How to Tighten Chair Joints

Label all parts of the chair with masking tape. Use a black marker to indicate the front, back, left, right and rungs of the chair. Labeling makes reassembling the chair easier.

Wrap wet paper towels around each chair joint and tape them in place to help disassemble the chair and loosen the old glue. Let sit for 30 minutes.

Disassemble the chair's legs, back and seat by gently twisting or lightly rocking each piece and removing screws with a screwdriver. Avoid prying the chair's joint apart, since this can damage the wood. Instead, tap lightly with a rubber mallet to release the joint.

Scrape old joint glue with a small paint scraper, and then sand the joint with 100-grit sandpaper. Fill the joints in with carpenter's glue. Wipe away excess glue with a rag.

Attach the chair's seat to the legs. Fill in additional joints with carpenter's glue and wipe away excess glue with a rag. Place the chair on it legs and reassemble the back. Clamp the chair with a bungee chord, a web clamp or a bar clamp. Leave the chair to dry for 24 hours. Use sandpaper to remove dried, excess joint glue.