How to Replace Wooden Chair Legs
Having to replace a damaged wooden chair legs can be costly if you have a set of chairs and damage a single chair. Your options consist of repairing the chair, or buying a whole new set. However, there is an easier, and cheaper way. You can learn how to remove and to replace a broken wooden chair leg.
Tools and materials needed:
· A half inch drill bit
· A hand saw
· A half inch dowel rod
· Paint remover
· Plastic scraper
· Brush
Step 1- Removing the Leg
In order for the chair to support the weight exerted by a person, the legs of a chair need to be reinforced by many different kinds of support. These supports are often held with screws or nails. You should first remove these supports by using using a hammer if they are nailed, or a screwdriver if they are screws.
Step 2- Finding a Replacement
You can visit your local woodwork store in order to look for the perfect match for the broken wooden leg. You can also go to hardware stores and look for the replacement leg. It is very likely that they have a woodwork section. Also, for a more community based option is visiting your local high school, and visiting the wood shop class. Some high school professors give class credit for students doing custom projects such as this, so the price will be little to nothing.
Step 3- Making sure your new wooden leg is the right fit
It is important that you place the new wooden chair leg under the chair to see if it is the right fit before permanently attaching it to the chair. It is a good idea to bring the broken chair leg with you to the store to make sure it is the right size. If it is not the right fit, simply take it back to the store and get another one, or if the size is slightly long, you can fix it yourself by sanding down the length.
Step 4-Finishing the leg in order to match the whole chair in color and texture
It is very likely when you buy the new leg, you will not find a leg that is the same color of your previous wooden chair leg. For this reason, you need to buy a finishing solution or a varnish that is the same color of the rest of the chair. Home Improvement stores such as Home Depot can be of great assistance in finding the perfect match if you bring in a sample such as a piece of the broken chair leg. Coat the new chair with paint remover. Scrape the paint remover with a plastic scraper. Once the old color is gone, cover the new wooden chair leg with a varnish or a finish solution that matches the rest of the chair.
Step 5-Attach the new wooden chair leg to the rest of the chair
Once the leg has dried, and you have made sure that the new wooden chair leg is a color match, simply attach the screws with an screw driver, and apply wood putty in order to conceal the holes. Stain or brush over the wood putty, and allow to completely dry before using the chair.
