Over time the joints holding wooden chairs together tend to weaken, which can happen for various reasons. A full chair reglue is the only solution to repair a wobbly chair. If you don’t repair the chair in time, the legs could completely break. Follow this step-by-step guide from our furniture restoration experts to reglue it back to its original condition before it’s too late:
1. Labeling the Parts
The first step in the chair reglue process is to label all the joints of your chair. There are many moving parts involved when regluing, so it’s important to label before you disassemble anything. Use painters’ tape and a marker to number each joint and know where to put it back.
2. Disassemble the Chair
Next, you should remove the arms and legs from the chair’s body. You can separate every part of the chair and lay them out for glue scrapping.
3. Scrapping the Old Glue
You’ll need to scrape off the glue from each of the chair’s joints. Properly removing the old glue will help the reglue process go smoothly.
4. Regluing the Chair
Once the old glue has been removed, apply glue to the holes and joints for each part of the chair. Place the arms and legs back in the sockets of the chair – make sure that you insert the right part in the right joint (follow those labels!). It should be easy to tell which joint goes where, if necessary, you can drill the holes wider to allow them to fit together better. If you don’t put the chair back together properly, it could weaken the structure and will likely be uncomfortable.
5. Tighten the Joints
Now press the joints deep inside the holes tightly and leave until it’s dry. Go one by one. You want to ensure the joint is properly secured before moving on to the next.
6. Glue the Split Rung
The chair reglue process may cause one of the rungs to come loose or pop out of the place. Leaving the rung as is could cause injury and affects the appearance of the chair. Luckily with just a couple of tools, most homeowners can fix a chair rung themselves.
The chair reglue process is not as easy as it sounds, especially if you don’t have woodworking experience. You can trust the experts at Furniture Medic by WoodLord Restorations to get the job done right. Our team of furniture restoration professionals can repair your chairs and other furniture back to their original condition. If you want more information about our services, contact our office and talk with a team member at (914) 361-5466.
