Replies

1. 
   jackplane | Feb 11, 2005 12:03am | #1

   The quick fix is to glue,clamp, and screw a 3 or 4 inch sheet metal screw from underneath(pilot hole first).

   Or you could do the same with a dowel instead for the "fine" approach.

2. 
   Steinmetz | Feb 11, 2005 12:25am | #2

   Pleas,If you can extract the short end of the spindle
   by soaking the old glue with vinegar and heating
   the area with a hairdrier, you can re join
   the broken leg with a 'Splint'
   Look closely at the plugged joint.

   You MAY find a small
   nail holding the spindle into the bore
   as well as glue.
   With a little probing and digging with a
   thin sharpened screwrdiver,(Or two)you
   can 'Lever' out the nail.

   You can now drill a 1/4" centered hole in
   the spindle (About 4")
   And then drill a mating hole through
   the short end

   To avoid splitting the short end, start drilling
   with a 3/32' drillbit,at first then enlarge it
   with 1/8" then 3/16" etc etc 'till you've worked
   up to a loose 1/4". Cut a length of 1/4" threaded rod
   (Splint)a bit shorter than the hole is deep
   and 'Dry fit' the assembly using the three components.

   Since you didn't use a lathe to 'Centerdrill' the leg,
   the result will be a little crooked in its alignment.
   Don't fret. Redrill to enlarge the 'Spline hole'
   and check the alignment again.

   Epoxy will be great to imbed the whole assembly, but,
   (And this is important!)... drill a 1/4" 'bleeder hole'
   to intersect the bottom of the 4" hole
   to prevent 'Air lock'when inserting the rod
   which will be coated with copious globs of the glue.
   (Check first tby blowing air hrough the spline hole )

   After the whole assembly is reasonably straight,
   wipe off any extra epoxy and carefully masking tape
   the whole leg and allow to dry over night.

   A slightly dampened cloth containing lacquer thinner
   will clean up the extra epoxy.(BEFORE TAPING!)

   Steinmetz.

   
   

   ---

   Edited 2/10/2005 5:14 pm ET by steinmetz

1. 
   PeterLeech | Feb 19, 2005 08:56pm | #5

   Stein,

   Thank you so much for your very helpful suggestions.  As it turns out, when I tried to extract the short end of the spindle with vinegar and the hairdryer, the wood was in such bad shape that it came out like shredded wheat.  So I had to bore out the hole in the rocker, and go with the recommendations from "Dusty" to make a wooden (oak) tenon with a 3" shaft to insert into the spindle.  I also followed your suggestions about boring successively larger holes, making bleeder holes for the epoxy, and cleaning up with the laquer thinner.  The result was excellent - a good strong joint and a repaired rocking chair.  Thanks again!

   Peter, the "Pleasant Craftsman"

3. 
   notDusty | Feb 11, 2005 05:28am | #3

                          pleasantcraftsman ,

             The words you spoke " old family rocking chair " present to me an sentimental value attached to this chair . Please repair and restore this piece in a way that would make the original owners and for that matter the maker of this chair proud . Yup , there are almost always a bunch of ways to accomplish things , but in this case my guess is no metal threaded rod stock was originally used . If you feel a new turning is what is needed , by all means have a turning made by someone who can . I have repaired many a spindle by using a similar method as was mentioned above , but with wood not metal. You may be able to use a drill press and make a 1/4" - 3/8" shaft to perhaps 3 or 4" long with a tenon on the end to go into the hole in the rocker runner .I turn these on the lathe bit I could probably fashion one on the table saw also if I had to . Start out with a dowel about the right size of the tenon end and take the remainder down to the shaft size , put a small groove in the side of the shaft to allow the glue to seep and not have an air lock void of glue .

                         good   luck                    dusty

1. 
   PeterLeech | Feb 19, 2005 09:03pm | #6

   Dusty,

   Please see my reply to Steinmetz - when the end of the spindle disintegrated into "shredded wheat", I then followed your suggestions on how to create a new tenon.  It ended up being made out of oak.  The shaft was 13/32" in diameter and 2 3/8" long.  I put a small groove in the shaft, as you directed, then glued the shaft, spindle, and rocker together with epoxy, as Steinmetz recommended.  The result was a strong joint and a repaired rocking chair.  Thanks so much for your very helpful suggestions!

   Peter, the "Pleasant Craftsman"

1. 
   notDusty | Feb 21, 2005 01:31am | #7

            pleasantcraftsman ,

      That's great , sounds like a bullet proof repair . I think you did this heirloom justice . I am so very happy this worked for you . One last tip on this type of joint work . Try using a compression type joint , where you can make the plug or tenons or dowels a bit on the fat side and then squeeze them all around to compress the wood till it will just fit. When the glue swells the woods the joint gets even tighter.

                                    dusty

4. 
   joinerswork | Feb 11, 2005 05:41pm | #4

   pleasant,

   Given that you don't have a lathe, your problem is a tough one.  As stein suggests, if you can remove the old tenon from the rocker, you can try to reattach it to the leg.  I'd match the break up carefully, and glue the two pieces together. Next day, drill through the break from the end of the tenon.  Usually, if you are careful, there is enough strength in the end-grain glue joint to withstand the stresses of drilling.  Then glue in your choice of mild steel rod, or wooden dowel.  If I can get a large enough hole (1/2") thru the break, I'd prefer wood; but sometimes 1/4" is the best you can do. Then I'd use steel.

   In addition to the vinegar and heat that stein suggested, sometimes you can extract a tenon from its mortise by drilling thru it with a small bit, then running a blunt ended screw into the pilot  hole.  As the screw bottoms out in the mortise, it will pull up on the tenon.  If the glue is soft, and the screw doesn't strip, you can walk it backwards out of its mortise.

   Good luck,

   Ray