The Tool Barn


Wooden Chair Repair

If you have wooden chairs, sooner or later you will need to fix a loose spindle or leg.  These joints come loose as the wood expands at different rates across the grain as it does with the grain.  When the humidity is high, wood expands and when it is low, wood contracts.  Repeat this cycle enough times and the glue in the joint will fail.  Note that this article is not intended to address the repair of antique furniture.  Antique furniture was commonly assembled using "Hide glue" and should be repaired by a professional.

Items needed:
"Chair Loc"
Glue injector
Drill
Sandpaper
Safety Suggestions and Tips
Avoid letting glue drip
Use rubber mallet, not hammer
Level of difficulty


Time Required:
 1 hour

Steps


Use special glue

Step 1:

If the joint is just wobbly but the spindle or leg does not yet come out all of the way, continue reading.  If the spindle or leg comes completely out, skip to Step 4. If the joint is just a bit wobbly the best way to fix it is to inject a small amount of wood glue or "Chair-Loc" into the joint. 


Injector to force glue in

Step 2:

This may be accomplished in one of two ways:  Iif the joint is loose enough, you may be able to use a high-pressure injector to put the adhesive into the joint.  If you can get glue in the joint, skip to Step 4.


Pressure inject glue

Step 3:

If you can't get the glue into the joint, drill a small hole into the joint from the inside so it can not be seen from the outside and inject the adhesive through it.  If you are using Chair-Loc, put a rag below the hole or the excess will run down the leg.


Pull loose chair leg

Step 4:

Pull the stub out of the socket.  Try not to damage the other joints

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