DIY Network

Quick Fixes Woodworking expert Bruce Johnson demonstrates several quick furniture fixes. From "Ask DIY" episode ADI-104

Q: With the price of furniture these days, I'd rather repair a broken chair I have than replace it. Any tips? I also have some old tables with white rings that I can't get out. (Answer below)

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Fix a loose chair joint with wood glue and a homemade "tourniquet."

A: (Bruce Johnson, Ask DIY Woodworking expert). Most furniture that's older than six months is going to need something fixed, and people don't realize that most basic repairs are fairly simple, if you follow a few tips.

Here are a few ways to make "quick fixes" on wood furniture:

• Loose chair rungs should always be fixed, because you don't want someone to sit in the chair and go sprawling. If the rest of the joints are still in good shape, all you need to do is pull the loose rung as far out of the socket as you can, squirt a liberal amount of woodworker's glue on it and pop it back together. But for the glue to work, it must dry under pressure. If you've got a pipe clamp, use it. If not, after you've put the rung back in the socket, tie a rope around the legs. Then insert a dowel (or a short stick) in the knot and tighten the rope to the desired pressure by turning the dowel. Then slip the dowel behind the chair rung to keep the rope taut and let the glue dry for 24 hours before removing the rope/dowel contraption.

  Working smarter: Be sure to wipe off the excess glue before it dries and you have to chip it off.

• Wobbly furniture legs can often be remedied by upending the furniture and then tightening the bolt, nut, or screw that connects the leg to the piece.
  

  	Figure A
  	Figure B
  	Figure C

• White water rings on table tops are moisture trapped below the finish. If the ring is fresh, immediately use a blow dryer set on low heat to evaporate the ring. To remove a ring that's been there for a long time you'll need abrasion. Try buffing the water ring lightly with fine-grade steel wool, dipped in lemon oil so it doesn't scratch the surface (figure A). After you've taken care of the ring, use lemon oil on the whole surface so it all matches -- and then use a rag to remove any excess lemon oil.

• Nicks and scratches used to require a whole quart of stain, but these days you can choose from an assortment of stain markers (figure B). Pick a color that matches your wood, draw the tip over the nick or scratch, and then wipe off the excess with a cloth. The scratch won't disappear altogether, but it will be the same color as the rest of the piece of furniture and not nearly so noticeable.

• Blobs of wax come off easily if you harden them by laying ice cubes on top. Then use a credit card, spatula-style, to scrape the wax up (figure C).

Web extra:

• Drawers that stick can often be remedied with wax. Rub an old candle along the runners and, if you can reach them, the guides inside the table or cabinet.

• Small holes, such as a nail hole in a joint, will disappear if you use your finger to fill them with a little bit of tinted wood putty (the color of the wood, naturally).

More questions for Bruce:

Q: Can I use one of those super glues from the hardware store to repair wood?

A: The pores in wood need woodworker's glue, so save the super glue for plastic and glass.

Q : What's an easy and quick fix for a table with one leg shorter than the rest?

A: Buy a "furniture glide," in either metal or nylon, from a hardware or home store. Tap it onto the short leg, and it will add an eighth of an inch to the height.

Q: I'm confused. What's best for my furniture: paste wax or lemon oil?

A: Use lemon oil when you're dusting and want to add some shine. It doesn't last very long, about two weeks or so, by which time it's time to dust again. Paste wax is more of a finish for antiques. About once a year, rub it on and allow it to harden for about 10 minutes before buffing the piece. That will leave a shine that will last for several months.