Indeed - excellent job. I think Scott must have glued the end grain break before cutting the dado for the spline, although I didn't see that in the video. I would guess he used epoxy for that.
I hadn't considered the end-grain issue you raised. For those of us in the UK where dado stacks aren't a thing we could use the concept from your jig but have the rocker sandwiched within it so the router can run along the straight jig rather then curved rocker ☺. Thanks for the informative video.
Oh, that's interesting. I wasn't aware dado stacks aren't universally used around the globe. Do you know why they aren't used in the UK? I'm curious now. Thanks for sharing that and the solution of using a router for our UK viewers. Cheers. Scott 🇨🇦
@@FixingFurniture My understanding his it's safety related, it would be hard to have the guard fitted when doing such cuts and we seem more reluctant to remove such safety measures if there are other tools which could achieve the same result. I'm just a DIYer so can only comment on my limited observations, it would be interesting to compare and contrast different approaches that are taken either side of the pond, maybe a future video idea ☺.
I have an almost identical story about my rocker that I inherited. It's very wobbly and is in need if repair/tightening. I wish you lived near Westren Pennsyvania. Great video.
I love it!! Your solution was incredibly wise!!! Man, im completely enamoured with all that im seeing. Im so happy! Thank you! Ive got over 3 hrs in 1 sitting. My wife is not very happy, but im a kid in a huge candy store! Much love, so greatful, 66carpenter
Finding this video was great. I have the same break in a similar rocker. Wish me luck. Thank you sir for sharing your knowledge and skills with us. May God bless you.
20:18 I've seen many restorations, but this single cut right here is the absolute finest, most courageous, and most rewarding restoration moments I have ever seen.
I'm glad you liked that technique. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on that. I've posted your comment on the Community section of our channel. Cheers. Scott
@@FixingFurniture Hey Scott! It's always a pleasure to see the high level of quality with which you embody your craft! Thank you for letting me know about sharing this comment. I have learned a tremendous amount from your work, as I am sure many others have, and I just want to say that I am grateful for all you have and continue to give to the vast community of craftspeople!
Greetings from Bolingbrook , IL U.S.A Nice job Scott , I also watch Tom Johnson on a regular basis. Your attention to detail is great I am also a woodworker, and enjoy it immensely! jerry williams
I’m enjoying your videos. They are instructive and entertaining to a ‘general’ woodworker (in Scotland) who occasionally gets a ‘can you fix this’ request. I would like to see some short (15 minute) videos on specific topics (clamping / splines / colour matching etc.) as well as the ones where we see the repair of a complete piece. Thanks for your efforts.
Thanks for this video. I watched it right through. Glad to hear how your mind works things out - overnight. My chair restoration, following your example, worked really well. Thank you and regards from Australia. Again.
I learn so much from you. I would not have thought that the rocker could have been saved, what a technique and having the right tools to fix it.I love it and so will the owner.
The owner picked it up this week and he was so happy with it, he sent us a photo of it in his home. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the restoration. Scott
I've learned a great deal from Tom Johnson over the years and came here through the joint video you did. The repair of the rocker alone started a new learning curve. Thank you!
Great video as always, your different solution to the problem of the rocker is what i would call a shower moment as I always have those moments of clarity during my morning shower.
Lol, yeah, it's funny that your brain will solve problems when you're not concentrating on it. Mine seem to come overnight, like my gears are turning in my sleep. Cheers. Scott
I love the way you fixed the rocker with the tablesaw. I was thinking it but I couldn't figure out how to do it, then you did it and answered my question! Love the care you take
You did an amazing job with the repair. Your attention to detail and respect for the piece says everything about your work ethic and respect for others!
Suggestion for cleaning out screw slots: I collect antique firearms. I have a cheap set of Dental Picks that I use to clean out screw slots that have 100+ years of oils and grime. They work well getting into the bottom edges of a screw slot, and they are far more precise than using a hacksaw blade.
Enjoyed the video. You just about motivated me to restore my wife's grandparents old rocker the looks allot like the one you just reglued but ours has a cushioned bottom. It's been in our barn for over 30 years. I really like your portable shaving horse. Thanks for taking the time to produce the video and y'all take care and God bless.
As I always say to you excellent video! I always learn some new technique watching, and I have been woodworking for about 50 years. I started with my grandfather when I was young. He was a cabinet maker.
Watching you work and seeing how you thoughtfully solve any problems that arise is a joy. Thank you for your videos and for taking the time to make them and upload them.
I've learnt about 6 things watching this! Making a right-angled wooden fence which you then clamp the wood onto before running it through the table saw - that's a neat trick! I'll be making one of them - thanks.
