Dowels Don't Repair Furniture! Bad Furniture Repair and How To Fix It #4 - by Fixing Furniture
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- čas přidán 28. 05. 2024
- Sometimes it's better to learn from someone else's mistakes. This broken rocking chair was perviously repaired, but the repair failed. Why? It wasn't repaired properly. Scott shows a pattern of failed furniture repairs using dowels. He explains why they failed and shows how to repair this rocking chair properly to share the knowledge and understanding of furniture repair.
We believe the craft of furniture repair is disappearing so we're sharing these skills for more people to learn, be successful in their projects, and perhaps even start their own business to provide a service for their community.
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LINKS:
- Kennedy Hardware bit.ly/kennedy-hardware
- Wedges for Chair Backs woodenitbenice.ca/products/ch...
VIDEO TOPICS:
00:00 Dowels Don't Repair Furniture!
01:47 Broken chair stretcher
02:50 Disassemble the rocking chair
09:06 Making the new stretcher on the lathe
15:59 Fitting the new stretcher into the rocking chair
20:17 Prepare the chair back for wedges in the through mortise joint
21:03 Glue up the rocking chair
28:27 Other examples showing why not to use dowels for furniture repair
31:34 Staining the new replacement stretcher
34:07 Applying shellac to the stretcher
34:48 How to apply burn-in wood filler
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Fixing Furniture is hosted by Scott Bennett, Co-owner of Wooden It Be Nice Inc. - Furniture Repair in Brooklin, Ontario, Canada. WoodenItBeNice.ca
#dowels #furniturerepair #failed - Jak na to + styl
I appreciate it when creators do not edit their mistakes out. Thanks for the video.
Yeah, me too. We learn more from their mistakes than from their successes.
Good video. I am retired, but I have 30 + years professional experience in building, finishing and repairing high end custom furniture.
You're right about having to have a good eye and a knack for matching color. Fortunately, I do. I also have a four year university degree in fine art, which also helps. I became very proficient in touch up work. I'm so glad that you pointed out that the angle you look at a color retouch affects how the eye perceives it. I remember when I first started doing retouch I had worked on a repair of a cigarette burn on a mahogany table top. I had puttied it in and applied a lacquer topcoat, then using Mohawk™ Two Minute Touchup materials and a fine artist's brush, I carefully painted in the grain, gave it a another coat of lacquer, and stepped back to admire my work. It was perfect! You could never tell that had been a two inch long,3/8" wide, black burn on this fine piece of furniture. Then I put up my kit on a shelf on the other side of the room. When I came back I saw the retouch from a different angle. Damn! It stuck out like a sore thumb. I mean, it couldn't have been more obvious if you had a spotlight shining on it. All I could do was compromise. I touched it up from several different angles until I finally got it to look decent from any angle. Thereafter when doing large touch ups, I used a similar approach from the start. I learned to do touch ups so they would look best from the angle they would most likely be seen. Remember, you are camouflaging the defect, not eliminating it.
I've done this too for 30+ years. I say you can't duplicate chatoyance. Now, having said that, I am willing to pay money to anyone who can prove me wrong.
Hey Scott, I'd love to see a video about color matching! Thanks
23:16 this type of thing happens to me all the time!
Glad also that you used family friendly language 👍
Glad you appreciated that. I was really sweating to get the wedges out without breaking them! Cheers. Scott
Scott, you are such a good teacher! I have been subscribed for awhile now and you have never failed to teach me something - not only with furniture repair but (in my eyes, more importantly) also as a woodworker. You are cautious, careful and very contentious. Thank you for the lesson.
Contentious? I dont' see that at all. But definitely cautious and careful. Not to mentioned skilled.
