Repairing a Table's Broken Leg - Thomas Johnson Antique Furniture Restoration 

Watching again after finding this repair from 5 years ago when I needed ideas on how to fix the same problem. This was the beginning of my subscribing to and watching ALL of Thomas’s videos. Thanks from today and from 5 years ago, again. Thank you sir

Thank you so much for taking the time to do these videos they been an amazing help. I do the same type of work in Las Vegas and the tips and tricks are awesome. Can’t wait to watch the rest I just can’t learn enough of this type of repair work.

Great fix tom.. That leg sure is going to hold. Great idea with the sandpaper. Another trick I will start yo use. You can never have enough clamps. Thanks for sharing. Thanks, Michael Frey

Tom I first saw one of your videos about a week ago and I find the information and guidance great. I enjoy building a new item or repairing something just as well, except that repairing has always been difficult for me, but from now on that´s going to change. And yes, I avoid videos with distracting music, just the facts of the trade, Thank you very much.

Thanks Tom. I liked the sandpaper trick to keep the clamp block in position.

Mr Johnson : Sir you are a magician and master of your craft. Thank you for many nice 👍 videos.

Excellent video. I enjoy your presentation and the production values. Well done - Bob Adams

Another great repair job, Thanks

Amazingly done!

That was Great! Thanks for sharing...

All angles are clearly showing the craftsmanship and expertise in your work. 🛠🗜🪚 Thank you!

I admire your work!

Love your videos. Thank you.

Very Methodical!! Always learning something!!!

Well done Tom!

inspiring and educational. thank you

Nice one. That leg wont break again. Some of my clients dont want any metal to be used then I just put a 12 mm dowel in where you put the screws and plug the hole. you are awesome

Nicely thought out

Great Job!

I really like the work that you do. Loved the cats purr.

Heck of a job. I am gonna try it.

Great video! I learn a great deal from your videos, though I'm just an amateur woodworker...rr

Expert repair

Nice job

thanks for great instruction on this problem. saw how you were able to bend metal bracket in clamp without it cracking..amazing! is that a special metal or just aluminum? thanks john

Great video by the way.....any tips/video on how to fix a split in an oak tabletop along the grain?

How clever to screw a block onto the leg, so you could clamp it so many free tips you are giving away :-)

Very nicely done! Thank you! Good sound as well. So many times tutorials are poorly executed mostly due to poor sound

Thank you for the video, Screws tend to expand and contract in a critical area such as this wood dowels would be more compatible adding strength and support to the leg

Hi thank you so much for your videos love them I have a question I just got a wood table the lake split where the screws go into the table so as I was trying to stand the table up by myself which I should’ve had my husband and someone helping me yeah so did the leg split so it only split on the top where there’s like a square piece and then there’s two round pieces it stops right there how can I best days is there any clue what’s the best way to go about this

One question. Does any of your videos show a repair on a table leg, not a clean break like this one, but of a joinery break where a crossbeam attaches to a CORNER of a square leg? I seem to remember there was one, but can't quite locate it Currently tasked with resurrecting a table that has been butchered beyond recognition, and watching a pro like you at work, making things LOOK easy, ;-) helps getting into the right mood!

Now that I see how easy this is I'm going to open an antique repair shop myself lol

Bravo 😍🤝

Hey Tom, Any idea on where I can get some casters like on that table?

Love that Cat!!! That was carpenters glue? Great video!

Do you have a video repairing a broken chair leg?

Enjoy your videos. I would have used a Dremel tool to grind the nail heads off the brackets to avoid damaging them though. Keep the hint coming.

I just purchased an old desk where one of the legs the hanger bolt, screw portion has pulled out. The nut is square. I know the desk is at least 70 years old. Will toothpicks work to fill the hole? The legs have bee glued at one time with what looks like yellow glue. Should I reglue?

Question, love how you work, but one question, I noticed that you used and aluminium strap to bend into shape. 90 degree bends create stress cracks which I saw when you bent the strap. How how come you didn't use a mild steel strap?

When I have put a screw into wood I take the screw itself and put glue on the threads . What do you think?

Really interesting! I'm not going to try this, it's way beyond my level. I like that it can be done.Good touch that the kitty approves!

Good job! Learned a few clamping techniques. How long you been restoring furniture?

I noticed that the leg next to it had broken in exactly the same way and been repaired. Is it a fundamentally weak design? I was told when making steel reinforcing for wood not to drill the holes in a straight line so as to discourage any tendency to split along the grain. What are your thoughts on that?

Tom, Thanks for this terrifically useful video! It came at a good time for me as I have been "commissioned" by my brother to repair his broken dining room chair leg. One more thing, what is in your arsenal of paint/stain for such repairs? Be well! -Nick

better than screws you could use a couple of hard wood dowels across the brake.

Why screws? I like using a 1.5 inch dowel to support the cracked area.

I think you are a genius I think like you its pretty good 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

how much do you charge for a restoration like that AND how many did you put it?

Why the sandpaper between the block and leg?

Whats the name of the glue he used?

Hi Tom, why could you not use the screw as a clamp looks like it would save a lot of time

Why didn’t you use the combination would blue and CA glue as shown in some of these videos? This would illuminate the need for any clamping.

At least one of the other legs has been broken and repaired before.

need that same repair... anyone in brooklyn that can be recommended

I think pretty good video

i would of used rubber bands to clamp that leg together cause of that curve. rubber bands can work great for angles like that

I feel like adding the metal band to the bottom of the leg should have just been done to all of the legs, since you can see in a few shots the neighbor leg had already been re-attached, and, most likely, without all the added strength from this repair.

0:10 looks like its chicken for supper tonight

Why didn't You use epoxy for that ? I've seen you use it on other critical repairs for added strength

WOODEN DOWEL-NO SCREWS

no dowel to restrengthen the leg ? thats the way i do it in my shop, thought that was standard for most refinishing and repair shops for this break

What is cost for repair?

Why a screw instead of a dowel? Oh I guess that there is not a lot of wood movement.

Why screws, why not a dowel through the brake?

Until I saw the broken leg, I thought the leg was steam bent. It is hard to imagine how massive the original slab of wood was before the leg was sawn out.

Was that chicken you caught supper ?

Had watched this video on strength of hot glue melts for wood, he test's the strength and measures the lbs. of force it can take. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-hu8sJBctzFc.html . I am a female crafty person and have done many fixes on things but I have a dining table leg that broke and would be hard to clamp so trying to figure out my best way to fix it. I live in an coastal area and no one does this kind of work so I have no choice but to try. Wondered what your thought on these glues after watching the video?

Using the aluminum brace was basically a moot point. Your fractured the bar while bending it at 90 degrees. It has almost no strength now.

Me I'd use glue plus a well countersunk six inch screw...but I'm not known as either a carpenter, joiner nor a reasonable human being...Tom's obviously all three...

I'm sorry to say that this is the only time I feel uncomfortable about one of your repairs. Given that another leg had previously broken and the truly pathetic metal straps already in place I wanted you to make a strong steel spider to fit the inside of the legs, exteding well down the curve to prevent further breaks. I'm not an expert in antique furniture but I am uncomfortable with the idea of returning this piece to active use without add some decent strength to its unfortunate structural design weakness. Sorry to sound critical.