Can anyone help fix my cursed rocking chair?

  • Thread starter Thread starter DaveC426913
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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around repairing a rocking chair with a split top-back rail. Participants explore various methods and materials for fixing the chair, including the use of adhesives, wraps, and structural reinforcements. The conversation includes both practical advice and personal experiences related to woodworking and furniture repair.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Mathematical reasoning
  • Experimental/applied

Main Points Raised

  • One participant suggests wrapping the split in leather or sinew to hold it together as it dries, but notes the challenge posed by the central spine.
  • Another participant mentions that bent wood is typically repaired by replacing the broken piece and matching the color, indicating that repairs may not hold well.
  • Several participants propose using various adhesives, including Gorilla Glue and epoxy, with differing opinions on their effectiveness and application methods.
  • One participant shares a personal experience of repairing a split in an antique coffee table, detailing a multi-step process involving drying, gluing, and clamping.
  • Another suggests using a steel rod or alternative materials for structural reinforcement, emphasizing the importance of securing the rod to prevent future separation.
  • There is a discussion about the use of wet rawhide as a wrapping material, with mixed feelings about its appearance and practicality in this specific repair context.
  • Some participants express skepticism about the durability of repairs on bent wood, while others share creative solutions that have worked for them in similar situations.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree that repairing bent wood is challenging and that various methods may be employed. However, there is no consensus on the best approach, as differing opinions on materials and techniques persist throughout the discussion.

Contextual Notes

Some participants highlight the importance of knowing the specific type of adhesive being used, as different formulations of Gorilla Glue serve different purposes. Additionally, there are mentions of the need for exposed wood for effective gluing, which may not apply universally to all repair scenarios.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be useful for hobbyists and professionals in woodworking, furniture restoration, or anyone facing similar challenges with furniture repairs.

  • #31
It's OK. I've got Evo insurance. :biggrin:
 
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  • #32
DaveC426913 said:
It's OK. I've got Evo insurance. :biggrin:
NOBODY has Evo insurance! Look behind you, because the Spanish Inquisition might be bearing down.
 
  • #33
Here's a pic of the back rail. It seems to be a little worse for the passage of a couple of decades. You can see the slot for the spine, which is several inches wide. This is what prevents me from simply wrapping the rail in leather or sinew - I'd just have to cut through it to insert the spine.
 

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  • #34
DaveC426913 said:
Here's a pic of the back rail. It seems to be a little worse for the passage of a couple of decades. You can see the slot for the spine, which is several inches wide. This is what prevents me from simply wrapping the rail in leather or sinew - I'd just have to cut through it to insert the spine.
Seeing it, I would just "retire" the chair. The kind of TLC it would take is only suitable for a valued heirloom.
 
  • #35
wow, i was expecting a crack, but that's just plain broke. the only thing i can imagine at the moment is maybe fashioning a metal sleeve to fit in the slot and bridge the pieces together.
 
  • #36
cut the broke part off altogether and replace it with a shaped block of hardwood. Connect both ends with scarf joints.
f212.jpg

rasp file and sand the block into shape.
 
  • #37
DaveC426913 said:
It's OK. I've got Evo insurance. :biggrin:

turbo said:
NOBODY has Evo insurance! Look behind you, because the Spanish Inquisition might be bearing down.
I am cursed. You guys would bust a gut if I told you everything that's happened to me. I've repeatedly been told I should write a book.

I volunteer to work at a radio station and they get bombed by the KKK. I volunteer to drive co-workers out of town to an important meeting three hours away and my gas tank springs a leak in the middle of nowhere.

I'm driving friends to school and my 1 year old car's gas line bursts apart.

I've known more people that commit suicide or get murdered, or just die in their sleep. I was out of state for a week for work and I left my kids with our neighbor that had three girls that were my girl's best friends. I get a call from my oldest daughter, around 8 years old saying "mommy, you need to come home, their mommy won't wake up and she's dead and we're all alone". :eek:
 
  • #38
When I was a kid, I was a running joke with our doctor's family. I was close friends with both of his sons, but I think he would have preferred that they not hang out with me so they wouldn't get in the same trouble that I did. When I showed up, his first two lines were "NOW, what did you do?" and "Alright, up on the table." I have more stitches than a quilt.
 
  • #39
DaveC426913 said:
This might actually be a viable solution.

Wife suggested
1] using a sinew
and also
2] a padding along the rim
Maybe I should listen to her more. (it was actually a gift from my father to her)

then couldn't wife suggest 3] burning it?

all the talk of fixing with rawhide makes me hope you don't have a dog.
 
  • #40
If it's broken that much, you will have released most of the "locked in" stress that was holding the whole chair back together, left over from when the wood was first bent.

If you patch up the break, don't be surprised if all the other joints in the chair back start working loose in a few weeks.

Unless you want to enjoy the challenge of bending a new rim and rebuilding the whole back, I would just give it a decent buriial or cremation or whatever your culture does with deceased chairs.
 
  • #41
physics girl phd said:
then couldn't wife suggest 3] burning it?
It was gifted to me/her by my father. The reason I'm asking about it now is because recently she mentioned she'd like to have it working.
AlephZero said:
If it's broken that much, you will have released most of the "locked in" stress that was holding the whole chair back together, left over from when the wood was first bent.

If you patch up the break, don't be surprised if all the other joints in the chair back start working loose in a few weeks.

The whole chair is on its component pieces right now right down to the ribs, all waiting to be glued back together.
 
  • #42
Evo said:
I am cursed. You guys would bust a gut if I told you everything that's happened to me. I've repeatedly been told I should write a book.

I volunteer to work at a radio station and they get bombed by the KKK. I volunteer to drive co-workers out of town to an important meeting three hours away and my gas tank springs a leak in the middle of nowhere.

I'm driving friends to school and my 1 year old car's gas line bursts apart.

I've known more people that commit suicide or get murdered, or just die in their sleep. I was out of state for a week for work and I left my kids with our neighbor that had three girls that were my girl's best friends. I get a call from my oldest daughter, around 8 years old saying "mommy, you need to come home, their mommy won't wake up and she's dead and we're all alone". :eek:
Hmmmm. I was thinking about sending you a friend request. But now, I don't think so. Thanks for the honest disclosure. Apologies for the off topic post. To Dave: get a new chair.
 

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