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Table leg repair

How would you approach this repair?

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Reply to
Hawk
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Also, if you were to repair, what would you charge for each type of repair?

Reply to
Hawk

Those look like pretty rough surfaces.

Do the mating surfaces sort of lock themselves together? i.e. do all the nooks fit precisely in all the crannies? If they do then alignment should be easy.

Epoxy some dowels into one surface Since lining up the dowels in the other piece could be problematic, drill oversized holes to give yourself some play. Practice until you get the fit you need. Put some thickened epoxy in the oversized holes. Then insert the doweled piece, letting the nooks and crannies line up the joint for you. As long as you use enough epoxy to lock the dowels in the oversized holes, and smear some epoxy on the nooks and crannies, you should have a pretty strong repair.

You could substitute some all thread for the dowels. Lots of built in keys for the epoxy to grab onto.

Reply to
DerbyDad03

"I" would bore a hole in the leg with a forstner bit and glue in a good hardwood dowel using epoxy or resorcinol glue and do the same up unto the broken off part. I would drill the hole up into the tabletop as well for more rigidity, but not glue the dowel into the table top - so the leg can still be removed.

Reply to
Clare Snyder

2 hours time plus materials would be the high end of reasonable
Reply to
Clare Snyder

I haven't seen the table personally, just that photo and it appears to be a clean break which means it should line up. I thought of two methods. One is simply using epoxy and reattach directly. The other is as suggested with dowels or a rod for added strength. My only concern was using a dowel was alignment but I like the suggestion of oversizing for play.

Reply to
Hawk

Still uncertain of actual price. I'll have to see what the average rate is.

Reply to
Hawk

Remove the "leg socket" from thetable.glue the socket back onto the leg. THEN drill to install dowel, all-thread, lag screw, or whatever and epoxy it in.

Reply to
Clare Snyder

According to the owner, the leg is permanently attached to the table. I would need to cut that small piece still on the table, which I assume you're referring as the socket. I would need to extend the dowels beyond the leg and insert into the table then glue. Is that your idea?

Reply to
Hawk

Doesn't look very permanent to me. ;-)

Reply to
DerbyDad03

Touche'

Reply to
Hawk

Yes. It half looks loke the top of the leg is a bracket screwed to the table - which was why I gave the second alternative. getting the hole lined up properly will NOT be simpleif it is not but one way is to hold the leg in position and with a ling THIN dril,l drill in from the top to make a pilot hole - then follow the pilot both ways with a forstner bit. A 1/8" or smaller hole in the top should not be hard to plug and hide.

Reply to
Clare Snyder

If the owner is so knowledgeable, then let them fix it. The leg is not permanently attached. Study it to see how it is to be disassembled, without damaging anything else.

I vote to remove the piece attached to the table and repair the leg, separately, then reinstall the leg. I like the lag screw approach.... I've done that before.

At least study the idea of removing the part attached to the table. That "permanently attached" aspect needs re-evaluating.

Sonny

Sonny

Reply to
Sonny

After zooming in on the picture, ot is NOT a remaveable leg - bur with a senter finder you should be able to get the center of both parts pretty accurately from the fractured end - and it looks like the leg is vertical, not angled, so drilling the hole should not be too difficult. I would drillthe hole inthe top a snug fit, and the hole in the leg a LITTLE bit loose to allow accurate alignment and epoxyit all together.

Reply to
Clare Snyder

Instead of using epoxy the Rockler guy recommended using Gorilla Clear water activated clear non-foaming to do wood repairs. I have used it on my oak drawer and it seems to be good.

It takes two hours to set up and 24 hour for full strength.

I does not get brittle.

Does that seem like a good bonding method ?

I have several pieces I need to bond yet.

Reply to
OtterGuy

Did the Rockler guy say why he recommended Gorilla Clear vs epoxy?

I'm not saying he's wrong, just always curious when one product is recommended over another. If the recommender can't explain *why* one is better than the other, or offers a really lightweight explanation, I take the recommendation with a grain of salt.

Reply to
DerbyDad03

Given the paucity of information about it it appears to be a new product. Between being new and being "Gorilla" brand I would avoid it. Go with Titebond--it has a track record.

Reply to
J. Clarke

Remove the top section that is still attached to the chair. Glue it back on top of the leg. Drill a relatively large holl through both and glue in the same sized dowel.

When repairing furniture I charge more per hour than for actually building furniture.

What is the piece worth if now? How much more will it be worth if you make it usable again? Charge accordingly.

Reply to
Leon

Titebond III has proven well for my needs.

Reply to
Hawk

It might be adequate. I've never used the stuff. Epoxy sets a bit faster and to me is a "known entity". I know how it works and what to expect and what it can and can't do. I don't know ANY of that for the Gorilla product. Urethane glues on the whole do seem to be pretty tough

Reply to
Clare Snyder

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