I just found you today and this is the third video I am watching. I have to say this is just so Wholesome and relaxing. Thank you so much for all your hard work and for sharing with us.
We frequently have broken rockers come into our shop in Missouri and while we've successfully repaired most (including replacing rockers), your solution is far less complicated and perhaps stronger than many of our fixes. I'm eager to try it our next repair. Thank you for sharing this, as well as your other ideas.
@@FixingFurniture Recently at our shop, we had occasion to use a variation of your technique. A customer brought in a very old rocker had been left on a floor register (you remember, the kind that left waffle imprints on the soles of your bare feet if you carelessly stepped on it in the wintertime?). The bottoms of rockers were badly charred, and it looked like we'd have to replace them. But first we removed the rockers and, using a jig on our table saw, made a straight cut to slice off the burned portion of each. New wood was glued, clamped, and shaped, then the rockers were reattached. We were able to save about 75% of the original rockers, much to our customer's amazement. It also took less time than trying fit new ones, and the repair actually made the rockers stronger. Thank you again for sharing this technique.
Great video. This was my first one of yours. I am an avid follower of Tom Johnson and came to you via your joint holiday video. I look forward to seeing more and becoming a Patreon sponsor soon. Thank you for the honesty and quality.
What I love about your work is, that you are always so precise, like perfect. Your working space are always neat, and tidy. You don't let things go to waste, and you don't give up, until the chair is fixed. Thanks for your tutorials.
This chair is very nice and you did attest job repairing it. (In my humble opinion.)I just have been wondering if the rockers are kind of skinny for the hefty chair or is that normal. Thank you for your videos.
This is the video I have been searching for. I have three of these type of rockers to fix! Family heirlooms of course. The one that worries me is the one that has a broken (and very thin) spindle. Like yours here it is between two stretchers. I believe means I will have to take that rocker apart, separate it from the stretchers, replace with a new spindle and put it back together. Until today I wasn't sure if that was the best way. But now I think it is. Thanks!
Yes, you will need to take the rocker apart. There are 2 ways to make replacement spindles, depending on the diameter. You can use a spokeshave or a lathe. Here are videos on making replacement parts for each method: Spokeshave route - ua-cam.com/video/92deV01eWFU/v-deo.html Lathe route - ua-cam.com/video/iSoxUoyJDm0/v-deo.html
Brilliant work. A few thoughts... 1. You may want to start using a scribe for precise work. On the ship, I would use them to chase threads that got painted. If you use a decent one, it's sturdy enough to put some oompf behind, but still sharp enough to get where you need them. Might be a good alternative for cleaning out slots in the heads of screws - push it in the middle to break the paint, then from the sides to clear out the waste. Also helps for pushing around small bits like that splinter you glued back down. 2. Best way I've found to remove broken screws is to grab a dremmel and carve a cross in the top, then use a screwdriver to back it out.
Thank you. Absolute genius what you did to the rocker and how you determined the angle for the dowel. God bless you, i have learnt a lot today. I can say this is probably one of the most intricate works you have shared, absolutely thrilled. Great work as always
Hi again Scott, well just watched this video for the second time. and once again came away content that I learned something new.! and again I applaud the fact that you gave Tom credit for his Tip. its nice to see craftsmen sharing tips amongst themselves. that shows respect from both of you and I think that's admirable. thanks again for your video and for sharing.
What an ingenious idea for strengthening the rocker and what a creative jig you made for cutting that dado. I loved it. I also loved watching you use the tape to mark and drill the hole for the dowel pin that you inserted into the leg assembly. I think that this is one of your best videos. Thanks for posting it.
@FixingFurniture thanks for the lesson and the history. As part of my self taught education I'm researching old tools, furniture and the makers. Do you have any videos on researching and resources? What books and websites would you recommend please? Not sure if you knew this but there is a tool for removing broken screws. I believe it's called a reverse out.
Another JOb well done Scott, I love the fact you try to keep the existing finish at its existing place n time. And not tryo to "do it over". also love the repair to the rocker far superior to just a dowel , or just a flat "dutchman" type fix. And that you gave Tom some credit for what he passed along to you on the thickener/epoxy tip. Still waiting for another "Tom/Scott dual video that other one was great!. Thanks for taking the time to do the video and best of all for sharing. Ellis
Beautiful restoration 👏👏👏 1. Didn't you think of reinforcing the other rocker so that it will not break? 2. Did you do anything to kind of revive the old finish? 🙏👍
1. No, I left it in the original state. 2. Nothing more than a wipe with a clean rag to preserve the character in the finish. The sentimental value was important for the owner so the wear has meaning to them
I love the care and respect you give to these pieces that mean something to your customers. I'm giving a sub for that alone. I'm about to tackle a well-loved and very old dining set I fell in love with in hopes to give it life again. Thank you for what you do!
