' Broken ' Chairs

[Bazile]

I got some dining roon table chairs , where the framework have come out /are coming out of the various slots ( if you see what i mean )

Anyone know any carpenters businesses in the West Midlands that would put this right ?

[Old_Geezer]

I can not help but can say I have chairs in that condition stored under the stairs. I'm sure they can be fixed with glue and clamps, but I've not got around to it yet.

[stewey]

I have a product called "Chair Doctor" manufactured by Veritas; I'm sure that you would have a similar product in the UK. The kit contain a syringe, two needle-type applicators, a bottle of low-viscosity glue, and instructions. In essence you apply the glue into the joints with the hypodermic-type syringe. It is excellent and even glues wood to metal.

[stewey]

Here it is on Amazon UK. Apparently it comes with three needles. http://www.amazon.co.uk/VERITAS-114ml-CHAIR-DOCTOR-REPAIR/dp/B00DHHRGFA

[boxtops]

I just use wood glue on ours, and duck tape them together until the glue has set.

[Bazile]

i'm trying to avoid the need for me to try and take the frame apart myself

[stewey]

You don't have to with this stuff.

[stewey]

"If a chair has a loose rung, an injection of Chair Doctor glue will first swell the rung and then bond it in position. The secret is the glue’s low viscosity. It will soak into the end grain of the wood, swell it and then freeze the wood in the swollen state as it cures. A film of dry glue is left on the walls of the wood cells, preventing contraction."

[stewey]

Bazile, any progress with your broken chairs?...Just interested.

[stewey]

I've also used it to permanently fix loose hammer heads onto their handles.

[Bazile]

stewey - not yet - i have not done anything since .

All but one of the affected chairs - the various parts have not entirely come out of the slots - but rather , starting to come out . So i would have to dismantle them , in order to use the product

[stewey]

You just leave the rungs in place and inject this glue. My post of 1824hrs on Monday describes how it works...No I don't have shares in the company:)

[Bazile]

This is what i mean - where the horizontal rail joints goes into the slots of the vertical parts slots ( if you see what i mean )

http://www.hillcrossfurniture.co.uk/blog/2011/05/wooden-restaurant-chairs-finding-a-high-quality-frame/

[stewey]

Bazile, all of those locations of the chair frame which are illustrated are precisely what the product is intended for...Anyway, go for it and happy sitting:)

[Bazile]

So are you saying that you apply the glue unto the exposed part of the joint that has partly come out of the slot ?

How would you get the joint fully back into the slot bearing in mind that the joint is already a tight fit and is not moving - and is now going to expand .

I'm sure i'm missing something here .

[jomifl]

If not enough of the joints have failed to enable you to open the joints tthen try this. Wet the joint with tap water so that it soaks into the cracks, leave it for about 5 minutes then add some good quality PVA wood glue to the cracks. It will follow the water into the joint, keep adding it till it stops flowing into the joint, wiggling it a bit will accelerate the process. Repeat with the other loose joints then pull the joints together with bungees or old tights or whatever is available, wipe off surplus glue and leave to dry for a few days. I have repaired several chairs this way.

[stewey]

Hi, Bazile. I think that you are not realizing, perhaps, that you inject this low-viscosity glue into the spaces around the joints (leave the chair intact) with a hypodermic needle and syringe. It then swells the wood fibres and adheres them at the same time creating a really strong union which dries to a clear finish.

[stewey]

The trouble with soaking the wood with water in order to expand it is that, obviously, the water eventually dries up and the wood shrinks.

[jomifl]

Stewey, soaking the joint with water is to facilitate the ingress of glue. If it does make the wood swell and brings the wood surfaces close together then it may help. The stuff you recommend sounds excellent by the way..

[stewey]

Jomifl, what you suggested is essentially the same as what this product does. Some people think that soaking with water alone fixes the problem. For example, you can soak the loose head of a hammer in water until the wooden handle expands and you've got a tight fit...for maybe a day:) Anyway, I hope Bazile gets it sorted...Cheers.