Can my thrift store chair be fixed?

[vidpro23]

Got a table and chairs at thrift yesterday - I saw at the store one of them was cracked, but the table was worth buying anyway even if I have to replace the chairs down the road. one has a crack in a bad place (see pic) - not all the way thru though,...so it would be hard to get glue down in it,..but is that what I need to do? Glue and clamp? any suggestions?

thanks!

[Darren]

You'll have to open the crack to fix it unless you can use a metal band to clamp it. Look up resorcinal. It's a structural wood glue that's rot proof and water proof. Normally it's used for structural and marine applications. Most don't know it can be used for furniture. Resorcinal glued joints if torn apart will result in the wood fibers being broken. The glue itself will not give. It's stronger than the wood.

[geo in mi]

As said, you'll need to open the crack enough to force squeeze glue(I would use Elmer's carpenter, or Tite-Bond) into the crack and then work it back and forth to get it spread on both surfaces, then clamp. After that, I would drill two holes thru the entire piece at an angle...1/4 or 3/8 inch diameter, then glue in dowels for strength. I would sand down the diameter of the dowels just enough to let the glue fill the void. You can use water to clean the excess off the outer surface before it sets up. Then NEVER let a heavy-butted person sit in the chair on its two back legs and lean against the wall.

geo

[ronbre]

force glue into it and then shove more in with FLAT toothpicks..if the crack won't close up tight, fill it with glue soaked fine sawdust or pieces of flat toothpicks..wash off any extra glue..then when it is all dry..sand it well getting any glue residue off and any bits of wood sticking out before you repaint..

you can also make a "patch" to put on the outside with thin veneer strips or wood shavings soaked in glue and applied over the patch..then sand smooth any edges before painting..the patch won't be invisible but it won't be really noticable when painted

[chickenista]

I would suggest using a hypodermic needle to inject the glue deep in and then doing everything else suggested.

[Darren]

Resorcinal without anything else will fix the crack. Because the epoxy is thick when mixed, you won't be able to use a hypodermic. Use toothpicks or better yet thin strips of metal to get it into the crack. Take the seat off before you work on the crack. After you've clamped the wood, clean the excess resorcinal off before it hardens. If it hardens, it's staying.

You can buy smaller sizes of the two container packages at the big box stores. Try it on two test pieces before you work on the chair. You can mix as little or as much as you need. You get a liquid and a powder to be mixed.

[dkhern]

try small nails to widen the crack to get glue inside

[Rustaholic]

Originally Posted by Darren

Resorcinal without anything else will fix the crack. Because the epoxy is thick when mixed, you won't be able to use a hypodermic. Use toothpicks or better yet thin strips of metal to get it into the crack. Take the seat off before you work on the crack. After you've clamped the wood, clean the excess resorcinal off before it hardens. If it hardens, it's staying.

You can buy smaller sizes of the two container packages at the big box stores. Try it on two test pieces before you work on the chair. You can mix as little or as much as you need. You get a liquid and a powder to be mixed.

I like to try new glues. I will look into getting some of that Resorcinal and try it in one of the many hypodermic needles I have.

[just_sawing]

If you want to fix it where it won't break I would groove a 1/2 inch slot in the back about three inches long. introduce glue ( I use tile bond) and glue a shim 1/2 by 3 inches in the slot. The problem is your having to fix the primary crack that you see but the micro cracks that happened at the same time are too small it get the glue. the shim will hold it fine.

[Harry Chickpea]

just sawing, are you thinking like I am? - find a guy with a biscuit cutter, open it up for the biscuit but before putting that in using the hole as a way to access the glue down in deep? The chair is painted, so no big deal on a shim/biscuit. The tenons for the seat are just below the break, so anything too aggressive could be a problem.

[Darren]

Originally Posted by Rustaholic

I like to try new glues. I will look into getting some of that Resorcinal and try it in one of the many hypodermic needles I have.

It might work with a large bore needle. The stuff is more of a syrup than liquid. Looks like there's better stuff out there now. Resorcinal used to be the glue for saltwater and freshwater use. It is not a gap filler.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resorcinol_glue