Cracked chair leg


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Old 07-13-20, 09:10 AM
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Cracked chair leg

I have 8 parsons chair. Two if them have wiggly backs. When I investigated I found that one of the legs was pieces together sort of tongue and groove. See photos. What can I do to brace and strengthen the leg/back?


 
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Old 07-13-20, 09:31 AM
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Start by gluing the broken joint back together with a quality wood glue. If the glue failed and the tongue and grove are in good condition that might be all you need to do. If the wood is broken then you may need to add a "splint" to the side. I normally use a strip of steel with a couple screws on either side of the break.
 
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Old 07-13-20, 09:34 AM
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Those are called finger joints. There is no real good way to strengthen them, what needs to happen is they need to be pulled apart, then glued with wood glue and clamped together while it dries. And there is probably no good way to pull them apart unless you can do it somehow.
 
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Old 07-13-20, 10:19 AM
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Pilot Dane, the fingers run front to back. The steel plate should go on the outer side, correct?
 
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Old 07-13-20, 11:06 AM
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You will have to look where it best to install a support. If it's on the outside of the leg it might be visible or felt under the fabric but if you can get it on the inside it should be mostly out of sight.

Most home centers have steel and aluminum that would work for "splints". It's available in a variety of sizes. Steel is stronger but a little harder to drill. Aluminum has less strength but is still strong enough for a chair back and is easier to drill and cut than steel.
 
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Old 07-13-20, 11:39 AM
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Thank you! There is a light layer of padding under the fabric so I think it'll be fine.
 
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Old 07-14-20, 01:07 PM
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I'm done with one chair! I was able to buy 4" long steel mending braces. Put one on the front of the leg and one on the back. It feels very sturdy now. Most of the chairs don't get much use so I put a thumbtack on the bottom of the seat to identify the chair. Even as they get moved for vacuuming and such, I'll make sure the mended chairs end up in a least used spot. Thanks for the advice!
 
 

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