Re-gluing chair bottom

>I have a factory-built Early-American style oak chair (one of six) that
> has failed at a glue joint in the middle of the chair bottom. There is
> no tearing of wood fiber, just a clean break at the glue line. The
> bottom is still held together by the legs and back. The only way I
> noticed it was that I happened to feel the crack when I was sitting in
> the chair, so that part must not be under much stress. The rest of the
> joints are all still good and tight after 18 years of daily use, so I'm
> reluctant to disassemble them. Dare I just pry the bad joint apart and
> squirt it full of glue? I'd use Gorilla Glue, but it's so messy.
> Would Titebond hold without surface preparation? Maybe I could just
> slide some sandpaper through the crack work it back and forth?

If you don't want to take the chair apart you might want to look at

<http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.asp?page=30261&category=1%2C110&SID=&ccurrency=2>

"DonkeyHody" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>I have a factory-built Early-American style oak chair (one of six) that
> has failed at a glue joint in the middle of the chair bottom. There is
> no tearing of wood fiber, just a clean break at the glue line. The
> bottom is still held together by the legs and back. The only way I
> noticed it was that I happened to feel the crack when I was sitting in
> the chair, so that part must not be under much stress. The rest of the
> joints are all still good and tight after 18 years of daily use, so I'm
> reluctant to disassemble them. Dare I just pry the bad joint apart and
> squirt it full of glue? I'd use Gorilla Glue, but it's so messy.
> Would Titebond hold without surface preparation? Maybe I could just
> slide some sandpaper through the crack work it back and forth?

That's probably what I would do. Open it a bit, force some glue in there
with a syringe, and then clamp it. I wouldn't sand it -- you'll wreck the
mating surfaces.

"DonkeyHody" <[email protected]> wrote in news:1105569711.981859.66260
@c13g2000cwb.googlegroups.com:

> I have a factory-built Early-American style oak chair (one of six) that
> has failed at a glue joint in the middle of the chair bottom. There is
> no tearing of wood fiber, just a clean break at the glue line.

<snip>

I have a dozen of those type of chair as well - purchased maybe 15 years
ago. Sort of a brown oak. Mine say "Made in Yugoslavia" on the bottom.
Loosely Windsor hoopback style.

Three or four of them have broken in the same manner as you describe. In
my pre-furniture building days, I would push yellow glue into the crack,
after drilling several angled holes into the bottom for bamboo skewers,
which I used as woodnails, or crude dowels. Clamping was done with a band
clamp, or, more accurately, a cinch strap from the backpacking gear. Wipe
with water.

Later, I used short drywall style screws, with a drilled pilot hole. No
chair needed repair twice.

Interestingly enough, since most of the size 3XLT sons have moved out, the
chairs are remarkably more durable. Were the chairs to need repair today,
I'd use something from my vast assortment of McFeeley's products.

Someday, I'll build some comfortable, elegant dining room chairs, to go
with the elegant Shaker influenced table I have designed in my head. Not
this year, though.

Patriarch