How To Fix A Broken Rocking Chair Leg: Step By Step Process Of Fixing A Broken Rocking Chair Leg

Step By Step Process Of Fixing A Broken Rocking Chair Leg

Old rockers are typically a cherished family heirloom. The worn-out old chair could be cracked, dried out, and brittle if it has been subjected to a lot of use. Don't lose heart. It is simple to repair the rocker if it broke off but is still in tact. Dowels are used to fasten runners to the legs. Use some fresh glue and some new dowels to give your old pal a new lease on life. Damage of this nature is not unusual. It can be fixed. Are you sick of having a mental breakdown because your favorite rocking chair is broken? Thankfully, repairing a chair with a damaged rocker runner is simple. Just be sure to gather your ingredients precisely and attentively follow each step, having in mind that you'll need 36 to 48 hours for drying.

Step 1: Lay The Runner Parallel Across The Top Of A Sawhorse

As if it were still on the chair, lay the runner parallel across the top of a sawhorse. To fasten the runner to the top of the sawhorse, position a bar clamp in the center of the runner. Trim the broken, projecting ends off the dowels with a coping saw by moving the saw's tiny blade back and forth along the inside face of the runner until the dowel is flush with the surface.

Step 2: Insert A 3/4-inch Spade Bit Into A Drill/driver

A 3/4-inch spade bit should be put into a drill/driver. By making a small divot in the end of the dowel with a nailset and hammer, mark the center of the dowels that have been cut off. To completely pierce the runner, drill straight down through the dowels. It's okay if the dowels break out of the runner because they will be old and brittle and won't allow the bit to go all the way through.

Step 3: Roll A Piece Of 100-grit Sandpaper Into A Small Cylinder

A little cylinder-shaped piece of 100-grit sandpaper should be formed. Use it to softly sand inside the holes to get rid of any debris or old glue. Turn the rocking chair over. The broken ends of the dowels poking out from the bottoms of the legs should be cut off with the coping saw. To make any leftover protruding sections of the dowels flat with the bottoms of the legs, use a hand-sanding block and 100-grit sandpaper.

Step 4: Measure 1 1/2 Inches Up From The Drill Bit's Tip

Using the nailset and hammer, make a small indentation in the middle of the dowels that have been cut off. Place a piece of tape around the bit shaft to indicate depth, measuring 1 1/2 inches up from the drill bit's tip. To remove the dowel from the leg, drill into it from the center of the divot until you reach the tape mark. With the sandpaper cylinder, lightly sand the interior of the hole.

Step 5: Fill The Drilled Holes In The Runner's And Legs' Bottoms

Fill the drilled holes in the runner's and legs' bottoms with adhesive. Make use of a little stick to spread the glue throughout the holes. Dowels measuring 3/4 inch by 3 inch long should be tapped into the leg bottom holes. Drive them in as far as you can with a hammer.

Step 6: Place A Second Sawhorse Parallel To The Previous One

To support the other side of the chair, place a second sawhorse parallel to the previous one. Pick up the rocker and place the dowels sticking out of the leg ends over the runner's holes. With the second sawhorse supporting the other runner, lower the rocker until the dowels fit into the holes.

Step 7: Place A Bar Clamp With The Bottom Jaws

Place a bar clamp with the bottom jaws under the sawhorse on each side of each pair of doweled legs. Use the support brace between the rocker's legs, if it has one, to position the clamps' top jaws. If not, place the clamp's upper jaws anywhere you want to impart downward pressure to the rocker, such as the seat. Tighten the clamps until the runners are snug against the bottoms of the legs or the dowels have fully penetrated the legs. Let the adhesive set for the entire night.

Step 8: Take The Clamps Off

Take the clamps off. Use the coping saw to cut the dowels' projecting ends flush with the bottoms of the runners. Make use of a putty knife to scrape away any dried glue. Where the dowels were cut off, sand the bottoms of the runners to make them smooth.