# Chair arm repair



## Noely (Dec 5, 2018)

Not sure if this post belongs here or elsewhere, but hoping for some help. I need to fix the arm of this chair before Christmas dinner on Tuesday afternoon or face the wrath of you know who. Question 1: I plan to dowel the joint, but there is not a lot of meat in the top position. I am concerned about the strength of the joint when there may only be .25" or less of dowel in that position. BTW, both glue surfaces are flat, so I plan to use dowel center points and a drill block to locate holes. Question 2: assuming the solution involves a glue-up, how do I clamp this sucker? Both back to arm and arm to seat?? There are curves everywhere.


----------



## LittleShaver (Sep 14, 2016)

I would clean it up, drill for the dowels and clamp from the front of the arm to the back. Looks like you have a lip there to prevent slippage up.
A wedge shaped block at the back may help with clamping. You should be able to tell during your dry fit.

Good Luck and Merry Christmas.


----------



## bondogaposis (Dec 18, 2011)

A band clamp might work.


----------



## Noely (Dec 5, 2018)

Thank you both. Takeaways: don't overthink it, think outside the box.

Merry Christmas!


----------



## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

Another option for clamping might be to put a clamp across the arm close to the repair joints and then use another clamp to clamp from the back side of the back clamping to the other clamp.

something like this


----------



## Noely (Dec 5, 2018)

That's an interesting idea, too, Jim. Still gotta deal with the curved clamping surfaces though . . .


----------



## WoodenDreams (Aug 23, 2018)

The chair

















was probably put together with hyde glue, you can see the dowels broke off. A matter drilling of and picking out the old dowel, cleaning up & glue-in another dowel. Clamping back together, you put a clamp on the arm, then attach a clamp to the back of the chair & the clamp on the arm, and clamp. I had to take a rocking chair apart to fix.


----------



## RichT (Oct 14, 2016)

> The chair was probably put together with hyde glue, you can see the dowels broke off.
> 
> - WoodenDreams


I can assure you it was not assembled with hyde glue. There's no such thing as hyde glue.


----------



## WoodenDreams (Aug 23, 2018)

ok hide glue


----------



## RichT (Oct 14, 2016)

> ok hide glue
> 
> - WoodenDreams


Sorry. I went all Jekyll there for a sec.


----------



## RichT (Oct 14, 2016)

> That s an interesting idea, too, Jim. Still gotta deal with the curved clamping surfaces though . . .
> 
> - Noel


The technique Jim suggested will work. The idea is to attach a clamp to the arm, then you can use a second clamp to pull that one against the chair back. Orient the clamp you place on the chair arm so you have a flat surface to clamp the back to.

The only other option will be to cut curved cauls that match the chair arm profile, glue cork to them and even then, getting surfaces that won't slip will be a challenge. Go with Jim's idea. It's the best option.


----------



## Noely (Dec 5, 2018)

Yup, ended up using Jim's idea to clamp the clamp and it worked well - definitely going to remember that one! The drilling of the new dowel holes ended up being pretty challenging too, for the same reason - no square surfaces to use for clamping the drill block. Used the same method for that - sort of. Placed a clamp near the joint and snugged the drill block up next to that clamp, then I taped the block in place to drill. Not the best, but it got me through. I have new found respect for furniture restorers.


----------



## RichT (Oct 14, 2016)

> Yup, ended up using Jim s idea to clamp the clamp and it worked well - definitely going to remember that one! The drilling of the new dowel holes ended up being pretty challenging too, for the same reason - no square surfaces to use for clamping the drill block. Used the same method for that - sort of. Placed a clamp near the joint and snugged the drill block up next to that clamp, then I taped the block in place to drill. Not the best, but it got me through. I have new found respect for furniture restorers.
> 
> - Noel


It won't help you now, but the Stanley No 59 dowel jig is perfect for precision drilling into odd shapes.


----------



## Noely (Dec 5, 2018)

Thanks Rich. I'll check out the 59. If nothing else, I'm curious!


----------

