We acquired two of these cabinets from a friend a few years ago, and one of them has developed a large crack which we noticed while moving a few months ago, and it's grown to the point where most of the side is covered.
I was going to grab a ratchet strap to keep it together in the short term, then look at getting further help on the repair (it's a nice piece of furniture, and we don't really want to get rid of it). Is this likely to cause more damage? would you guys recommend filling the crack, or bracing it somehow (would that cause more damage and weakness)?
It's not really my strong suit, so any help would be appreciated.
EDIT: Added picture.
Best Answer
Bad split but great situation, in being a cabinet & not a bank of drawers. However, I can't see fresh wood, which is quite odd. It's best to do this with the piece laying face-up on the floor.
You need to wood glue that. Open & prop up the split to then squirt, popsicle stick or brush a thin layer of glue on the bottom of the split. Just get as much of the split as you can manage, remove your prop & let gravity close it.
It shouldn't slide around & should align perfectly on its own, but help it if needed. Wipe any glue off that squeezes out with a rung-out paper towel, rag or sponge. Keep the door open & stack as much weight (up to 100-lbs) as you can within the cabinet door zone.
Start stacking with something long & fairly thin to span the cabinet opening, so you can wipe off any additional glue squeeze out on both sides. And, let it sit for 27-hours. You should be good to go from there, but you can also install a small (1/2-inch x 1 1/2-inch) flat drilled piece of metal (at any hardware store) to bridge & brace the old split, just under the drawer so it's not visible.