Replies

1. 
   FrankRobie | Mar 04, 2003 08:02am | #1

   If it is apart, or you can take it apart you are in luck. be sure to get all the old glue off, then re-glue. If it is hide glue you might get away with only scraping off the excess as hide glue will reconstitutewith new hide glue. You can tell if it is hide by the smell, it smells just like what it's made of!

   A little more information might help, where is it broken,is it a longitudinal break or snapped off across the piece. Also will the back come apart if so it will be easier to get it back together properly.

   Warm vinegar will help soften hide or yellow glue. If you are unsure about doing it right, considering it is an antique, take it to a restorer and bite the bullet. Hope this helps.

   Frank

1. 
   jakesmom | Mar 10, 2003 01:28pm | #5

   First, sorry for such a lengthy respone time. Our timber frame is coming and I'm up to my eyeballs in snow clearing, etc.

   I can't post a photo, don't have the technology for that yet. The chair is what I would term a "ladies chair", upholstered seat and a round, open back, about 12" ID, wood being about 1-1/2" wide all the way around. The back is carved a little, but not much. The break is with the grain, right accross both sides, about at the half-way point. and the repair was always obvious to me, though not to them. At one time someone used dowels to repair, one on each side. When the chair was broken by my son it looked like one of the dowel holes had been filled with yellow glue, as I've never seen a dowel so smooth and such an odd color.

   Hope this helps. I may contact a restorer if only to pacify the owners. The joke in their house, between them,(middle aged, childfree couple) is all their chairs are rickety, rungs need regluing, etc. I still can't fathom why they would seat a 6'4", 210 lb. construction worker in such a delicate chair in the first place. LOL

   Thanks for the input, and if anyone thinks of anything else I'm open to suggestions.

2. 
   jako17 | Mar 04, 2003 05:12pm | #2

   Hi Bing give us a little more information please,

   where is the break specifically ,type of chair ,how valuable (as an antique or to the owner),finish on the chair If you can post a photo ? etc.Then we may be able to give better advice.I've seen more good chairs ruined by bad repairs than wear and tear

3. 
   biosf1 | Mar 05, 2003 05:39am | #3

   If it's been broke twice allready , it's time to turn a new part for that chair ,

   Like some one else said it depends on the value of the chair, sound like the other sugestions are good ones that I would use, cleaning the old glue up and reglue it again, I do a lot of chair repair but it is betterr to see the breake to tell what to do with it to repair it properly. GOOD LUCK!

1. 
   jpari | Mar 06, 2003 06:24pm | #4

   As others have stated it would be best to have more information on where the break is and in which direction. However, if you need to remove old glue I came across a product a couple of years ago that does a great job and I use it exclusively now for antique restorations. It is called De Glue Goo. It is available from most mail order supply houses. The product is somewhat viscous. You simply spread the product out over the joint or break let it sit for 15 minutes and wipe or lightly scrape off the old disolved glue. Then you wait 24 hours for the wood to dry and reglue. It works so well that I use it all the time. I hope this helps you.