Great job, both with the restoration and video production. Even though you were maintaining the original finish I was surprised that you did clean the chair.
Thanks. I left the finish untouched as I didn't want to risk damaging the crackled texture as shown in the close ups. I took the conservative route on how much I worked on this antique to preserve the character. Scott
I am so excited by this video! (I've actually built new runners for these problems but you have given me a new approach which suits the situation so much better) Thank u!
Brilliant repair of that heirloom, Scott. I wonder if it might be a proactive idea to replace the screw in the other rocker with a dowel to prevent a similar fracture?
you should have kept the some ridges at bottom of the restored curved piece like how it is on the other one. that way the recovered piece won't slide or slip while the other one has some grip on ground.
Outstanding repair. Great tip on aligning the new rocker dowel. I would have used a drill press for the hole in the rocker. I thought you would have modified the other rocker as insurance against future failure. While you didn't alter the original finish, did you clean the old dirt off? That would have been acceptable?
I didn't alter the existing rocker as in my mind, it was a 30% chance it might break and my preference is to do as little alteration to an antique as possible. The finish was very old so I avoided cleaning it as the cleaners may have damaged some of the uniqueness of the crackled finish as shown in the close ups. Again, this was a judgement call, but one I made conservatively to preserve the rocking chair. Cheers. Scott
Another way of removing a broken screw that you might want to keep in mind is to use a edge file or rotary cutter to make a slot in the metal, then use a screw driver to get it screw out. This can be a harder method if the screw is small...
Nice repair. You might find that your drawknife is more effective if you you skew it and slice rather than just planing perpendicular to the grain. I like your space-saving shavehorse. It is telling that this chair which is joined with mortise and tenons is relatively strong even after one-hundred years. In contrast, many of the chairs brought to you for repair are built with doweled joints and are already loose sometimes after just a couple of years. In general, dowels in joints originally were intended to locate pieces relative to one another, not to provide the joint's primary structural integrity. For example, a large table top made from several long boards joined together might have been doweled to insure the boards lined-up; once glued, the long-grain-to-long-grain joint between the boards provided the strength, not the dowels. A doweled joint perpendicular to the grain is essentially long-grain-to-end-grain: the dowel is long-grain; the inside of the mating hole is essentially all end-grain. In contrast, the flat sides of a tenon have broad areas of end-grain that mate to similarly sized long-grain in the mortise, and the resulting glue joint is exceptionally strong. Structurally, the mortise and tenon is significantly stronger and can more effectively resist the stresses a chair undergoes. Of course, drilling a couple of holes and gluing in dowels is much quicker and cheaper in mass production which is why it is so prevalent these days. It's disheartening to see so much cheaply made furniture from the Far East these days. What's more annoying is that people who buy such furniture expect it to hold up over time just because it resembles a quality piece built by a highly-skilled craftsman. And then they may be indignant when their junky piece of furniture fails again after a repair blaming the repairperson for shoddy work rather than recognizing the inferior quality of the piece is the source of the problem. To quote John Ruskin, It's unwise to pay too much, but it's worse to pay too little. When you pay too much, you lose a little money - that's all. When you pay too little, you sometimes lose everything, because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the thing it was bought to do. The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot - it can't be done. If you deal with the lowest bidder, it is well to add something for the risk you run, and if you do that you will have enough to pay for something better.”
Great job and attention to detail. Question: my rocking chair has one split runner, but the split is perpendicular through the runner (through the engrain at the screw hole), but along the grain. The length of the split is about 8 inches. Do you think that gluing the 2 pieces and inserting a screw through the runner at an angle (to provide maximum penetration on both sides of the split) would work? I do not have the skills of tools to try your ingenious solution. The alternative seems to me to be to buy new runners.
Fantastic video!! Loved the detail that you provided. I have a similar Stanley ratchet screw driver, that just the other day I was using on a chair repair..it will certainly remove a lot of skin if you’re not careful with it. I actually cringed when you used it to drive the screw. Great job!
Thanks for the warning. My Yankee screwdriver has a free-spinning hand hold at the front that allows me to hold the screwdriver steady while pushing on it. Maybe that's different than yours? Scott
Excellent rocker solution, awesome repair. In retrospect, do you think you could have cut the rocker insert closer to size and skipped the draw knife? Or, if there is more of a pronounced round over to the rocker profile than appeared on video, it still seems perhaps the spokeshave alone would still be sufficient and offer more control?
