Can we talk about the 'just glue it' advice for broken furniture?

I was helping my neighbor fix a wobbly kitchen chair leg, and he immediately said 'just hit it with some super glue' without even checking the joint. I argued we should take it apart, clean the old glue, and re-clamp it properly, which took an extra 30 minutes. Is a quick glue fix ever okay, or does it always just kick the problem down the road?

2 comments

2 Comments

ellis.charles23d ago

Your "extra 30 minutes" is why that chair will last another ten years.

olivere3023d ago

Yeah, that quick glue fix is a band-aid on a broken bone. Super glue is brittle and won't hold up to the stress of someone sitting down, so the leg will just get loose again in a week. You did the right thing by cleaning out the old, failed glue to make room for fresh wood glue, which soaks into the wood fibers for a way stronger bond. @ellis.charles is right about the time investment, because that proper clamp-up is what makes the fix permanent. It's the difference between fixing it once and having to look at a wobbly chair forever.