| Fixing a Wobbly Leg | | | | dismantling it, by injecting glue directly |
| | | | into it. In most cases, however, it is better |
| There is nothing more irritating than sitting | | | | to remove the leg altogether and clean up the |
| on a chair that wobbles continually: a common | | | | joint thoroughly before reassembling. |
| fault that is usually caused by one of the | | | | |
| legs wearing down faster than the others do. | | | | First, check how the leg is held in position. |
| Before you start it is worth checking that it | | | | In some chairs, the leg will be mortised and |
| is not the floor which is at fault, as if | | | | tenoned into the seat rail and possibly |
| this is the case you may end up hopelessly | | | | screwed into the corner block. If this is the |
| cutting about 18inches of the legs of your | | | | case, start by unscrewing the corner block. |
| chair. To do this, place the chair on a piece | | | | Then gently ease the mortise and tenon apart. |
| of flat board - chipboard is ideal. If it | | | | |
| still wobbles, find out which leg is causing | | | | If you have trouble undoing the joints, check |
| the problem. You can generally do this by | | | | to make sure that they have not been nailed |
| getting on your hands and knees and having a | | | | in an attempt to repair them. If they have, |
| look at the legs. | | | | remove the nails taking care not to damage |
| | | | the wood. |
| Once you have found the culprit, pack thin | | | | |
| pieces of cardboard or scraps of paper under | | | | If the nail heads are proud, you can pull |
| the short leg until the chair is steady. The | | | | them out with pincers. However, if they are |
| thickness of the packing gives you the amount | | | | below the surface, you will have to trim the |
| of wood you need to cut off the remaining | | | | wood with a chisel or drill a small hole to |
| three legs. Remove the packing and place it | | | | be able to reach them. |
| in turn against the other legs, making a mark | | | | |
| where each as to be trimmed. | | | | In some chairs the legs are stop jointed |
| | | | directly into the base of the seat board. If |
| Remove the packing and place it in turn | | | | they are simply held in place with glue, |
| against the other legs making a mark where | | | | twisting them some be sufficient to ease them |
| each has to be trimmed. | | | | out. If they offer any resistance, check they |
| | | | are not screwed into the seat board from the |
| Saw the excess off each of the legs with a | | | | top, with the screws hidden by wooden plugs |
| tenon saw and then smooth down with sand | | | | which match the chair. The leg may also be |
| paper. | | | | mortise and tenoned to a stretcher rail, and |
| | | | these joints will have to be taken apart. If |
| If your chair legs are at an angle to the | | | | your dealing with a chair with a circular |
| seat board make sure you cut them horizontal | | | | stretcher rail, the legs are normally screwed |
| to the floor and not at right angles to the | | | | to this. |
| leg. To ensure this make all around the leg | | | | |
| with the packing. | | | | Before replacing the leg, make sure you clean |
| | | | all the joints thoroughly. Scrape any old |
| If the chair leg is sturdy an alternative | | | | glue off using a knife or chisel, and check |
| solution to the problem is the lengthen the | | | | they all fit securely by reassembling them |
| leg by nailing a piece of packing to the end | | | | without glue. Rebuild any worn tenons. |
| of it. | | | | |
| | | | Glue and fit the leg then screw the corner |
| Mending A Loose Chair Leg | | | | block back in place. If the leg is stop |
| | | | jointed into the seat board, vertically clamp |
| Do not use a chair once one of the legs has | | | | it while it dries. |
| become loose. If the end of the leg moves in | | | | |
| the joint, this can lead to further damage. | | | | Once the glue has dried, replace the |
| | | | stretcher rail. If this is held in position |
| Joints normally become loose because the wood | | | | by a mortise and tenon joint, clamp the two |
| shrinks and the glue fails. Occasionally you | | | | legs together until dried. |
| may be able to strengthen the joint without | | | | |