A dowel joint is a strong joint if it's done correctly. Dowels have been used in joints throughout history. But part of what you are saying is correct. The strength of the joint is along the sides of the dowel. This works well if the wood the dowel is going into is thick enough. Then the weak spot at the end of the dowel that you spoke of is not weak at all. But when you have paper thin wood around the dowel, it's an extremely weak joint. It's the same thing if you secure something with a screw or a bolt. That can be an extremely strong joint. But only if it has a lot wood around the fastener to give it that strength. If you screw into thin or compromised wood, that joint will fall apart. And another factor to consider in a glue joint is surface area. The more contact surface between the two pieces being glued, the stronger the connection.
Thanks for leaving the missed risers (?) part of the video. it`s reassuring to us. shows us how normal it is.. Also, thanks for the explanation of how to use turning chisels.
Thank you for not taking that out. You certainly handled that better than I would.
¡De los errores se aprende! Y quien no aprende de ellos es un necio. Muchas gracias por compartir sus experiencias y más aún por la hidalguía de reconocer cuando uno se ha equivocado. Tiene mucha razón en ese tipo de reparaciones. Yo hice una vez algo parecido el arreglo no duró ni una semana, se rompió y el daño fue peor. Sus videos son muy instructivos e ilustrativos, gracias por compartirlos. Saludos y éxitos en sus proyectos.
The new dowel looks perfect, as always! The wax really worked on the split. Thanks for another great set of lessons, Scott.
The clean lathe system looks like it performs great! Nice work designing that. Hardware stores around me do sell red oak dowels, which isn't the best for fine furniture, but at least it is sturdy if you don't have a lathe.
Thanks. Yes, Red Oak is harder than Poplar dowel. The key is to find one with very straight grain so it's as strong as possible. Cheers. Scott
Thanks for the "chatoyance" reference.
I never heard the word but it is definitely a significant issue when blending colors.
Thanks!
fascinating - I love how your videos really keep to the brief - no waffle - just really useful guidance - thanks for sharing your experience.
Terrific and educational video, Scott. I would love to see a stain-matching course. God bless you.
Scott, nice repair on the child's rocker. I'm always interested in seeing how color matching with dyes and stains and wax stick blending is accomplished. I'm also interested in that weird "don't do this" rocker repair. Did you ever fix it? Almost surely there was a set of arms on it that I would think would help strengthen that weak back joint. I also assume the spindle with the bad bottom end repair is just another more elaborate lathe job. If you did repair it were you able to design a stronger back joint? Anyway, I would love to see that chair repaired and a video posted. Cheers from VT!
Say there Scotty looking for those spreader clamps “ help “
Here's a video with a review of spreaders clamps. There are links in the video description for shopping. This should give you everything you need. czcams.com/video/4o32qUx1dlw/video.html
Like the chip/dust collection on the lathe
Thanks once again for your measured and professional approach to each piece you work on. I learn every time.
Thank you, Sir, for your transparency. Few men these days have the courage to be humble and show their mistakes.
I would love to see a course on everything that has to do with color matching! I understand that an ounce of cure is worth a pound of prevention, meaning the closer you can get the better. I understand using oil based toners to “tweak” the color. I also understand that there is a type of special lacquer that you can use after each time you put a layer of stain on to give you multiple chances to “build up the color ” and get the color right. My problem is that no one sells these products where I live in Alaska. because these are considered hazardous materials, the shipping is extremely expensive! So, understanding alternatives would be very helpful, also understanding the differences between water based and oil based stains and how the process differs. It looks like you just layered the water based stain on top of itself to “tone” the part. Finally if all else fails or you make a mistake while you are developing the skill what do you do? I love your videos! I think it is so sad that nowadays when something breaks you just throw it in the garbage and buy a new one. It’s too bad that commercial furniture isn’t made like it used to be.
Color matching would be great! Please do a video on that.
Another informative and enjoyable video. Any reason not to put a couple of bowties/dutchmen on the underside of that seat to keep the split at bay? Other than cost?
-John
I am watching your videos for quite a while. I think each of them are having quite valuable lessons. I also look at the videos of other people who repair furniture, but your working technique, cleanliness, analytical approach and on-point explanations are incredibly beautiful and of much better quality. Thank you very much for these shares.
