Easy furniture repair

July 2021 – Each of us has a piece of furniture at home that already needs substantial maintenance or even a repair. Whether it is a wobbly chair or table, a drawer that is stuck, or a piece of wood veneer that has fallen off the furniture surface, the repair is usually easier than you think. A few minor repairs require special materials, but usually, we only need a few basic materials, such as glue, tape and screws, and a basic tool kit. Your tool collection probably already includes a drill with a range of drill and drill bits, a screwdriver, a meter, adjustable pliers, and a saw.

Repair of wobbly dining sets

We all use our dining sets daily, so over time its joints loosen, and the table and chairs become wobbly. With the method below, we can fix our dining room ourselves to make it look new.

We need:

  • Adjustable pliers
  • Neostik wood glue
  • Syringe
  • Elastic cord
  • Drill
  • 1/4-inch drill bit
  • 1 1/2-inch screw

Screw the legs of the table. Turn the table upside down and locate the screws that hold the legs and tabletop together, or you can just lie down under the table and save yourself the effort. Tighten each of the screws with adjustable pliers well and the table will no longer wobble. Then glue the legs of the chair. Again, turn the chair upside down on the work surface (or even on the table) and press on each leg separately to find loose joints between the legs and the seat of the chair. When you find a loose joint, push your foot in a direction away from the seat and then inject the wood glue into the hole. Once you have taken care of all the leg joints on the chair in this way, wrap an elastic cord around all four legs of the chair so that the glue hardens properly.

Reinforce loose joints with trim screws. If the joints of the legs on the chair are not fixed and are chronically shaky, use screws to strengthen the joints between the legs of the chair and the seat of the chair. Using a 1/4-inch drill bit, drill a pilot hole through the outside of the leg and into the strut, then tighten the 1/12-inch screw. Trim screws have heads as small as finishing nails. When you immerse the screw head under the wood, the screw is almost invisible.

 

The gluing veneer that has peeled off

Most furniture is not made of solid wood. The furniture is mostly made of fine hardwood veneer glued to a cheaper base material. Over time, the surface veneer may deviate from the substrate, especially around the edges. Fix it by re-gluing the veneer onto the base.

We need:

First, spread out the veneer that had peeled off. Carefully lift it with your finger in a manner so that it is far enough away from the substrate and that you can spread the glue on the substrate below it. Support the peeled veneer by pushing a key or a butter knife under it and sticking it to the part of the veneer that is still attached. Apply Neostik wood glue to the surface to which the veneer is attached using a long, flat tool or tool such as a wooden popsicle stick. You can also use a paintbrush. Do not forget to apply glue on the entire surface of the chipped veneer. Then remove the support and push the veneer back to the base. Wipe off excess glue with a damp sponge, then dry the glued veneer with a cloth. Press the veneer down and fix it with insulating tape. For extra strength, hold the tape around the edge of the cabinet or table and stretch it before gluing it down. Leave the tape on overnight until the glue is completely dry.

 

Fix the jammed drawers

Drawers that jam when opening and closing can usually be repaired by attaching their loose metal fittings or applying drawer lubricating wax (applies to drawers with wooden sliders).

We need:

Start by tightening the sliders. Pull out a drawer that is difficult to open and test its stability by pulling the sliders. If you find that the slider is loose, use a screwdriver to tighten the screws on the front and back of the drawer and the drawer will work like new. Then use a screwdriver to tighten the screws that connect the front of the drawer to the sides. If the screws are worn out and no longer hold, remove them, and replace them with longer ones. If the drawer is still wobbly, remove the screws, separate the joint, apply some Neostik wood glue to it, and re-tighten the screws. Wait a few hours for the adhesive to dry well before using the drawer. To improve the performance of drawers with wooden sliders, apply candle wax or beeswax along with the guides on both sides of the drawer.

 

Align the cabinet doors that do not close properly

Cabinet doors that have sagged and do not close properly are usually the result of twisted or damaged hinges or unscrewed screws.

We need:

To repair a cabinet door that has sagged, first remove the hinges from the cabinet. To do this, unscrew the hinges from the door, remove the door, and then remove the hinges from the cabinet. Check that the hinges are twisted and replace them with new ones. Fill any holes that may have been formed during this repair with epoxy putty. Knead a small amount of Neostik epoxy putty EPOXY together with hardener and rub it into the holes on the cabinet door hinges and cabinet frame with pressure. Allow the putty to harden completely (approx. 15 minutes).

 

When the putty is completely hardened, place the hinges back on the door. Align the hinges on the door and mark the positions of the holes with a pencil. Drill a pilot hole at each marked location with a 1/8-inch drill bit, then screw the hinges firmly back onto the door. Finally, hang the door back on the cabinet. Keep one door on the cabinet and level it with a water scale. Mark the screw holes on the hinges, remove the door, and drill a pilot hole on each mark on the cabinet. Replace the door and screw the hinges back onto the cabinet. Repeat the same process with the other doors, leaving a six-millimeter gap between the doors.

 

Neostik two-component epoxy products (adhesives and putties) can be used to fill screw holes, as well as to fill large holes or missing veneer on furniture pieces to be painted.