How to repair a broken chair leg

[Markvk]

Hello all, Long time no chat! for various reasons ive not been doing anything in my workshop for over a year now, but at last ive got some time to spare and have a lot of projects to catch up with. first and foremost ive got 2 broken dining room chairs to fix and i dont have a clue on how to go about it. I wonder if i could ask your advice on the best way to achieve a strong long lasting repair?

The first is a broken leg, its totally snapped, the joint doesnt cleanly fit back together because of the old snapped dowels and there is a splinter of wood that formes a decorative step in the chair molding that needs gluing in some how, again this piece won't cleanly fit back into place

Thanks in advance for your help and advice.

 

[deema]

I would consider two approaches if it were my chair.
1. Clean out the joint such that the leg will go back into place, removing as little material as possible, West Epoxy resin the leg back into place.
2. Clean out the top of the leg completely to leave only a thin layer of wood that is seen, now bore down into the leg as far as possible with the biggest bit that can be accommodated. Square out the hole so that a square peg of wood can be inserted and glued such that it is within the mortise and is adjacent/ glued to the thin wall of the seen wood. This will create a new end of the leg that you can work on.

Cut mortises into the rail and slots into the leg to allow a loose tennon to be inserted. Glue the leg back into place with the tenons proving structural integrity. I'd again use epoxy resin for its gap filling and strength.

Good luck.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

You'll probably never get any repair of any strength done. Unless the set is worth a lot of money (fairly modern brown furniture - unlikely) kiss them goodbye. You could spend lots of hours attempting a repair only to see it break again the first time someone sits on it.

 

[Markvk]

You'll probably never get any repair of any strength done. Unless the set is worth a lot of money (fairly modern brown furniture - unlikely) kiss them goodbye. You could spend lots of hours attempting a repair only to see it break again the first time someone sits on it.

This was actually my thought but my wife likes them so i have to try something!

 

[Markvk]

I would consider two approaches if it were my chair.
1. Clean out the joint such that the leg will go back into place, removing as little material as possible, West Epoxy resin the leg back into place.
2. Clean out the top of the leg completely to leave only a thin layer of wood that is seen, now bore down into the leg as far as possible with the biggest bit that can be accommodated. Square out the hole so that a square peg of wood can be inserted and glued such that it is within the mortise and is adjacent/ glued to the thin wall of the seen wood. This will create a new end of the leg that you can work on.

Cut mortises into the rail and slots into the leg to allow a loose tennon to be inserted. Glue the leg back into place with the tenons proving structural integrity. I'd again use epoxy resin for its gap filling and strength.

Good luck.

Thanks for your kind response. Method number 2 is outside of my current wood working skills so ill have to attempt method number one. ill clean it out carefully until i can get a close fit and epoxy them together would it be worth screwing through to the rails and plugging them with some mahogany, or drilling them from either side and driving some dowels through to each rail?

thanks

 

[AJB Temple]

Method 1 unlikely to be strong enough. Drill holes to accommodate 8mm steel rod and epoxy in.

 

[dzj]

Best course of action is to chuck it.
If you can't, then graft a new piece of wood and re-do the joinery.
The 'crag' you currently have is useless.

 

[custard]

This isn't a simple repair and unless you get it right it will fail and may injure someone.

1. The chair was originally constructed in sub assemblies, the front two legs and the front rail were assembled, the back two legs plus the crest and back rail were separately assembled, and then those two sub assemblies were joined together via the side rails. You should follow that same method. So step one is to completely take apart the front leg sub assembly. You need to effect two joints at 90 degrees to each other, so unless it's all taken apart you can't make a good job of that joinery.

2. Using the other front leg as your template cut away the damaged section and scarf in a new section. You'll need to be able to identify the wood and you'll need to source the same or very similar timber in a suitable cross section.

3. You may well choose to do the joinery at this stage while you still have clean square reference surfaces. Make up a shop made dowel jig and replacement dowels.

4. Shape it, and then stain and finish to blend in with the existing timber.

5. Deal with the upholstery.

When it's finished, provided you've done a first class job, you'll have a chair worth about £5.

 

[Markvk]

Thanks all, message received loud and clear! Firewood it is then.....

 

[deema]

It's not firewood, have a go. You have nothing to lose.

It's a front leg, which has far less stress than a rear leg.

 

[Markvk]

It's not firewood, have a go. You have nothing to lose.

It's a front leg, which has far less stress than a rear leg.

Im going to have to, the wife gave me a withering look....... Will any epoxy do or do i need to ues wests? if so is there a particular one, was looking at this one.

http://www.axminster.co.uk/west-system- ... sin-506064

 

[Mr T]

I would agree with Custard, the chair needs to be dismantled and the whole joint area replacing. Clamping one corner will be difficult and even an epoxy is likely to give up after a while. If it's one of a set there is more of an incentive to try a repair but it needs to be wood to wood not wood to glue.

