How to Fix a Chair

Wooden chairs tend to suffer more from strain than just about any other piece of furniture. Wooden chairs are lightweight and are made of many interlocking elements to support a person's weight. If your chair is well made, you shouldn't have to make too many repairs throughout its life. However, if your chair is inexpensively constructed, a small splint can turn into a break on a wooden chair. Here's how to fix a chair.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Glue
• Wood wedge
• Screwdriver
• Clamp
• Chisel
• Scrap wood blocks

1. Pry apart the split on your chair's rung with a putty knife or old screwdriver. Use a small wooden wedge to prop the split open.

2. Apply glue to both surfaces of the inside of the split on your chair. Cover the surfaces completely and evenly. Remove the wooden wedge, clamp the repair using a clamp and wood blocks to protect your chair until the glue dries.

3. Wedge any split open in the seat of your wooden chair. Use a chisel to scrape off any old glue.

4. Squeeze glue onto both surfaces of the split in the seat of your wooden chair. Spread the glue into narrow areas of your seat with a toothpick.

5. Clamp the seat together with bar clamps and tighten the clamps alternately, making sure the seat stays aligned properly. Wipe off any excess glue.

6. Wrap any spot on your chair with a wet cloth that is made of bent wood. Steam the wet cloth with a hot iron. Clamp the split on the bent wood with automotive hose clamps. When it's dry, put glue in the split with a toothpick and reclamp it.