How to Repair Wobbly Chairs Properly - Furniture Restoration Techniques

Показать описание

See how to repair a wobbly chair in our furniture repair shop. This is a common repair that homeowners can do if they follow the right steps. If you don't do it right, your repair will fail, or worse, you can damage the chair.

The first step is to take the chair apart. If you squeeze glue in a loose joint, it won't hold. Label all the parts with masking tape so you know how it goes together again. I take chairs apart with spreader clamps (see link below) to gently separate the parts. If you use something like a rubber mallet, there's a risk you could break a part.

The next step is to clean the glue off the joints where the parts connect. Standard wood glue (PVA) won't stick to the old glue so it needs to be removed for the glue to work properly. Sandpaper is the best DIY way to remove the old glue off the tenons (the parts that go into the holes). It can also be used in the mortises (holes) to gently remove any old glue. I prefer to use drill bits to remove the old glue.

To glue up the chair, make sure all the parts are set out in the right order to go together and have your clamps ready. If you're new to this, you should practice the clamping of the chair so you're confident your clamps will work on the parts you want to clamp. Also, have something heavy (50+ pounds) ready to place on the seat. You need to work on a level surface to ensure the chair won't wobble after the glue dries.

When you're ready, apply the glue with an artist brush - use the back end for coating the inside side of the mortises (holes) and use the brush end to apply it to the tenons. One common mistake people make when using wood glue, is not spreading it on all the surface of both sides of the chair joint. Don’t spread the glue with your finger because the oils from your skin can weaken the glue. Assemble the chair quickly as you typically have 15 minutes before the glue starts to set up. Stand the chair up and add weight on top of the seat to ensure all 4 legs are touching the ground. Add clamps to all the parts that were glued - this is important as standard wood glue won't work unless pressure is applied to the glued parts.

If you don’t do this the right way, your repair won’t stand up to the abuse the chair joints get. I hope this helps you understand how to successfully repair loose chairs. Here are tools and materials to help you with your project:
Note: purchases made with these links support the video production work of the Fixing Furniture YouTube channel.

VIDEO TOPICS:
00:00 How to Repair Wobbly Chairs Properly
01:41 Take the chair apart
02:52 Clean glue off the joints
04:12 Property apply glue
07:12 Apply clamping pressure

#ChairRepair #Woodworking #Repair

Рекомендации по теме

Комментарии

Thanks a million for the video, it was extremely helpful! I followed your tutorial precisely and was able to resurrect some 50 year-old dining chairs for a friend. The chairs are sturdy once again; I was very surprised at how sturdy.

gregp

I never understood why the fasteners are not mechanical with metal, until now! Your description of the materials "working against each other" is the crux. Subscribed and a contributor. Methodical and informative, and the beauty of wood!

kenty

7:50 All nonchalant: "Should last a couple of decades." 😳 This guy repairs.

superpolymath

You have the heart of a teacher. Your videos are brilliant and educational. I learn something every time

jaredhammonds

Your calm, clear, methodical approach is incredibly helpful. Thank you.

drmichaelpanthony

Really appreciated the close ups into the holes when you painted the glue all around!

trishakeel

What a great well paced video. Extremely helpful!

lisabrown

I love your calm voice and pace in the videos :) subscribed

MXDBZZ

This is exactly what I needed to do on my kitchen chair. I'm so glad you showed us how we can do it without clamps! Yay!

kathey

For the algorithm!
Thank you for the video and information. I'll be repairing my friend's chairs, and they are remarkably similar to the one you have in this video. You made me feel confident that I could actually do this project well.

aloseman

I am pleasantly surprised by how few tools this job needs! Our 20-year-old chairs need to be tightened up, and before watching this video I flipped one over and noticed all of the screws. I thought for sure I'd be hiring this out, but now I'm confident that it's a job I can do on my own. Thank you!

ryanleighrunyon

Great video! Very clear and concise. I'm excited to try this on a few of my chairs. Thank you for the helpful tips!

DeeDee-wdtr

Thanks for this tutorial, very interesting. I'm now in the middle of restoring eight chairs, I have check a few videos, and this one is the most helpful.
I'm right now from Melbourne, Australia, watching the Queen Elizabeth II Funeral ceremony.

gatitoloco

I have watched two of your videos and find your tutorial style very watchable as you take your time and show very clearly each stage of a repair. I am viewing from my home in England UK
Sizzler

cyrilaspinall

I just saved a set of old chairs from the burning pile, beautiful heavy solid timber but falling apart at the joins. Now I know how to fix them and give them a few more decades of life. thank you

lisagolding