chair repair question

larry merlau

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Delton, Michigan
i have got 2 chairs dropped off to repair maybe!!!! they have brk spindles that keep the legs together and the tenons are both broke off in the legs.. anyone got ideas of how to repair them? i dont own a lathe so other solutions needed as these also have a spindle going back tot he back rung of the chiar also.. pic is below...

chair fix-spindle 002.jpgchair fix-spindle 001.jpg

my thoughts on how to fix, possibly drill a hole threw leg and into the spindle to glue a dowel into to connect the two.??? then refinish to match as close as i can.. the husband already tried to screw them together but he missed on two occasions and the misses wasnt to happy:)
 
IMO, the best solution would be to find a turner who can replace the broken spindles. (I'd offer to do it if my lathe wasn't 800 miles west of me right now.) I think anything less than that is gonna look patched.
 
well they have looked broke for alost twenty years from what i was told and those screws do add some artist look to it:) ok will need to find a turner close by.. or maybe i can mail them off and get them mailed back??? they are maple..
 
Im wondering if the amount of time and effort needed to do the job right, turn a spindle, drill out the old spindle, finish to match, is worth it if the chair itself might not be worth as much as the repair.(if its a family heirloom, I dont think the husband would have used screws)
that spindle doesnt look that complicated for a turner.
 
If there are already screw hols through the legs into the (broken) spindles, then I through drill them for a dowel. Figure a way to hold the spineles in place, then drill thru the leg, the broken off tenons, and into the end of the spindle, then put a dowel of the proper length in. Maybe leave the dowel an eighth or quarter inch long, and round over the end to look like a 'button.' ...Or, you could even use a steel (bolt) or aluminum rod toadditional strength, and sink it deep enough that you could use a dowel or button plug.

Not as elegant as turning a whole new spindle, but neat, clean, and effective. Cheaper, too!

Note, I'd only do this for a chair with little value - certainly not on a real antique!
 
If the ends of the spindles are a clean break, and fit where they are broken, don't do any dressing to them. Apply some TB II or III to the ends, and clamp them in place. Then use a small drill bit, like a ⅛", and pilot a hole from the outside of the legs/rear stretcher, into the spindles. Drill a few up size holes to the largest diameter dowel you have, not smaller than ⅜". If it's just a plain dowel rod, you need to groove the outer edges to allow relief for air and glue squeeze out. You can do that easily by gripping the dowel with the teeth of an adjustable pliers...like a big Channellock, and hammering it through the teeth. Measure the depth of insertion so the grooves finish slightly below the outer surface of the legs.

While the parts are still clamped up, put a slight chamfer on the ends of the dowel. Put a thin film on both the dowel and the inner surface of the hole. You don't need to get a lot of glue all the way to the bottom of the hole, as when the dowel goes in it will push some glue down. Give it overnight to dry. Sand off any protruding dowel.



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Larry,

The fastest, easiest and possibly the best solution would be drill and dowel. You could use a polyurethane glue like Gorilla glue. In that case, the hole could be a little larger than the dowel and the expanding characteristics of the glue would take care of the slop. You could try the "glue taking up the slop" on some scrap and see how well it will works.

If that doesn't work, you could mail me the spindles for a pattern and I will turn what ever you need.

You do the finishing....
 
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i think for this job i am going to do a dowel job on them.. will ask lady her veiws of having a dot on the out side legs, if i was dave i could hide that even:) thanks guys:)
 
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