Wood table wobbly, please help!?

Question

I have an all white wood dining room table from Pier One and I went to move it while vacuuming and the legs split at the top. One is very bad and has become detached from the table and the table is very wobbly. Is there any way to repair the wood or does anyone cut pieces to fit to my table. I love it and would hate to get rid of it if I can save it.

Answer 1

If the repair is to glue a split leg back together, then you most certainly can do it.

Flip the table over. See if the legs can come unscrewed, if they can be removed, they'll be easier to work with, but if not, don't despair, you can still get the job done.

Get Elmer's Carpenter's Glue or TiteBond wood glue, a damp, clean cloth, and clamps that will squeeze the cracked leg back together again. Take the glue, and you might even want to pour an ounce of glue in a paper cup and cut it with about 1/3 water so that it will flow into the crack better. The glue will still be plenty strong dilluted at that strength.

Work the glue into the crack, use things like a toothpick, or an unfolded paperclip, a guitar string, anything that you have on hand that you can poke into the crack to help spread the glue. Be liberal with the amount of glue you use, the TiteBond and Elmer's are water clean up.

Work the piece, if you can, with your hands or even pry into the crack to open and then squeeze the crack. This action will cause the glue to be drawn further into the crack by capillary action. Once you're satisfied that you've thoroughly penetrated that crack with glue, place the clamps on there. If you're worried about marring the white, painted surface of the table leg with clamp, you may wish to protect the finished surface by placing a scrap block of wood between the jaw of the clamp and the finished surface. If you've really gotten a lot of glue on this and you're using a bare wood block as a protective pad between the clamp and the finished leg, I would suggest putting waxed paper on the finished surface to keep the scrap block from getting glued on to the leg.

Leave it in clamps overnight, if possible. For the first ten minutes or so, stand by with the damp rag to wipe up any excess glue as it gets squeezed out of the joint.

If you've managed to get the crack well covered with glue and then clamped well, the table leg should be as strong as ever, if not stronger.

I would then take a look at the original construction and see if there wasn't a flaw in the design or construction that allowed this to happen in the first place. Some reinforcement might be in order.

Answer 2

TV Guide under one leg.

Answer 3

You will need some wood glue and a clamp. I use either elmers carpenter glue or gorilla glue to fix wood. After applying the glue to both sides, clamp the area back together. Wait for at least 12 hours before putting it back together. You may be able to find someone that could make you new table legs, or you may be able to find replacements at a home improvement store. Good luck.

Answer 4

A hose clamp will work to hold the pieces together during gluing and perhaps just leave the clamp in place.  Clamp the hose clamp as tight as you can.

Answer 5

That is a nice piece of furniture, but then again you'll spend more monet if you try to fix it, maybe you can get a longer s***w to s***w the top again if its only loose, good luck