How to Repair Loose or Broken Chair Parts

"All types of wooden furniture have their own individual structural problems. With common sense and a few particulars, you can keep all your wooden chairs in good repair. Here's how to replace loose or broken chair parts:

Loose Joints
Seat frames are held by mortise-and-tenon joints (a prong or tongue or wood secured in a hole in the joining piece) or doweled joints (pegs of wood hold the pieces together) supported by triangular glue blocks notched to fit the legs. If you catch a loose joint in time, repair it with glue. If the joint is broken, you'll have to disassemble it and replace the dowels. The triangular glue blocks will probably be glued and screwed to the frame, and the dowel joint might even be supported with hidden nail or screw fasteners. Separate the joint carefully with an old screwdriver or a stiff-bladed putty knife, then replace the dowels. Make sure the joint is clean and dry before you reassemble it.

Sometimes you can use a mechanical fastener -- an angle brace or a chair leg brace -- to mend the frame. This, of course, really depends on the value of the furniture. Do not lower the value of an antique with a piece of metal. Metal reinforcements are useless unless the joint is tightly fitted together, but they can be used to make a firm joint even tighter. Fasten the braces with brass screws, and make sure the screws are long enough.

Fasten the metal angle to one side of the chair frame; predrill the screw holes. Insert a piece of thin cardboard under the opposite part of the angle, then drill the screw holes for that side. Drive in the screws fairly tightly, remove the cardboard, and finish tightening the screws. When the screws are final-tightened, the angle will pull the joint tightly together to bridge the gap left by the cardboard.

Loose rungs or spindles -- and, where no bracing is used, loose legs -- can sometimes be mended by forcing glue into the joints. But a part mended this way may work loose again. For a more permanent repair, carefully separate the part from the frame. If both ends are loose, remove the entire piece. For very stubborn joints, twist the part slightly to break the glue bond; if necessary, use self-locking pliers. Pad the part to prevent damage to the wood from the pliers." ~ Source: HowStuffWorks.com

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