Hi Tom. Good question. For me, it's about efficient use of time. I could try to trim the inserted piece in the rocker closer using a bandsaw, but I would still have to work down the curved profile by hand. It's just as easy for me to use the draw knife to rough out the shape since I have my shave horse setup. And yes, I could have worked it down just with a spokeshave, but it would have taken a lot of time to remove material. As with many woodworking projects, there are different ways you can approach the work. I hope that helps. Scott
Hi, could you tell me what the adherence difference is between hide glue and pva glue please? Also what is your opinion on using fluted dowels compared to flat dowels? I do like how you bounce ideas off Thomas and yourself, especially in this case where he uses a router and jigs where as you utilise the table saw. It's nice seeing options. Love your work and explanations. 👍🏻🇦🇺😁
After you used the plug cutter around the broken screw, have you ever not been able to get it out? slotting it with a Dremel to receive a flathead was how I thought you were going to do it
When you showed the break on the rocker (13:32), did you notice how the grain was oriented (the rays were horizontal). That probably helped contribute to the reason the wood failed at the screw point. If it had been oriented 90 degrees (like you would when making an axe handle), it might have been less likely to snap, even though the chair maker compromised 50% of rocker's integrity by drilling it to accommodate the screw head.
You can get hollow ground flat bit screwdrivers, or just individual bits, at a gunsmith supply house that will apply force to the bottom of the screw slot instead of at the top of the screw. This type of screwdriver will save the heads of old screws.
@@FixingFurniture I was thinking a wider bit would give more gripping power to the screw. I will have to try the heating method. I have also used screw extractors with success. Well done!
I couldn’t tell from the video, but I’m assuming you glued the broken rocker together then plowed the dado. Pretty clever solution. Did you “fix” the unbroken rocker the same way?
I’m going to use that technique, by the way. We had a vintage rocker when I was a kid that broke the same way. The guy who repaired it just made a new one that didn’t match and never looked right.
Yes, I glued the broken rocker together first to hold the parts together. I didn't alter the other rocker as I suspect it will remain intact for the next century. Cheers. Scott
Craftsmanship and ingenuity on display
Thank you Ray! Scott
The jig for the broken rocker's spline slot is very ingenious. A good antique chair repair there.
Thank you Phil. Glad you liked it. Scott
Indeed - excellent job. I think Scott must have glued the end grain break before cutting the dado for the spline, although I didn't see that in the video. I would guess he used epoxy for that.
What a clever name for your business! I love it!
Oh, thank you Lola! Scott
I hadn't considered the end-grain issue you raised. For those of us in the UK where dado stacks aren't a thing we could use the concept from your jig but have the rocker sandwiched within it so the router can run along the straight jig rather then curved rocker ☺.
Thanks for the informative video.
Oh, that's interesting. I wasn't aware dado stacks aren't universally used around the globe. Do you know why they aren't used in the UK? I'm curious now.
Thanks for sharing that and the solution of using a router for our UK viewers. Cheers. Scott 🇨🇦
@@FixingFurniture My understanding his it's safety related, it would be hard to have the guard fitted when doing such cuts and we seem more reluctant to remove such safety measures if there are other tools which could achieve the same result. I'm just a DIYer so can only comment on my limited observations, it would be interesting to compare and contrast different approaches that are taken either side of the pond, maybe a future video idea ☺.
My gosh! You are a wizard!
great video and a simple yet elegant solution for fixing that rocker. Well done.
I have an almost identical story about my rocker that I inherited. It's very wobbly and is in need if repair/tightening. I wish you lived near Westren Pennsyvania. Great video.
Thanks for sharing that. I hope you can find a quality restoration business in your area. Cheers. Scott
Once again, thank you for such informative videos. Blessings from Manitoba 🦬
I love it!! Your solution was incredibly wise!!! Man, im completely enamoured with all that im seeing. Im so happy! Thank you!
Ive got over 3 hrs in 1 sitting. My wife is not very happy, but im a kid in a huge candy store!
Much love, so greatful, 66carpenter
Thank you for sharing this! It helped me have the confidence to fix a childhood rocking chair for a friend.
Oh, that's great. Thanks for sharing that Abigail. Scott
I remember my grandparents having a very similar rocker. They were in New Jersey. I wish I had it now.
Finding this video was great. I have the same break in a similar rocker. Wish me luck. Thank you sir for sharing your knowledge and skills with us. May God bless you.
