How To Repair A Broken Chair Leg Or Table Leg - DIY Furniture Repair & Restoration 

This is exactly what I needed. Now, I can salvage an antique buffet. The leg broke. Your video demonstrates the steps to repair it. It was clear and understandable. Thank you.

I actually do the very same method, only using epoxy for adhesive on both glue-ups. I've always felt that end-grain really needs the epoxy, although the CA is a good alternative!

I like how you do all this without a huge shop with tens of thousands of $ of hi-tech machinery. I've been in these spaces; you've shown me some very 'smart' ways of fixing common problems (with Windsor-style chairs). This should allow me to fix chairs that I previously viewed as skip-fodder. But quickly and properly... Therin lies the cost-effectiveness conundrum of restoration - old pub chairs (my arena) which are probably technically antiques but in practice are probably 3rd generation auction mixed-lot-fodder. Love fixing them up though. Learn loads. Massively satisfying. Beer is a lot cheaper on the days I take the finished items back! it'll never be a business, but it's satisfying and keeps me plugged in to the local community...

Great video and good advice! Repairing broken furniture legs is particularly challenging because of the stress and weight placed on many legs. I am in the process of repairing two broken legs on separate projects -- this video is helping to bolster my knowledge of the repairs!

This Video is very methodical, and easy to accomplish for a normal human being. Thank you

Very cool video! This is exactly what I had in mind and had already bought the wooden dowel but wanted to see if someone else had done it first. You gave me some good ideas and now I'm confident I can get the job done. Thanks!

Thank you! I have a friend that has a broken leg on an antique table. She wanted me to fix it but I felt it was above my skill level. After watching this I feel comfortable and more educated. I'll have to film this repair! Thank you!

Thank you so much for this! Very clear - learned a lot. I never knew about scoring a dowel and didn't know about Get stain. THANKS

Hello my friend, you did a good job You fixed the broken feet well. It was nice that you set a wooden dowel diameter. I watched a good renovation. congratulations. See you. stay healthy and happy. big greetings.

Thanks! I have a broken leg on my vanity/desk and needed this. You made it accessible for people who are not that experienced. ❤❤❤

Thank you...I have an end table leg to repair...this video really helped me fill the gaps on what I need to make it look good

Thank you sharing this repair. I like that you used internal dowel to strengthen the leg. I think I may be able to do this myself!

Let me clear up a few comments for those uncertain of the Dowel method. " In this case", the dowel is not being used as the main source of strength. I was very happy with the surface to surface wood contact and allowed the glue to do what glue does. To this day it has not failed, but there are situations that a larger dowel would have been a better choice and OBVIOUSLY a new leg would be ideal, however this bench was not valuable and from a cost perspective a new leg was not an option because we run an actual for profit restoration business. Its also called a DIY repair in the title, with the objective being to show a method achievable by an average person with average hand tools and skills. Thank you for watching !

Great job, Rod. Looks super! Thank you.

Very helpful

This was so good I watched it a normal speed

Well done. Thank you.

Fabulous job!

Thank you for sharing this video. I had broken a vanity Table leg off that I was planning to paint an update and when I try just using wood glue it quickly popped off again. I'll try the dowel method.

Thanks, Rod. Great video. Best to you and yours this holiday season.

Could you provide a link for the tool you used to make the ridges on the dowel?

Nice work! Very useful tips. Never seen those Japanese saws

wow! this is awesome

Great information!

I love it and good job bro

Exactly what I was looking for. My break is a little more jagged any may be more difficult to match up the break, but I am going to give it the old college try. Excellent work.

This is a great video. Thank you so much! Really hope you start making videos again.

Good technique and well done. Thank you.

Great demonstration! Thank you!

Excellent tutorial.

Beautiful Video!

Great video . Thankyou.

Nice. Thanks

Awesome teaching; thanks. I have a dresser that has a decorative foot sawed off. I would like to duplicate the remaining foot but do not know how to make a mold in reverse?

Brilliant job.

Great job! Thanks for sharing

Wonderfully excecuted...easy to comprehend and follow

Beautiful job.

That was fantastic!