Chris

 

[Markvk]

I would agree with Custard, the chair needs to be dismantled and the whole joint area replacing. Clamping one corner will be difficult and even an epoxy is likely to give up after a while. If it's one of a set there is more of an incentive to try a repair but it needs to be wood to wood not wood to glue.

Chris

Its a one of a set of 6, they arnt anything special but my wife likes them, im going to have a go, ill clean it out and glue and pin the joint as best i can, if it doesnt work least i will have had a go. woodwork is therapy to me, i know little about it but enjoy it, so its all part of the learning curve. Who knows one day i might be able to make a whole chair from scratch.... have to start somewhere!

 

[Markvk]

I would agree with Custard, the chair needs to be dismantled and the whole joint area replacing. Clamping one corner will be difficult and even an epoxy is likely to give up after a while. If it's one of a set there is more of an incentive to try a repair but it needs to be wood to wood not wood to glue.

Chris

Its a one of a set of 6, they arnt anything special but my wife likes them, im going to have a go, ill clean it out and glue and pin the joint as best i can, if it doesnt work least i will have had a go. woodwork is therapy to me, i know little about it but enjoy it, so its all part of the learning curve. Who knows one day i might be able to make a whole chair from scratch.... have to start somewhere!

 

[ColeyS1]

Providing you wear a crash helmet and elbow pads it's gotta be worth a try. I'd forget the dowels exist and look at introducing some other type of joining method.

If twer me trying, I'd go way over the top and flood the joint (both pieces)with epoxy. Use enough so you're tutting yourself with all the glue you've wasted when it's squeezed out. Clamp it, let it cure.

Chuck traditional jointing methods out the window and get some m6 threaded bar. If you can pocket hole type fix it from the back, ideal, if not the only other way is to drill as deep as you can from the front and pellet it. Fill your hole with epoxy, then force in the threaded bar. Twist it around a few times so you know it's completely covered. - if you haven't got epoxy oozing out the hole, you either haven't used enough or the bars not in far enough yet.
I think getting enough epoxy in the joints/holes will be the decider.

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[Markvk]

Providing you wear a crash helmet and elbow pads it's gotta be worth a try. I'd forget the dowels exist and look at introducing some other type of joining method.

If twer me trying, I'd go way over the top and flood the joint (both pieces)with epoxy. Use enough so you're tutting yourself with all the glue you've wasted when it's squeezed out. Clamp it, let it cure.

Chuck traditional jointing methods out the window and get some m6 threaded bar. If you can pocket hole type fix it from the back, ideal, if not the only other way is to drill as deep as you can from the front and pellet it. Fill your hole with epoxy, then force in the threaded bar. Twist it around a few times so you know it's completely covered. - if you haven't got epoxy oozing out the hole, you either haven't used enough or the bars not in far enough yet.
I think getting enough epoxy in the joints/holes will be the decider.

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Thanks for that, its pretty much what id got in mind to attempt only id planed to use a course threaded countersunk hex bolt, ill fill everything with epoxy clamp as best i can and the drive the bolts into the epoxy filled pilot holes, ill put the finished it in the place where the mother in law normally sits :shock:

whats the best way to remove the waste epoxy?

cheers, mark

 

[ColeyS1]

Yeah, the mother in law won't mind [FACE WITH TEARS OF JOY] I'd paper towel off as much as you can, then use a wet paper towel soaked in acetone to wipe away the residue. Just be careful with the acetone- it might start removing the finish if you scrub too hard. I'm only familiar with the west system epoxy on woodwork. I think normal epoxy wipes off with warm soapy water.

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[ED65]

whats the best way to remove the waste epoxy?

While it's still wet, wipe away as much as you can dry, discard those paper towels or rags and dampen some fresh ones with solvent and wipe away the last traces.

Different people have their own favourite solvent to use and report equally good results with meths, acetone and white spirit. Acetone is by far the most effective solvent of these three for liquid epoxy but unfortunately it could easily take the finish right off so probably best avoided here.

If the epoxy has partially hardened you can often scrape and peel it off with ad hoc tools fashion from small pieces of hardwood or bamboo and your fingernails.

If it's gone hard some careful work with a sharp chisel is your best bet normally. But if there's a chance some of the epoxy will get on the finished surfaces of your chair I would wax those well before you start work. The epoxy will pop right off a well-waxed surface, even once fully cured.

BTW worth mentioning with regards to epoxy repairs that need to bridge any significant gaps in the joint you should fill it (mix it with wood dust) and not use it neat. For the absolute best bond strength wet all wood surfaces first with the straight epoxy, then fill the rest of the puddle you've mixed, slather that on and bring the joint together, clamping just hard enough to get things together. Very firm clamp pressure isn't needed with epoxy.

 

[ColeyS1]

Decent masking tape might make the clean up a little easier. Masking tape up everything you don't want glue on, then remove the excess whilst it's still in place. Have a final wipe down with it removed.

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