Re: Repair of Antique chairs ??

I've repaired a few of these chairs. They usually get broken in the different joints. I have repaired some where the wood itself had broken, and the repairs were done using new wood.

The important thing is to disassemble the chair very carefully so that nothing else gets broken. Some repairs may make the break even worse, like the use of nails. I try to remove the nails, clean out the joint very well and reassemble using epoxy glue. I never use nails to put a piece of furniture together again.

Some people caution against epoxy glue as it is almost impossible to disassemble the chair again. But for what else to lose situations, this is what I use. When using epoxy, it is better to apply epoxy to both sides of the joint being clamped, to ensure that the surface is properly "wetted".

Please post pictures of the chairs that need to be repaired so members can give more detailed advice.

Re: Repair of Antique chairs ??

2diy4,

The way I figure it, there are 3 main repairs to do:

1. Will need someone who can spin/carve duplicate a whole leg then re-install it and reinforce the area. 2 chairs

2. Since old wood is old wood (narra), and these chairs have seen already 5 generations of our family, ideally, I would like all the chairs to be reinforced somehow whether using extra wood and/or a purposely designed and installed inner metal framework of some sort that is hidden and unseen (if possible).
This should be done to all the chairs (8 chairs).

3. A few chairs have cracks, broken pieces in the ornately carved back rests and maybe some portions even have to be made/carved from scratch. (3-4 chairs)

I tried having a few fixed with the Focolare Catholic group in Tagaytay but since they are 'tooled' to make church pews and other furniture in quantity, they said they could not find the time and personnel to do this anymore. That place would have been ideal for this, if they had to, they could even reproduce the chair, using the right wood and varnishing etc.,

So maybe I'm dreaming, but are there any furniture craftsmen out there that can also dabble in metalwork ? 🙂

I know this is a big ask, but I can always try.

Cheers 🙂

Re: Repair of Antique chairs ??

My wife has had some experience with the furniture craftsmen located on the UP bypass road from Katipunan to Elliptical. Or, a visit to Betis, Pampanga, where some of the country's best furniture makers work may be worth a visit. They will likely have a sign saying "modern antique".

Old narra is not too hard to find. Perhaps a visit to the Laong Laan/Dapitan area will uncover some narra. But check the color of the narra in your sets. Narra is either yellow or red, and some colors in between. Colors should match as I suspect that your old sets are varnished.

Now on the subject of metal reinforcement, I would caution against this. First, it reduces the antique value of the chairs. This is like having a 1944 Willys MB with a Toyota engine.

Second, any metal in narra eventually corrodes and discolors the wood black. May even weaken the wood.

My advice is just to have a true furniture craftsman to repair the furniture. And tell them not to use nails. They are too valuable, both financially and emotionally, to be trusted to people who may just wreck them.

Re: Repair of Antique chairs ??

saan ka located? mayroon magaling mag-repair ng solihia chairs diyan malipit sa Eunilaine Supermarket at kalayaan, q.c hall. beside Fersal Hotel, baka matulungan ka nila, nagpa sub-con kami doon when i was still in a woodworking factory

Re: Repair of Antique chairs ??

Thanks for the replies guys !! 🙂 🙂

Will keep you posted as to how this goes...or doesn't !!

Cheers