How to Fix Wood Joints

The joints in legs and other parts on wood furniture can wear down over time.

Many homes feature at least one piece of wooden furniture, whether it be a favorite antique rocking chair or the newly refinished side table. With time, pressure and stress, the joints on wooden furniture can become shaky. According to This Old House, the dowels or tenons often used to hold the joints together can shrink or wear down, leading to wobbling joints that can eventually lead to furniture failures. Careful application of glue can help to secure your wood furniture and prevent injury and embarrassment.

Things You'll Need

• Screwdriver
• Solvent
• Carpenter's glue
• Paintbrush
• String or thread
• Clamp

Instructions

1. Disassemble the furniture piece to expose the loose joint. For many furniture pieces, this will include unscrewing fasteners to remove the piece. Be sure to set all screws, nuts and other pieces aside in a safe place so that you do not lose them while you work.

2. Dissolve old glue or other bonding material with acetone, hot vinegar or another similar solvent. This should enable you to completely separate the damaged joint from the rest of the wood piece.

3. Inspect the worn or loosened joint piece. If there is significant breakage or damage, do not attempt to fix the joint yourself. Replace the piece or consult a professional furniture repairer.

4. If the damage is mild, paint the dowel or tenon piece with carpenter's glue. Spread the glue evenly across the entire dowel surface, including the support for the dowel.

5. Wrap the glued dowel in thread or thin string to increase its width. This will cover worn-down or weathered areas to make the dowel fit more snugly in the joint. Cover the string with another layer of glue.

6. Insert the dowel into its joint. If the piece is still loose in the joint, remove it and apply another layer of string and glue, until it fits firmly into place.

7. Clamp the joint firmly with a woodworker's clamp to ensure a strong bond with the glue. Allow the glue to dry for 48 hours undisturbed, unless your specific carpenter's glue product recommends a different drying time.

8. Remove the clamp and reassemble the piece of furniture.

Tips & Warnings

• Most repair work on joints serves as only a temporary solution. You may need to replace the wooden dowel or tenon completely, or even replace the wood piece, to achieve a truly stable surface.

References

• Wood Central: How to Repair Furniture Joints
• This Old House: Fixing Wobbly Joints