How To Repair Loose Chair Legs

Fix a Wobbly Chair: Reglue a Wooden Chair

Updated: Jul. 10, 2022

How to disassemble a wobbly chair and reglue it

FH03NOV_WOBCHA_01-2 Family unit Handyman

Knock a wobbly wooden chair apart, clean upwards the joints so reglue and clamp it to go far solid and sound again. It's an like shooting fish in a barrel process if you follow our stride-by-step instructions.

Yous might as well similar: TBD

Step ane: Detach the wobbly chair

Photo 1: Label the parts

Label all parts with masking tape and a marker. Number the rungs in an ascending pattern. Mark left and right every bit you confront the front of the chair.

Photo 2: Disassemble the back

Agree chair upright virtually one/2 in. off a padded workbench. Firmly strike seat down, virtually each articulation, with a deadblow hammer.

Photo iii: Remove screws and nails

Examine the legs closely and remove all screws and nails earlier hammering the legs autonomously. Salve the screws for reassembly.

Photograph 4: Dig out tough nails

File a groove in a flat screwdriver blade to dig out securely driven nails. Repair the chisel impairment later with matching wood filler.

Photo 5: Remove the legs

Hold chair upside down. Strike the seat firmly with a dead-blow hammer. Piece of work effectually the chair, slowly loosening each joint.

A wobbly wooden chair ways one affair: Joints betwixt the legs and the rungs have broken gratis. Non just i—several. The only set up is to completely disassemble the legs and reglue them.

Yous'll save time and avoid frustration if you label every part to make it easier to put them dorsum together (Photo 1). Utilise a simple numbering and lettering pattern on the rungs, with all numbers and letters facing forward. Left and right are determined as you face the front of the chair.

A deadblow hammer (from a abode center; Photo 2) is a must for easy chair disassembly. A safe mallet bounces too much and a wooden mallet mars the surface. Some joints easily fly apart. Others refuse to permit loose. Ever start hammering lightly and increase the force as needed. You'll clearly see, and feel, the joint move when the glue bond breaks.

Many chair legs have screws holding them to the seat. Not all are obvious; look for small screw or smash holes filled to lucifer the chair finish. Y'all're likely to chip a rung when y'all miss a well-hidden nail or screw. (See "Oops!" below). You may accept to dig out small nails (Photo 4).

One time in a while the seat may split or crack apart. But this only adds an extra glue and clench pace (plus 24 hours) before reassembly.

Oops!

If you lot miss a nail, y'all'll probably carve up a rung when yous knock the chair apart. Don't worry. This "disaster" is easily repaired. The harm is more cosmetic than structural. Pull the nail with a locking pliers and then terminate disassembling the chair. Relieve all woods chips for regluing and clamping later, at reassembly.

Step two: Reglue, get together and clamp the chair

Photo 6: Scrape out old mucilage

Remove all traces of old glue from the mortise-and-tenon joints using sandpaper (100-dust) or a plumber'due south pipage-cleaning brush.

Photo seven: Utilise new gum

Utilise a light coating of yellow carpenter's glue to the seat and leg joints. Coat mortise holes using a small brush. Reassemble speedily.

Photo eight: Clamp the legs and seat

Clamp the legs, rungs and seat all at once. Draw joints tight and wipe off glue drips with a damp cloth. Cheque its alignment on a apartment surface.

Photo nine: Gum and clamp the back

Apply mucilage to the back and spindle parts and assemble. Align the back, positioning information technology with padded bar clamps. Allow 24 hours to dry.

Once in a while the seat may carve up or crack apart. But this just adds an actress glue and clamp footstep (plus 24 hours) before reassembly.

Your new glue won't bond with the sometime glue. Sand downward to bare wood to ensure a stiff bail and a solid joint that will last (Photograph 6). Our skillful recommended a standard yellow carpenter'southward glue. The key to reassembly is to work speedily, because the gum begins to dry in a few minutes. Lay out seat and leg parts in a clear social club co-ordinate to your labels.

We recommend using bar clamps because they take the power to draw stubborn joints together (Photo nine). Use as many as needed to pull all joints tightly together. When you're finished, your chair should sit every bit solid as new.

Special problem: Tighten a badly worn articulation

Utilize epoxy

Clean the former glue from the mortise and tenon. Then fill the mortise about halfway with epoxy. Set chair leg (tenon) into mortise, marshal and clench.

Some joints are merely too damaged to allow for a tight gum joint, specially when repairing areas that accept broken several times. One way to save the chair is to utilize 24-hour epoxy equally both a filler and a bonding amanuensis. Keep the joint upside downwards so the epoxy doesn't run out. Scrape off excess epoxy while it'southward all the same soft.

Special trouble: Glue a split rung

Photo 1: Apply glue to the split

Wedge open up a split rung with a wood wedge. Apply carpenter's glue to carve up pieces using a small brush.

Photo ii: Clamp the dissever

Clamp the joint using padded clamps. Remove excess gum, starting time with a damp textile and then with a sharp chisel 20 minutes after.

Divide rungs can be repaired without disassembling the chair. Wedge open each split and use ample glue to each split piece. Get mucilage as far downwardly the carve up as possible without really splitting the rung further.

Deeply clamp the repair with padded clamps. Tighten until the glue oozes out and the divide edges realign and pull tight. But don't crank downwards too hard and squeeze all the gum out of the joint. Make clean upwards excess glue with a clammy cloth just don't get wet into joint. Wait about 20 minutes until the backlog glue looks like soft licorice, then lift it off past gently scraping with a chisel or utility knife. For a completely invisible fix, you'll have to sand the expanse with fine sandpaper, color-lucifer the stain and revarnish.

Required Tools for this Projection

Have the necessary tools for this DIY projection lined up earlier y'all commencement—y'all'll salve time and frustration.

Required Materials for this Project

Avoid concluding-minute shopping trips by having all your materials ready alee of time. Hither's a list.

Originally Published: June 20, 2022