How to Fix a Broken Wooden Chair Leg That Is Split Sideways

Things You'll Need

Wood glue
3 clamps
Wood filler
Sand paper
Stain
2 paint brushes
Polyurethane

Chairs take abuse with with use and movement, leading to breaks and splits in the legs.

Wooden chairs take a lot of abuse. Between frequent use and moves the chairs' legs can split sideways, making them unusable until fixed because they can not support a person without falling over. This can possibly cause further damage to the chair and can injure the person trying to sit in it. Repairing the split chair leg will allow you to use the chair safely and keep it in your household for years to come.

Step 1

Glue the piece of wood that has split off the chair's leg back onto the chair leg with wood glue. Use clamps to hold the piece firmly in place. Let the glue dry for 24 hours before removing the clamps. Wipe any excess glue that seeps out from the edges once you clamp the piece in place.

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Step 2

Fill in the edges around where you re-glued the split piece off with wood filler. Let it dry according to the instructions on the wood glue.

Step 3

Sand down the entire leg that was broken so you have an even surface, once the wood filler is dry.

Step 4

Apply stain that matches the rest of the chair to the leg with a paint brush. Paint with the grain of the wood. Let the first coat dry and apply more coats as necessary to reach the desired shade.

Step 5

Paint a coat of polyurethane on the repaired chair leg, only if the rest of the chair has a polyurethane finish on it.

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