Hello my dear friend. I liked your work and your channel very much. You are very successful and thank you for sharing it with us. Best regards, greetings from Turkey
@Fixingfurniture thanks for the lesson. I have a very similar rocker to repair. I don't have a lathe unfortunately. Nor do I have money to pay someone who does.
For woodfill there's another option for custom fill...remove the old finish then once it's clean you can sand the area. Collect the dust and mix it with ca glue really well...
Another great tutorial Scott, one thing I have noticed over the years that I have been watching you and also Thomas Johnson. is that you conflict in your method to take apart an Item/chair what ever. he uses vinegar also but alway more often than not. he uses a mallet to knock them apart. altho I have seen him use a spreader also. but most of the time a hammer. And with great success I might add. I just attribute that to personal preference. but also ingest that skill factor and experience come into play also. Just a personal observation thanks again I never come away with out learning something, and at 81 , I'm proof that you are never too old to learn. ECF
Scott, I truly enjoy your videos, and as a beginner in furniture repair I get a lot of useful advice out of them. I also loved how you did not edit out your mistake (which was something very familiar :)). Definitely interested in color matching, but I would also like to know more about the acrylic stain you are using. I don't live in North-America, so my choices will probably be different, but it would help my research. And one more thing, I would love to know how you sharpen your woodworking tools, this is an area where I struggle a lot :) Many thanks again for making these videos available.
Great job. I enjoyed it and appreciate the passion you have for repairing.
Je legt het rustig uit. Bedankt
It would be nice to see a video on how to tell what finish is on an existing piece if we aren't refinishing the whole piece and also what finishes are appropriate for a piece of furniture and why. Don't know if you've done that before.
Looks great Scott! Another beautiful project to be proud of.
I like drilling out a mortise by about 1/64 of an inch and making the tenon wider by the same so as to get new ‘raw’ wood to glue to.
Great job, thanks.
Scott, thanks for this very informative video. As always I learn something. Enjoyed the color matching at the end.
I too would love to see a video on color matching.
Scott: learned a lot of solid information for the way dowels work the right & wrong ways to do something. Thanks. Carol from California.
Glad it was helpful Carol! Thanks for sharing that!
Thanks for the video - appreciate you for sharing the mistake!
Glad you liked that. I surprised myself when that happened but thankfully I was able correct it quickly while the glue was wet. Cheers. Scott
I would appreciate a video on matching colors.
Dziękuje za kolejny fajny filmik.
Zdrowia życzę.
Scott, this is another great video; you're an excellent teacher. One thing that I would add is that when color matching, ideally you want to be right on. However, this is nearly impossible. So if you err, it is better to err on the side of darker rather than lighter. Why? Lighter is naturally more noticeable to the eye.
👍👍 👍. Thank you Scott
Thanks for another great video, Scott! While I agree that dowels are not the best way to repair a stretcher, there are some jobs where dowels come in mighty handy! The previous repair was probably doing the best he could with what he had. Your logic makes sense. Looking forward to your next video!
On a side note, have you been watching the development of the possible mandatory inclusion of “saw stop” technology on new table saws? I’d like to hear your thoughts (good or bad) about that idea. Maybe as part of a bigger safety theme. You always are doing the safe things!
I would definitely like to see more about color matching.
Thank you. That's helpful feedback. Scott
Hi,it is a good job,and really want to see your video of wat to do and not to do on furniture repair
Thanks for your time and advise
hi great video i must admit i have been making dowel repairs for years i am a good spindle turner an have reproduced parts when necessery ,what repair do you reccomend for the second rocking chair ? make a new part ? thanks again for a great video
Nice work!
Thank you! I appreciate that! Scott
Would dowelling work if it was glued in with west sysyem epoxy?
It's funny you put this video out now. I am currently repairing a coffee table with an X-stretcher. There is an acorn that ties the stretchers together in the middle. It has been repaired previously, and they used a technique similar to what you talked about. Thanks for the great video.
