Coffee Break Repair Job

[cabinetman]

When workin' in homes, there always seems to be one of those..."Oh BTW can you fix this?" Here's an example of my latest "fixits" to do.
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[jking]

Wow. Good luck with that one. I wonder how that happens in the first place?

[Bruce Cohen]

Hey Cab,

At least the breaks are balanced. LOL

PS Your photos are at least getting better.

Bruce

[shoottx]

It looks like someone may want to comply with this recall:

NEWS from CPSC
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Office of Information and Public Affairs Washington, DC 20207

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 20, 2008
Release #08-367

Firm's Recall Hotline: (800) 624-4320
CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908

Name of Product: Butt Width )

Units: About 53,000

Hazard: An oversized Butt width may cause rocking chairs seats to fail, inadequately holding the oversized butt, posing a pinch, splinter or shock hazard to consumers.

Incidents/Injuries: Cabinetman has received one report of an oversized butt causing the rocking chair seat to fail. No injuries have been reported.

Description: The recalled butt must have the proper butt width adjustors installed to prevent seat separation during use of the rocking chair. The butt width reduction is typically used for woodworkers, in laws and pesky guests. The reducers are yellow insulated vinyl and were intended for use any oversized butt planning to use a rocking chair. They were sold in packages of 8 or 50.

Sold at: Most weight loss centers, doctor’s offices and health clubs health food stores and of course BORG’s. Price will vary based on the amount of reduction in extra butt width.

Remedy: Consumers should immediately begin using products and services that cause reduction in butt width, stay out of rocking chairs or see your doctor for a butt replacement.

To see this recall on CPSC's web site, including pictures of the recalled product, please go to: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml08/08367.html

[cabinetman]

It looks like someone may want to comply with this recall:

Hey, that recall could affect my lunch money!
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[dbhost]

Is it my imagination or did that chair split along glue up lines?

Wonder if the original builder used Elmer's School Glue for the job?

Okay seriously though... I have had more than my share of Elmer's Wood glue, glue ups fail. I stopped using that stuff because it simply HATES humid environments...

By the way, that was a butt split, not a butt splice on that chair...

[cabinetman]

Wow. Good luck with that one. I wonder how that happens in the first place?

Breaks like that being almost symmetrical could be attributed to a faulty glue up of the seat sections and/or undue stresses in the structural design. Leaning on the front of the arms could do it. It's not rare...I've seen this before. There's also the possibility that the section of pieces selected for the seat platform weren't acclimated properly. Then, there's also the possibility of the wood reacting to humidity changes in its environment. And finally, we can't rule out the EBWTH theory (expansive butt-way too heavy).

Hey Cab,
At least the breaks are balanced. LOL
PS Your photos are at least getting better.
Bruce

Nothing better than balanced breaks. Of course, I get paid per break. How's that for a break. As for the bar photo, keep in mind that was taken with a 35mm on print film, not a neg or slide, and a 5x7 print was scanned to digital.
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[Uncle Cracker]

If you'll notice, the chair's arm struts meet the seat at a point considerably outboard of the legs. This means that any excess weight on the arms will try to twist and/or break the wood on the seat. I think that in this case, somebody put a lot of weight on the arms, either because they were just too heavy, or (possibly) they were standing on the chair, and stepped up to the arms for extra height. The straightness and lack of splintering along the breaks, along with the symmetry, does make it look as if the breaks occurred along glue-up lines, so one would have to think that poor glue, and maybe the lack of splines or biscuits, contributed to the weakness at the joints, but weak design, overloading, and possibly misuse are the main factors, I'd wager.

[steve-norrell]

When workin' in homes, there always seems to be one of those..."Oh BTW can you fix this?" Here's an example of my latest "fixits" to do.

So how would you fix it?

Regards, Steve

[cabinetman]

So how would you fix it?

Regards, Steve

Actually, this is an easy fix. Both sides are a clean break. I check the sides for fit, then glue up with a thin film on the surfaces of the fitting parts, and clamp one side of the seat to the other. Wipe up any squeeze out, and let it sit unmolested overnight.
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[jking]

If you'll notice, the chair's arm struts meet the seat at a point considerably outboard of the legs. This means that any excess weight on the arms will try to twist and/or break the wood on the seat. I think that in this case, somebody put a lot of weight on the arms, either because they were just too heavy, or (possibly) they were standing on the chair, and stepped up to the arms for extra height.

One of my first thoughts was someone laying a board across the arms & standing on it or just standing on the arms to reach something. But, when you look close, you'll also see it's a rocking chair. No one would be dumb enough to....oh wait, I just received a recall notice from the CPC.

[steve-norrell]

Actually, this is an easy fix. Both sides are a clean break. I check the sides for fit, then glue up with a thin film on the surfaces of the fitting parts, and clamp one side of the seat to the other. Wipe up any squeeze out, and let it sit unmolested overnight.
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Thanks, that's what I thought. Regards, Steve

[Hellrazor]

Wonder if the original builder used Elmer's School Glue for the job?

Hah. Our ex-boss at work used to always tell us to use elmers if we ran out of wood glue and "it is the same thing". He won the clueless award many times over.