Handyman Guide > Furniture Repairs

Breaks. A chair rail that has cracked or snapped can be secured by means of a flat mending plate screwed to grip securely along both surfaces of the break. It may be possible to sink the flat plate into the wood (see Fig. 8).

If the broken rung or rail is too thin, or its shape unsuitable for the flat plate attachment, the broken surfaces should be glued, brought close together, and secured with a thin screw, or with two screws if there is space enough. Where only gluing js practicable, maintain pressure by means of some cord or a clamp (see Fig. 9).

A spindle that has broken off may be refixed by means of simple dowels and glue (Fig. 10), or it may be possible to use long screws instead. The head of the screw should be countersunk in the part through which it passcs. Where surfaces are flat, strong joints can be made with angle plates or brackets (Fig. 11). If possible, these metal plates should be placed where they are not visible.

Bore screw holes to reduce strain while screws are being worked home and to lessen the possibility of splitting wood at the joints.

A long break in a rung or leg can be repaired with glue, followed by fine screws put in when the glue js dry to reinforce the joint.

Repairing Veneer. Much of the furniture in the home is made of vencered wood, that is, solid but inexpensive stock that has been covered with a thin slice of wood (veneer) that was selected for the beauty of its grain and coloring. The thin slice of wood serving as the veneer is attached to the solid but inexpensive wood with glue, and made fast and dried under heavy pressure. Sometimes due to heat or cold, dryness or moisture, the glue will fail to hold, causing the veneer to crack around the edges, or form blisters on the surface of the wood.

When the veneer becomes loose along the edges of a piece of furniture, it should be repaired at once, for aside from the chance of moisture getting into the opening to loosen up more glue, the slightest knock, under such conditions, may chip off, split or otherwise damage the thin veneer.

The first step in regluing the veneer is to slip the thin blade of a knife between the veneer and the base wood and scrape out as much of the old glue as possible along with any dirt or dust that may have collected there. The glue that remains can be roughened up a little with the knife so that it will make a good pond with the new glue. Now a thin coat of glue should be spread under the veneer and worked as far back into the opening as possible. A thin knife blade will do for this job. After the glue has been spread on, press the veneer down gently and use adjustable clamps to hold it in place until the glue has set. Protect the yeneer from being damaged by the clamp, by covering it with a piece of cardboard and a block of wood. If the veneer is brittle, and there is a chance of its splitting or breaking as it is forced back into place, steam it to make it pliable.

Continue to Levelling furniture



Tools and Materials
Hammers - Handsaws - Screwdrivers - Chisels - Brace and Bit - Hand Drill - Brad Awl - Planes - Files - Measuring Tools - Rules - Squares - Marking Gauge - Levels - Pincers - Nail Set - Drawknife - Cabinet Scraper - Small Tool Kit - Putty Knife - Pliers - Wrenches - Paint Scraper - Sharpening Tools - Nails - Wood Screws - Corrugated Fasteners - Mending Plates - Bolts - Abrasives - Woodworking Glue - Splices and Joints.

The Workshop
Equipping the Workshop - Heating - Fire Precautions - The Workbench - Saw Bucks - Tool Rack.

Home Construction
Elements of the House - Building Materials - Lumber - Molding - Kinds of Wood and their Characteristics - Plywood Wallboard - Roofing Materials - Concrete - Mixing Concrete - Cement Mortar - Concrete Forms - Concrete Blocks - Cinder Blocks - Bricklaying - Fieldstone - Anchoring in Masonry - Soldering.

Furniture
Upholstered Furniture - Furniture Upkeep - Removing Stains - Removing Dents - Leather Upholstery - Cane Seats - Furniture Repairs - How to Repair Breaks - Levelling furniture - Remodeling Furniture - Polishes and Polishing - French Polishing - Painting Furniture - Sticking Drawers - Metal Furniture.

Painting
Paint Brushes - Storing Brushes - Varnish - Water Paint and Plastic Paint - Types of Paint - Paint Thinners - Mixing Paints - Preparing the Surface - Painting Flaws - Removing Paint - Exterior Painting - Painting New Wood - Repainting - Metal - Interior Painting - Calcimine - Painting Woodwork - Old Wood Trim - Staining - Fillers - Varnishing - Bleaching - Enameling - Painting Radiators - Painting Concrete - Shingles - Stoves and Stove Pipes - Whitewash.

Heating
Home Heating Systems - Chimneys - Coal Furnaces - Fuels - Burning Wood - Furnace Dampers - Starting a Coal Fire - Removal of Ashes - Coal Stokers - Oil Burners - Kerosene Heaters - Thermostats - Boiler Dampers - Fuel Economy - Warm Air System - Steam System - Vacuum System - Hot Water System - Radiators - Boilers - Maintaining the System - Insulating the System - Home Insulation - Storm Windows - Weather Stripping - Insulating Your Home - Blanket and Rigid Insulation - Unfinished Attic and Exterior Walls - Winterizing a Cabin - Preparing the foundation - Winterproofing a Cottage - Fireplaces - Reducing Condensation - Humidity.

Plumbing
The Plumbing System - Fresh water supply - Low Water Pressure - Hot Water System - Hot Water Heaters - Hot Water Tanks - Dirty Hot Water - The Sewage System - Sewage Disposal - Cesspools - Septic Tanks - Clearing Sewer Pipes - Clearing Drains - Plumbing Traps - Toilet Traps - Noisy Plumbing - Leaks in Water Tanks - Frozen Pipes - Clogged Water Pipes - Hard Water - Faucets - Shower Mixing Valves - Leaky Flush Tanks - Flush Valves - Removing Toilet Bowl - Leaky Pipes - Draining the Plumbing - Sealing Traps - Draining the Heating System - Types of Pipe - Insulating Pipes - Water Corrosion - Cleaning Fixtures.

Electricity
Definition of Terms - Ohm's Law - Alternating and Direct Current - Sources of Electrical Power - The Electrical System - Overloading the Circuit - Rewiring - Reading a Meter - Precautions - Fuses - Types of Cord - Splicing Wires - Replacing Plugs and Switches - Home Lighting - Electric Motors - Signaling System - Transformers - Burglar Alarms - Repairing the System - How to Install a Bell System.

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