This is the 10th year the Woodchucks have opened the shop to the community to repair furniture and other wooden objects. This event, appropriately named Ask the Woodchucks, is held twice a year in April and in October. 25 to 35 woodchucks donate a day of their time to repair furniture for residents of Sun City. The most common item repaired is a wobbly chair. We typically fix 18 chairs each time the event is held, or 36 chairs per year.
Judging by the constant flow of chairs into the shop, there are many more that need to be fixed. Many of the chairs we see could be fixed by residents with modest repair skills and a little instruction on proper techniques and materials. We see many of these chairs come in for repairs that have had unsuccessful repair attempts using the wrong type of glue, nails into the end of chair rungs, and screws that have split the pieces being fixed.
The first step in repair is to photograph the chair so you know what it should look like when finished and where each piece goes. Then label each piece by wrapping masking tape around it and put an arrow to show which is the right-hand end.
Next, disassemble each leg and each stretcher by wiggling the pieces and tapping lightly with a rubber mallet. Don’t disassemble the chair-back and arms at the same time as the legs. If both ends need work, finish one before starting the other. As you remove each piece, clean the glue from the joint. You may need to soak the ends in water to soften old glue. If the chair was poorly repaired in the past, you may spend more time on this task than the rest of the fix. If you use a knife to remove the glue, be careful to not shave off any of the wood.
After all of the parts are clean and dry, assemble the parts to make certain everything fits properly. The glue to use is yellow carpenter’s glue. In our shop we use Titebond brand. Disassemble the parts and apply glue onto the end of each leg and each stretcher, working one at a time, and spread the glue into the mating holes with a small brush. Assemble the parts back in their original positions. You may need to tap them back into place with a rubber mallet.
Place the chair back on the legs to be certain they are at the proper angle, they all reach the floor, and the chair seat is level. You must clamp the parts together to keep the joints tight while the glue dries. A good clamp is a rope around the legs with a stick inserted and twisted like a tourniquet. While the glue is drying, check for any drips, and wipe them with a wet rag.
Now that we have revealed our furniture repair secrets, you are free to fix your own wobbly chairs anytime you want, so you don’t have to wait for the next Ask the Woodchucks day.
If you have suggestions for future tips or have questions about maintenance around your home submit them to ask.the.woodchucks@gmail.com
