I have found an old folding rocking chair that has one side piece that attaches the back that is broken (split?). Can this be repaired or will it just break again if ever used? If you think it can be repaired any suggestions would be appreciated.
I have added 2 pictures, one from the side and one from the top of the break.
Thanks again everyone, the man I used to talk to about this passed away a few months ago…my father in law.
Replies
Post a photo of the chair, and a closeup of the split part.
Picture please.
If it is a clean break, with the grain, with no missing pieces, it should glue together well. If the break was end-to-end, it should be replaced.
A split means the piece of wood used was poorly chosen to begin with. Even repaired, it's a candidate to split again.
But really, without seeing some pictures it's all guesses.
Had a request from a friend up the street to fix a chair with a broken leg. Complete fracture right across, not a green splint failure. Fibers were damages. I said not possible, They said someone told them it could be glued together, I told them good luck. Saw the chair out for trash pick up two weeks later.
If it can be built, it can usually be repaired
I go with it can usually be repaired, which sometimes requires a new piece or dowels ,screws or something like other loose or compromised parts that you find that need addressed. You should post a picture. The problem comes if you can't do it yourself is the chair valuable enough, or at least valuable enough to you ,to warrant paying someone else.
Is that 2 breaks in about the same spot on opposite sides of the chair?
One appears to be at a join and the other is also at a join but wandered off.
I would start disassembling and with glue and dowel put it back together. That could be poor design and a high stress point.
I think the answer is no. The leverage on that point is just too great and you are risking someone getting hurt if you just glue it (even with dowels) and it breaks with someone leaning back. And, the grain at that point is just too short.
However, if you are equipped to do it, you could certainly make an entirely new piece. Of course, that means taking the chair apart and putting it back together. Just be sure to carefully select the grain direction of the new piece.
+1 on the no if you wish to actively use it. It will prolly break again if someone sits on it. Yes if you wish to glue it up and keep it as a non-sitting decorative chair. Sorry for your loss.
If I were to try to repair it, I would first use long set epoxy, putting a generous amount on each side of the joint, wait about 10 minutes for it to soak in, then apply a bit more and put the joint together, having already figured out how to clamp it perpendicular to the crack. Then I would rout a recess about 3/16" deep, across the joint area with at least 1" on each side, and glue in a piece of wood with its grain going across the joint (I would put it going diagonally.) No matter how strong the glue, this area needs to be reinforced to be durable. If you can get to both sides with a router, I would do recesses of 1/8" on each side, as that would be stronger. This will be way stronger than screws or dowels IMO.
Sorry to hear about the loss of your mentor - it's great when you get along with your in-laws.
Sadly, I agree with the no too.
This is not going to last - it failed there for a reason (short grain) and no amount of glue will fix it.
This was just not a well-made item and is not worth the effort required to repair it.
The only reliable repair for this is to make new parts with better grain selection.
I don't know what timber was used for this. It I were to pick, I'd use Elm, but it's probably not that...
IMO, It can easily be repaired by inserting some type of mechanical reinforcement into the effected area.
A wood or metal dowel, a connector bolt a large screw, anything would help take the stress off of the grain alone.
This was simply a poor design, not considering where the force would be highest and aligning the grain improperly.
I also say no to a repair. Chairs undergo a lot of stress, the best and long lived units are made with grain and design taken into consideration. I have never seen screws work in chair stress locations. And never in long grain. Sorry but good luck.
I'm with the majority. A decorative it3m, it's fixable. A chair -- someone could get hurt.
The rocking chair will need to be taken apart enough to get the break apart. It could be fixed. Epoxy and a method to clamp the area back up is needed. Because of the short grain, this area is weak on both sides. A new piece of wood would have the same weakness. A steel rod or rods should be placed through this weak area to strengthen it. Find a good restorer they should be able to fix your family treasure.
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