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How to Repair Wooden Rocking Chairs

Wooden rocking chairs are often passed down as family heirlooms from one generation to the next. Over time the joints in wooden furniture become worn and loose. Whether your rocking chair is a cherished heirloom or a new addition to your furniture collection, it is important to make repairs to furniture joints as soon as a loose joint is detected. If left loose, it will weaken the overall structure of the chair and may lead to more serious damage.

Things You'll Need

  • Rubber mallet
  • 80-grit sandpaper
  • Wet rag
  • Wood glue
  • Wood clamps
  • Cloth rag
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Instructions

    • 1

      Tap any loose joints on the rocking chair apart with a rubber mallet.

    • 2

      Sand both ends of the parts that form the joint with 80-grit sandpaper to remove any remaining glue on the wood.

    • 3

      Wet the joint ends of the parts with a wet rag. This will cause the wood to swell and fit tightly while you fit the parts together during the gluing process.

    • 4

      Apply wood glue to both ends of the parts that form joints. Insert the joints back together. Wipe off any excess glue with a cloth rag.

    • 5

      Clamp the repaired joints together with wood clamps. Allow the glue to dry at least 24 hours and remove the clamps.