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:
120 Grit Sandpaper - amzn.to/2Gc50fV
Wood Glue - amzn.to/2UTNuGI
Artist Brushes for Glue - amzn.to/3DdcuL6
🇨🇦 Canadian link - amzn.to/3G5iJ5C
Quick Grip Spreader Clamps - amzn.to/3G0YYfF
🇨🇦 amzn.to/3pbGORw
A Chisel if Needed - amzn.to/2DaeAzA
Note: purchases made with these links support the video production work of the Fixing Furniture KZfaq 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
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This video is hosted by Scott Bennett, Owner of Wooden It Be Nice - Furniture Repair in Brooklin, Ontario, Canada. WoodenItBeNice.ca
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