PROPERTY NEWS - There are different ways to try and fix a wobbly chair: sticking a spacer (usually a piece of folded paper) under the problem leg, sawing off bits of the longer legs to try and make them even, or doing a proper, full restoration.
Deciding which is the best in the long run is a no-brainer...
Gather the tools you'll need. Remove the chair pad screws with a cordless screw gun. Remove the corner blocks - tap out with a rubber mallet if glued. Take apart loose joints with a rubber mallet.
Wood shrinks over time and this ageing process weakens the joints, so you need to take care when removing the corner blocks and joints.
Mark the pieces to know where they go when you reassemble the chair. Scrape old glue off joints, dowel pins and glue blocks with a scraper, a chisel (handy for tight areas such as around the dowels) or sandpaper. Clean and smooth the surfaces.
Start with a small pilot hole and use a larger bit. Cut off the dowel pin flush to surface, using a coping saw. Mark the centre of the pin. Drill a pilot hold down through pin but not into the chair frame. Match the drill bit to the diameter of the dowel hole. Drill out the old dowel.
Check that the new dowel pin is nice and snug. Apply a small amount of wood glue to a nail and run this around inside the hole.
Apply glue to half of the dowel pin and tap it in gently with a mallet. If the new pin is too long, set the old dowel pin next to it, mark its length and cut off the excess with a coping saw.
Spread glue around the joints with your finger, both the inside hold and around the dowel pins, and tape the piece into place. Glue both male and female pieces to create the strongest of bonds. Repeat the gluing process for all joints. Rather use too much glue than too little.
You can always wipe off the excess glue, while if you use too little, you may end up with a joint that is just as weak as before.
Use a strap clamp to hold the frame together: put a strap over the chair and around the rails of the body of the chair, adjusting and ratcheting until it's good and snug. You can also use a rope or an old belt, but a strap with a clamp works best.
Glue and screw the corner blocks back on by applying glue to the face of the rail and block with the counter-sunk side face-down. Screw securely in place and wipe the excess glue with a damp rag.
Don't forget to use the numbers you wrote on the pieces to put everything back into its proper position. Leave the chair clamped for at least four hours. Use a touch-up stain stick to repair small nicks and scratches on the wood. When using a stain stick, start with the lighter shades first, and then progress to the darker shades.
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