I need help in fixing this wicker chair. To be clear, a ‘professional’ repair is not needed. A ‘down-n-dirty’ fix will be just fine.
I haven’t given more than a minute’s thought, but my first thought is to simply tie it together with some white, quality paracord. And if I can get it drawn in close enough, run some screws in where the nails currently are.
And drawing it in together might be the biggest challenge. I tried manually bringing the legs together (red arrows in the overview shot) and couldn’t even get close. My guess that thru time the legs have been forced apart and are set wide, like they were steam bent or something.
It’s definitely going to take a lot of clamping/ tourniquet pressure to bring them in.
Thoughts, ideas, suggestions?
attachments are an overview, and upper and lower closeups.
you haven't mentioned the history of this project.
does it have sentimental value ?
is it part of a matching set ?
what is the reason you don't put it by the curb and buy another one ?
I recently needed to clamp the legs of a chair and used a ratcheting band clamp. I think it can probably provide enough force to pull your chair legs together.
You can also tie a sturdy cord around two legs (I would do it diagonally) and then use a stick to twist the cord and pull the legs together. I do it frequently and it works well and is cheap. For repair, you might start by removing the nails and unwind the wicker far enough back from the joint area to work on it. Just tape it back out of the way. Now, using your strap or twisted cord, pull the joints together. Then find or make a metal strap long enough to wrap around the leg and then lay against the leg brace sides for a distance of about 3"-4". Now put a couple of small screws through the strap into the leg braces on each side and then put one where the strap wraps around the leg. Once that is done, re-wrap the wicker material and glue it into place.
Just a quick note to say I have no idea how long those legs have been spread apart. It could easily been years. It was noticed only when my wife turned the chair over to fix the loose wicker strands.
It’s a covered back porch chair so it’s exposed to the humidity, heat, cold, etc, just not direct rain or snow. That’s why I think the leg spread is set so firmly.
“does it have sentimental value ?”
Not really, it’s not like a family heirloom or anything.
“is it part of a matching set ?”
No, it’s a one-of.
“what is the reason you don't put it by the curb and buy another one ?”
It’s obviously of high quality, not your typical Home Depot chair or the like. It might be one of those things they don’t make anymore. I Googled a little and didn’t find anything like it, just similar ones that look cheap but are too pricey. And it the most comfortable chair that my wife likes, which is the biggest reason to fix it.
“I recently needed to clamp the legs of a chair and used a ratcheting band clamp. I think it can probably provide enough force to pull your chair legs together.”
Good idea; I hadn’t thought about it. I don’t have a dedication ‘corner’ strap, but do have some typical ratcheting clamps for tying down loads. Those should work with some padding of sorts.
“You can also tie a sturdy cord around two legs (I would do it diagonally) and then use a stick to twist the cord and pull the legs together.”
That’s basically what I was thinking when I mentioned “tourniquet” pressure. That and strap clamps should do it.
.
I should add that I am concerned that since the legs now appear to be “set in stone” that they might crack or break. I guess I’ll just drawn them in slowly and stop if I start hearing any strange noises…
Difficult to tell the extent of the damage with the webbing on it. I believe for safety sake I would remove enough of the webbing to determine if some parts need replacing. If it's just a loose glue joint you could clean the joint where it easily fit back together and glue it with two part epoxy. As long as the parts went back to where they belong clamps wouldn't be necessary. Sometimes just a little masking tape to hold the parts together is enough. Often clamps will pull the shape of a chair in directions it shouldn't be going and you end up with one leg not touching the ground. When I repair a chair or small table I sit it on the cast iron top of a table saw to insure it's flat.
All four legs need to move towards the center. Remove the nails and strap around all the legs at once. Keeping it that way will take more than screws into that old material, I would use several strands of tie wire arranged to replace that X that's currently there and twist it tight. White spray paint the wire to make it blend in.
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
Woodworking Talk
1M posts
88.3K members
Since 2006
A forum community dedicated to professional woodworkers and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about shop safety, wood, carpentry, lumber, finishing, tools, machinery, woodworking related topics, styles, scales, reviews, accessories, classifieds, and more!