gluing up antique chair - type of glue?

[rawliee]

I am in the process of gluing up some old oak chairs that have come loose at the joints. What type of glue would you recommend? I usually use titebond II for all my glue ups, is this good for chairs?

[cabinetman]

There's the question of what glue would be considered within the scope of an antique. Depending on how old the chairs are, it could likely be hide glue. Since it might be difficult to determine the glue, todays glues are excellent if used properly. If you are interested in a good repair, and the mating pieces are a good fit, stick with TBII or better yet, TBIII.

If the area to be glued is not a good fit, or there are gaps, that can't be fixed, but the joint is proximal, I would use a two part epoxy. Whatever you do use, clamp or bind for an overnight cure. Make sure the repaired area is cleaned of any excess glue.
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[eccentrictinkerer]

I repaired our six Windsor arm chairs (ca. 1940) last summer with Gorilla glue. Seems to be working better than anything I've tried over the last 35 years.

One thing I've learned is that you must remove all of the old glue (which can be a lot of work).

I've heard that a lot of old chairs were built out out of green wood and as the wood dried, it shrunk for a really tight fit, without glue.

[SARGE..g-47]

"Chair Doctor" from Lee Valley.. Comes in a 4 oz. bottle and with a few syringes. Made just for loose joints on antiques.. etc. You can syringe it in if the joint is not totally collapsed without having to remove it.

[cabinetman]

I repaired our six Windsor arm chairs (ca. 1940) last summer with Gorilla glue. Seems to be working better than anything I've tried over the last 35 years.

The only problem with Gorilla Glue is if the joint is very tight to start with, it will be a mess with the foaming. It's very hard to judge the amount for application. Not a bad glue for joints with gaps, but I've had better luck with two part epoxy.

One thing I've learned is that you must remove all of the old glue (which can be a lot of work).

That would be nice, and it's wishful thinking. Some repairs you can't get to all the glue, or even most of it in some cases. There are repairs that in getting to the glue or trying to remove it causes more damage to the joint. Effective repairs are a result of having some idea of what to do for the repair involved.
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