Oh wow! I hope this was helpful for troubleshooting what to do for that repair. Good luck with your project. Scott
Great video thank you.
Another great video. Im interesting in seeing even more videos about how to touch up finishes (not necessarily stain colors) as well as more content about non-toxic finishing options. Love the channel.
Wonderful information! Thanks.
You're welcome! Scott
Do the acrylic stains raise the grain since it'd be water based? That's usually the main drawback. Maybe that's what burnishing with the paper solves. Looks like a good result though.
Great some kind of a real job there scott 👍🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Great job !!! I learned something,
Awesome! Thank you!
Muito bom trabalho...parabéns 👍🏻
Yo, professional wood turner: don’t hit your lathe Morse taper with metal..it will mushroom the end and in turn damage your internal MT on your lathe.
Perfect
Another wonderful video Scott. Learned a couple of things from this one. Thank you very much.
Glad it was helpful! Have a great weekend!
Scott g)ad to see you back great video
Thanks Robert! Glad you enjoyed the video! Have a great weekend
Thanks that's realy good work. شكرا إنه عمل رائع
How would you repair the broken tenon on the “spring” rocker? Thanks.
Beautiful job. I need to get a set of colors like those. I don't have a lathe, but now I have a little more courage to add one to the shop.
I have the same lathe, really like your dust collection setup hopefully some day I will be able to get one for mine
If the only option is a dowel type situation, create a dowel across the grain then when installing, you will always have across grain to end grain situation. This is similar to a normal doweled joint where there is always a cross grain situation and an end grain to cross grain.
I'll point out the obvious that dowels and loose tenons are used to make new furniture. So using dowels to repair is neither an absolutely good or bad idea. It can work well in some cases and it's a bad idea in other cases. Logical conclusion.
Knowing when it will work and when it won't is professional knowledge. I like how Scott learns from seeing failed attempts at dowel repair to learn when it's a bad idea to use them. (He'll never see the good dowel repairs because, well, those joints won't come apart and enter his shop)
At 6:40 into the video a set of tiny picks would help alot on scraping away the glue from those joints after using the vinegar
That's a good idea. Thank you for sharing that tip! Scott #tip
@@FixingFurniture your welcome
Thats some contraption you have for collecting dust .I use a 4 inch hose connected to Dust Deputy .The skew chisel works better than a roughing gouge on the lathe almost no sanding required
I hope you find a pastime that makes you occasionally smile.
What about using a tapered drill bit and a dowel tapered at the same angle? Would need to make some jigs to shape the dowels. But could save time for a complex turning or where rare wood is involved
Looks like there is an off the shelf solution to the dowel issue you mentioned. Look up miller dowels.
Perfect wax matching
It seems to me that, perhaps, a serious problem here that was overlooked was a _structural_ repair of the chair seat. Do you have another video that covers this? I have such a chair in need of repair -- where the entire seat was split and partially repaired with a metal strap on the bottom. Suggestions?
I wish you would do more on pricing jobs
Your thoughts on using dowels for repair are very interesting. Given that, what's your opinion of using dominoes for repair work?
Thanks for putting out your content. Very helpful.
Hi Paul. When repairing work, it really depends on how much wood structure you're taking out when modifying it with a domino. The key is to ensure the furniture is strong. As you've seen, the flaw in adding dowels in these examples is that they weakens the furniture. I hope that helps. Scott
Hi, any advice as to how I can restore a matte finish on a white wood dresser? I accidentally cleaned a spot on it with something that made this one section all glossy so the finish looks horribly uneven now. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
A gentle rub with superfine steel wool will dull a finish. It's sometimes sold a "0000" steel wool. Cheers. Scott
Hi.. from Pakistan.. I have broken furniture joint.. can you help me fixing it if I share pictures?
Great job! Looks like nothing ever happened to the chair.
Thank you! I appreciate that. Scott
How much would charge for a repair this. That`s always a hard one for me to figure out for me?
