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Repairing Windsor Chairs

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Repairing Windsor Chairs

#1

Repairing Windsor Chairs

CJ in MPLS

We have a very nice set of Windsor chairs that were made for us by Bob Dillon in Minnesota. They have aged nicely, but two of them are damaged. The first has a small crack at the top of the back rail at the center mortise. As the chair back is flexed backwards (as if you are leaning back), the mortise opens. The second chair has a leg that has slowly changed its angle such that the stretch no longer seats in its mortise.

What ways have you used to fix these types of breaks? I'm thinking that a new, longer stretcher is a good idea as I don't think re-gluing the mortise is going to keep the leg in its original position. I've seen some old repairs on the cracked back that involve tacking and gluing a piece of leather across the crack. A bit naff I suppose, but might work.

Re: Repairing Windsor Chairs

#2

Jack Guzman from Maine

Re: Repairing Windsor Chairs

Jack Guzman from Maine

Addressing the crack in the rail. I think I would try to splice in a piece of wood to the back of the rail. Following the grain and removing a few inches of the part that has the crack and match the new piece so as to get a good glue joint. Of course it may be different than I imagine. As to the loose stretcher. I would find out why the leg moved and try to fix it. You can probably get the original stretcher joint to work by cleaning out all the old glue and tightening the joint with a piece of rag.

These are just guesses. It would be easier to diagnose if I could see the broken chair.

Re: Repairing Windsor Chairs

#3

some on site help

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

There is a SAPFM chapter in Minneapolis. You can get contact information from web site SAPFM.org

Someone will likely make or at least be familiar with these chairs and could help find someone to fix that has experience. It will be a lot easier to fix before an amateur repair is attempted.

Re: Repairing Windsor Chairs

#4

Re: Repairing Windsor Chairs

Dick Coers

A friend made really nice money for decades repairing chairs. His method was to drill an 1/8" hole in as inconspicuous place as possible. He aimed that hole for the gap between the end of the tenon and the bottom of the hole. If the parts had any flex, he pulled the tenon out as far as he could. Made the aiming easier. While drilling he went really slowly, withdrawing the drill a lot. That way he could feel when he hit the hole. Then he mixed up some epoxy, put it in a plastic syringe with a tapered tip on it. He'd slowly pump in the epoxy until it would just start to bleed out along the tenon. Bottomed out the tenon and put a strap clamp on it. A tapered piece of wood to plug the hole if required. Wouldn't take him 5 minutes to make a repair. Of course he was not after museum quality, but it worked very well for him.

Re: Repairing Windsor Chairs

#5

Jack Guzman from Maine

also

Jack Guzman from Maine

When I repair old chairs I avoid permanent glues and metal fasteners. Old chairs loosen up, they need regluing at times. It is helpful not to make the future repair more difficult.Liquid hide glue works well.---Jack