Fixing the Chairs

Our chairs were in serious need of some TLC, and there was no time to waste. The chairs we have are actually well made, with no screws or nails holding them together. This means that the pieces were molded together to fit perfectly with bracers and joints. I'm no wood expert, but you can tell a lot of time and effort went into the details. I would have simply screwed and riveted the pieces together, which would have made the junctures strong but unsightly.

Eventually, through continual use every day, the bonds weaken, the chairs become a bit of a hazard to sit in as the legs and supports begin to separate. On a number of occasions, the top of the chair has literally fallen through and hit the floor, usually with one of us sitting in it. Needless to say, this is not a good thing when you have a bad back.

I finally decided that something had to be done. I could have secured the joints with screws, but that would have spoiled the spirit and look of the chair. Instead, I opted to glue them together and hope for the best. In terms of glue, one of my friends recommended Gorilla Glue, which I went out and bought, but then my buddy KM, who works a lot with wood making drums, flutes, and assorted pieces of furniture (he's an artisan) told me that the only thing Gorilla Glue has perfected is advertising. He said the best product is Titebond. Say no more.

In an interesting twist of serendipity, I actually had Titebond because when I went to get Elmer's Wood Glue, they didn't have it. I think it was Woodstock H&H. Either way, they had Titebond, which I'd never heard of, but went for it. Lucky me.

I fixed the chairs, and so far, they've held up pretty well. At the very least, they don't fall apart when we sit in them, which is better than they were before. Best of all, I did it myself, winning some man points with my Mentor, I hope.

Until the next time, thanks for reading.