remove all the glass pieces, clean the mortice and tennon at the break, wood glue the corner and clamp it, use the "L" bracket on both sides, reinstall the glass, repaint it and finally reinstall in the wall. Does that sound about right? I really appreicate your time and advice. Thanks! :)
Answer Hi again Kelly, you're on the right track, if you take the time to do a proper repair on it, you probably won't need the unsightly "L" brackets at all. Remove the glass panes that are loose so you can get at the other end of the cross piece as you'll want to repair it as well, and you need to reglaze those to get an air/water tight seal anyway. Work as much glue as you can into both mortise and tenon joints, and then clamp to pull the joints together while they dry. You can replace any missing wood with wood filler if it's just little bits, but if large pieces have broken out, you'll want to use something like Minwax's two part High Performance wood filler, which is a polyester resin filler and capable of larger repairs. Then replace the glass and reglaze with glazing putty.Best of luck, you can do it. I'll be here should you need to post back- Greg