Good stuff, great technique, and very informative. Thank you! Two things for your viewers: 1. CA glue vs Super Glue is not a thing. Super Glue IS a CA glue. 2. Hacksaw blades are a ton cheaper than a Japanese pull saw, and for something as small as a 3/8" dowel it only takes 5-10 seconds for the flush cut. SO... "SuperGlue" is a trademarked name of one of the many cyanoacrylate glues. So, yes, Super Glue is a CA glue. Not all CA glues are Super Glues. CAs in the super glue family require moisture to activate, and even that found in the air works. Gorilla brand super glue does not need that moisture content. There are also materials that don't work well, like polyethelene, as well as anything porous. While wood glue will fill holes and make strong joints, CAs do not, and if you pool a bunch of it, that joint will be brittle. Why is this important or why do we care? The purpose of an adhesive is to bond two materials. If water content is present then TightBond III is better than TightBond II, and Super Glue will be more effective than Gorilla brand. Just as you choose the right tools, such as the Japanese pull-saw, it's important to use the "right adhesive" so that you'll have a reasonable working time, a reasonable curing time, and it won't yellow with age and fall apart years later. FYI any flush-cut saw will work, either pull or push saw. If you don't have one handy, a $3 hacksaw blade (outside of the hacksaw frame) will work perfectly. Oscillating "multitools" work ... but the chances for taking out too much material to make the re-fit work isn't worth that kind of trouble. If you prefer to pull the saw, orient the blade for pulling. If you prefer pushing, do the opposite. If you want both ways get a metal blade with triangular teeth and push and pull it :) This was a really enjoyable video to watch. It took a painful image of a broken leg into a smooth reflective stronger leg at the end. Thank you again!!

Great video!

Great video, Thank's for the share and Stay Safe !!!.

Thank you! Exactly what I needed!

Very informative, thank you! I noticed you did not use the spray lacquer over the whole piece. Have you found that this has not caused an uneven appearance in the finished piece? Not having to spray the whole piece, especially if it's a large piece, would certainly save time and effort.

The thing where you drilled for the dowel and then cut further up - brilliant. One of the smartest moves I have seen in a long, long time.

Pretty work! Now how do you repair an end table leg that is broken where it attached to the skirt...and not a smooth brake in a seam?

Great technique, and superb touch up! I'm a bit of an overkill enthusiast and would have gone with a 5/8 inch dowel, maybe even 3/4. Piano benches take a lot of abuse and have no spindle support below the seat.

My wife has an old teacher’s desk, extremely well built and heavy. The problem is that our doorway is too tight to get it in her office. Im looking for ideas to possibly cut the legs off and reassemble them once in the office. I have a good idea how, now that I’ve seen your video. If you, or anyone else has some ideas, I’d love to read them. Thanks!

Thank man. Have a furniture with a crippled leg for over 2 years now. Decided to fix it myself so this vid will definitely help me. I am definitely subscribing to see more of your videos.

Hello!! I wonder if I could ask some questions regarding refinishing a couple of older victorian style chairs?

What do you recommend when it’s not a clean break? The leg does not line up perfectly if you were to put it back on - use wood filler?

How large a diameter of dowel did you use?

Hi, I'm about to join a broken table leg 1st timer, and I thought of this technique, I just wanted to reinforce my idea of doing this. The leg is going to be a bit more weight bearing and bigger (2-1/4"×2-1/4"), so would I used 1 larger width dowel (my first thought), or 2 smaller width from corner to corner. Your advice will be gratefully accepted.

What other saw do you recommend besides the one you used ??

nice job but i think you could use a metal rod that is stronger(i do this by screwing a big screw 5-6 mm in leg, cut the heat and screw to base with clue )

Do they sell dowels already made because I don’t have that little machine you have and I have your exact problem the leg broke off just like yours splintered and all

How do you repair the chair leg with a similar break, but this time in the middle of the chair leg?

Boy I wish I had seen this video last week... I have a major break in a chair leg I can't fix

Why did u cut off the top part of the leg and stick it back?

One tip. Instead of using a wood dowel, use an old drill bit. It will never break again. Any 1/2 assed handy man has old shot ones lying around

The leg you sawed with the Japanese saw wasn’t get shorter?

I’m unclear on how to get the two holes to align.

Thomas Johnson would be proud!

Iron rod hai

Rh