There is nothing like sitting down for a nice family meal and feeling like the chair that is under you is about to let you down. The repair of a dining room chair is one of the most common repairs that I have to do for people. The repairs of a wobbly chair are usually attributed to loose spindles. To get the most life out of a solid chair, the best thing to do to repair these loose spindles by taking the joint apart. First, look carefully to see if there are any mechanical fasteners (nails or screws) that are helping to hold the joint together. If there is a fastener then do your best to try and remove the fastener with out damaging the surrounding area. If there are no mechanical fasteners holding it together then go ahead and give it a tug to see if the joint pulls apart. If the joint does not come apart see if a clamp spreader will push it apart. Once it is apart you can use some Titebond glue, which you can purchase at most hardware stores, then use your clamp and clamp it back together. You can continue this process for all of the loose joints that will come apart.
For a joint that will not come apart you have a couple of other options. You can use Quick-Set CA glue (cyanoacrylate adhesive) and let it seep down into the cracks around the spindle. Depending on the size will depend on whether you want to use thin, medium, or thick glue. This works pretty well but sometimes it takes a few times to fill up the crack. The glue may seep out the other side, so make sure you have something to place under your work space. This glue sets fast so work quick and do not allow it to get on your fingers or you may be wearing it for a while.
Another option for loose spindles is to put a small cross dowel into the joint or put another mechanical fastener into the joint. I make it so that the fastener/dowel goes in at a 90 degree angle to the spindle itself. To use a dowel, drill a small hole (the size of your dowel) into the leg, but not all the way through. Put some glue on the dowel and insert it into the hole. Once the glue dries you can cut off the dowel with a flush trim saw and lightly sand the dowel end. Now you have two choices, you can leave the dowel its natural color or you can stain the dowel to match the stain of the chair. We will cover this part in a later blog.
I hope that this helps you out with the projects around your house. Feel free to contact me at weberwooddesigns@gmail.com with questions about your particular repair so I can possibly offer some suggestions to your specific needs.
Thanks
Dennis Weber
Weber Wood Designs
