Broken chair

[Jim Evatt]

Old dining room chair both rear legs broken where screws go into rear of seat. I don't want to turn new legs because they would need to be bent. I am thinking that if I drill 1/4" holes into top and bottom halves, epoxy some steel rods in that it would be a possible fix. I don't know if this will work: I just want to see if it will break under pressure when someone gets comfortable in it! Any better suggestions?

Haven't been on this site in a long time. Thanks for our help and also for the forum host's help with user name and password!

[lowell holmes]

Do you think the wood is stable enough to withstand the force the steel rod will exert against the wood fibers? It's probably worth a try.

I wonder if a plywood patch would work?

[Jim Becker]

It would be helpful if you can provide some photos of the issue so we can see what you're dealing with.

[John T Barker]

Chairs break at that point because it is a point of high stress and the designer chose to drill a hole for screws there...weakening it of course. Your fix will work if you can line up the holes, which I have heard being done by oversizing the holes and using gap filling epoxy. In the long run removal of more wood weakens the leg a bit more, in a sense. I'd look for better made chairs?

[Jim Evatt]

I just want to see if the epoxy and 1/4" square rods with hold it. I know the chair is not really worth it, but I'll never know id it will work or not. It is a really old chair and the wood is extremely dry.

[Brad Barnhart]

In all honesty Mr. Jim, were it me, I wouldn't use steel rods in it. I would use bunk bed screws. Like others, without pictures, it's kind of hard to say what to do. Keep in mind, if you enlarge existing holes, you take wood away from support. So in turn, do everything possible to work with what you have. And, threads will hold more than a plain steel rod & epoxy.

As far as your leg being "bent", just a thought, but can legs be turned & shaped on the band saw? I have done it. Sometimes it can be time consuming, but it can be done. Just a thought.

[Mike Dowell]

I wouldn't turn a new leg. I repair chairs which are broken like that all the time. Here is how I do it. (http://lauerfurniture.com/the-correct-way-to-repair-a-broken-chair-stretcher/) That is my website, and while that particular article has to do with stretchers, the repair process is the same.

[lowell holmes]

Mike,

You got my attention. Thanks for sharing. Incredible work.

Maybe this can go in the sticky threads.

[Mike Henderson]

I wouldn't turn a new leg. I repair chairs which are broken like that all the time. Here is how I do it. (http://lauerfurniture.com/the-correct-way-to-repair-a-broken-chair-stretcher/) That is my website, and while that particular article has to do with stretchers, the repair process is the same.
Looks great. How did you cut the scarf on each end of the original stretcher? I might make a sled and cut it on my table saw. I couldn't cut straight enough on my bandsaw. Seems that it needs to be perfectly flat to properly mate properly with the patch piece so sanding on a belt sander wouldn't do it (at least not for me).

Mike

[Mike Dowell]

Looks great. How did you cut the scarf on each end of the original stretcher? I might make a sled and cut it on my table saw. I couldn't cut straight enough on my bandsaw. Seems that it needs to be perfectly flat to properly mate properly with the patch piece so sanding on a belt sander wouldn't do it (at least not for me).

MikeMike, I've done it two ways. Sometimes I just cut it on the bandsaw, then flatten it on my belt sander(not hand held, edge sander). The other way I've done it is by running it through the table saw. I don't have any fancy jigs for that. When I use the table saw, I just take the stretcher, and hold it down on a 1x board scrap, and run it through the blade!

[Anthony Whitesell]

I don't have the tools to make the new piece round (either the spokeshave or a lathe).

The article I read once upon a time, especially for a break as shown on the website, was to dig the plug out of the mortise and cut the end square on the leg (stretcher). The find the center of the leg and drill 2-3 inches deep the same diameter as the tenon. Then cut a dowel as long at the hole is deep plus enough for the tenon. Finally, glue the dowel into the leg and into the tenon.