How to Repair Kitchen Chairs

Over time most of us will have to deal with a kitchen chair with a wobbly or broken leg. The joints between supports and legs come loose or the chair just collapses. Broken legs need to be replaced, but cracked legs and loose joints are easily repaired. A repair is usually cheaper than buying a new chair or replacing a whole set of matching chairs.

Things You'll Need

• Screwdriver
• Pliers
• Hammer
• Liquid nails
• 1-inch wood screws
• Wood putty
• Stain
• ½-inch dowel rod
• ½-inch drill bit
• Circular or hand saw

Instructions

Broken Legs

1. Remove the supports connected to the broken leg. They are either nailed or screwed in place.

2. Take the broken leg with you to purchase a replacement at a local specialty woodworking store.

3. Stain and finish the replacement to match the other chair legs.

4. Verify the fit of the new leg by test fitting it in place.

5. Bond the new leg to the chair by liberally applying liquid nails to each wood joint. Once you glue the pieces, add 1-inch wood screws to hold them together.

6. Fill the screw holes with wood putty then add a dab of stain to match the putty to the chairs so the screw holes are not visible.

Cracked Legs

1. Purchase at least 6 inches of wooden dowel rod that is 1/2 inch in diameter.

2. Use a ½-inch drill bit to make a hole from the top of the chair down straight into the leg.

3. Test fit the dowel rod by pressing it as far in as it will go. Mark a line using a pencil that is where you will need to cut the rod so that it does not protrude from the chair.

4. Cut the dowel rod at the mark using a circular saw or handsaw.

5. Dab liquid nails into the holes you drilled then onto the dowel rod itself. Then slide the dowel rod down into the leg, once the glue dries it will act as a brace for the broken leg.

6. Cover the hole with wood putty and add stain if necessary to match the color of the chair.

Loose Joints

1. Break the joint completely apart

2. Place a small amount of liquid nails in the hole side of the joint, also place some on the piece that inserts in the hole.

3. Affix the two pieces back together.

4. Fortify the structure of the joint by inserting a 1-inch-long wood screw.

5. Conceal the head of the screw with wood putty and a dab of stain to match the color of your chair.

Tips & Warnings

• If you have a leg that is cracked near the seat, it can be fixed easily. If the crack is more than 2 or 3 inches from the bottom of the chair, the leg should be replaced following Section 1.

• Use thicker dowel rod if it will fit in the leg. It depends how thick the legs on your chair are.

• If you have trouble pulling the joint apart by hand, simple add a screw following Steps 4 and 5.

• If a chair is wobbly, it is likely due to the problems listed in the three sections above. Closely inspect the chair for loose joints or fractures in the legs.

• Do not attempt to simply glue a broken leg. You will likely end up on the ground on top of your broken chair. Glue bonds are important but cannot be substituted for nails.

• Be careful when breaking the joint that you do not do further damage to the chair.