I do not agree with you regarding dowels. There are usually three mistakes made that compromise the repair. 1) Not using a hardwood dowel. 2) Not insuring that the dowel seats all the way (and is good fit). 3) Not cutting a groove (or two) along the length of the dowel in order to give the glue someplace to go. Without the last, one will find it impossible to seat the dowel.
That metal sprung rocker looked as if it had arms bracing the back to begin with. Their removal would have increased the strain on the back and isn’t that more likely to be the reason for the back failure rather than flawed design?
At 40:41 you are trying to put a dowl in, first saw or scratch a way out for the glue trapped in front of the dowel.
Sorry, I don't understand your comment. Would you explain a bit more? Thanks
@@FixingFurniture When putting a dowel in a drilled hole, air and glue are trapped in front of the dowel while inserting. Sawing or scratching an escape channel along the dowel allows air and glue to escape.
Matching colors is my downfall. I am not good at it, so I often have to consult with my wife. Being shade blind is a handicap.
Glad to hear you've got support to dial in your color matching. Cheers. Scott
If only this was a live video Scott, i could see those 2 back spindles were not in place while you were putting the wedges in as soon as you turned the chair upside down 😢
Yes, that would have been helpful. I was distracted by filming at the same time as assembling the piece. Thankfully I got those wedges pulled out without breaking them. Cheers
But Scott, not all of us have a lathe. There are still circumstances in which the dowel fix on a stretcher is good enough for DIYers.
Easy to buy birch dowel rod on the web, get one close to the original diameter (no one will notice if it's not exact) and then fit as shown in the video.
@@jamesbenenati1039 Not so simple for me. I have a more decorative H-stretcher on a 1959 Windsor chair with a broken tenon. It would require a lathe to properly replicate, not to mention staining, etc. It complicates the repair. So, I'm going with the repair in Scott's retracted video, which I believe will be adequate for my purposes.
I did the dowel insert repair on my H stretcher. Time will tell, but it's solid for now. I think this repair is fine for DIYers without a lathe.
Looks like someone tried to make this rocking chair rock and roll with dowels, but it ended up just plain rockin' poorly instead!
As far as dowel repairs - what do you do when you can’t replace the broken piece?
As a professional, I wouldn't recommend another way to do this. If you are repairing your own chair, and don't care about repairing it to extend the life of the chair in the future, you could try epoxy to hold it together. If that fails, the repair by a pro will be more expensive or you may have to throw out the chair.
👍 39
You are a pro. Very entertaining to watch you doing your thing.
It isn't woodworking if no mistakes were made.
First!
Yes, you did it! First to add a comment. I hope you're enjoying the video! Scott
Very informative, thanks
Scott - I appreciate you and respect your work and guidance. With this video however, I would have to agree to disagree with some of your guidance.
The repair you made to a plain rung was better with a new piece. The prior repair was poorly done. End gluing is never a long term viable solution for any repair. Inserting a dowel in the midpoint of a leg or rung would not rely on only end gluing and would be suitable.
Additionally, with a more ornate or decorative rung or leg, it would not always be practical to turn a new piece. That should not mean a chair should be discarded.
I have made several repairs with the dowel technique over the years and they have held up without any issues. It is about when you should and when you should not insert a dowel and the proper methods and adhesives.
IMHO a blanket statement of you “should not do this” is too finite and can mislead and misinform the viewer. When in doubt an experienced professional should be consulted for the most suitable approach.
22:20 is he gonna catch it? 22:26 Ahh nooo, Scott no!! 23:15 You JUST said "while the glue is still wet"! Quick, Scott, quick! 23:52 uh-oh, did all those camera moves to catch the mistake cost you too much time? 23:55 Ahh, good. Phew.
Love it, thanks for leaving it in for the teachable moment.
That's not how you use calipers, next time get a ruler or use a drill to hammer nails in place
Thanks for showing us the right way. 🤎
💝🕯🙏