Happy to help. Good luck with your repair. If you'd like some 1-on-1 advice, I offer sessions via Zoom. Cheers. Scott
Nice job. Well made video too. Nice acknowledgment of Tom Johnson as well.
Thank you kindly! Scott 🇨🇦
20:18 I've seen many restorations, but this single cut right here is the absolute finest, most courageous, and most rewarding restoration moments I have ever seen.
I'm glad you liked that technique. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on that. I've posted your comment on the Community section of our channel. Cheers. Scott
@@FixingFurniture Hey Scott! It's always a pleasure to see the high level of quality with which you embody your craft! Thank you for letting me know about sharing this comment. I have learned a tremendous amount from your work, as I am sure many others have, and I just want to say that I am grateful for all you have and continue to give to the vast community of craftspeople!
Many thanks from UK.
Absolutely great teachings.
Excellent work. Like it
I apologize if it has already been said hundreds of times before, but Scott is the Bob Ross of furniture repair IMO
Love your restoration videos, mate. They are very interesting.
Thank you Cathy! Glad you like them. Scott
What a great solution for the broken rocker !
Thank you! Scott
Greetings from Bolingbrook , IL U.S.A Nice job Scott , I also watch Tom Johnson on a regular basis. Your attention to detail is great
I am also a woodworker, and enjoy it immensely! jerry williams
Thanks for watching Jerry! Cheers. Scott 🇨🇦
I’m enjoying your videos. They are instructive and entertaining to a ‘general’ woodworker (in Scotland) who occasionally gets a ‘can you fix this’ request. I would like to see some short (15 minute) videos on specific topics (clamping / splines / colour matching etc.) as well as the ones where we see the repair of a complete piece. Thanks for your efforts.
Excellent content sir, just excellent.
What a wonderful solution for fixing the rocker! I really like what you have done. Very, very nicely done..
Thanks for this video. I watched it right through. Glad to hear how your mind works things out - overnight. My chair restoration, following your example, worked really well. Thank you and regards from Australia. Again.
That’s really great to hear! Congratulations! Scott
Great repair
Just watched that part and now restarting to watch the whole thing again.
Thanks for being a subscriber Brent! I appreciate the support! Scott
Brilliant
Wanderful restoration. I specially appreciate your idea to preserve the signs of time on the rocker instead of giving it a 0 km look
Thanks, I'm glad you appreciate that. Thanks for being a subscriber to our channel! Scott
I learn so much from you. I would not have thought that the rocker could have been saved, what a technique and having the right tools to fix it.I love it and so will the owner.
The owner picked it up this week and he was so happy with it, he sent us a photo of it in his home. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the restoration. Scott
I watch this channel as entertainment and enjoy the process. The solution Scott came to at probably 2am is brilliant, and a true creative. Very nice.
Glad you enjoyed the video and how the challenges were overcome! Scott
Great to see such a historical piece repaired to live on for another hundred years, and beyond.
Thanks for sharing that Rodger! Scott
very good job
I like how you show everything in real time, and for the most part, don't skip over processes by over-using 100x fast-forward!
I love old stuff that had been kept with care and, if necessary, restored with care
Yes, that's a pretty special chair. Cheers. Scott
I've learned a great deal from Tom Johnson over the years and came here through the joint video you did. The repair of the rocker alone started a new learning curve. Thank you!
Good stuff! Thanks for sharing that and thank you for subscribing to our channel. Scott 🇨🇦
very informative
Nice job Mr!
Thanks!
This is what I call good craftsmanship! So inspiring.
Thank you Poul. I appreciate that. Scott
Great video as always, your different solution to the problem of the rocker is what i would call a shower moment as I always have those moments of clarity during my morning shower.
Lol, yeah, it's funny that your brain will solve problems when you're not concentrating on it. Mine seem to come overnight, like my gears are turning in my sleep. Cheers. Scott
That repair of the broken rocker is great. I learned something here.
Thanks for sharing that Gene. Our purpose is to educate viewers so it makes be happy to hear you're leaning something! Scott
I love the way you fixed the rocker with the tablesaw. I was thinking it but I couldn't figure out how to do it, then you did it and answered my question! Love the care you take
Glad I could help! Thanks for sharing that. Scott
Looks great, Scott!
Thanks Philip! I appreciate that. Scott
You are fantastic! I am in the middle of a furniture repair puzzle and your videos are a great source of information! thanks!
Thank you. I'm glad our videos are helping you out. That's the purpose so it makes me happy to hear that from you! Cheers. Scott 🇨🇦
very ncerestoration
You did an amazing job with the repair. Your attention to detail and respect for the piece says everything about your work ethic and respect for others!
Thank you. I appreciate that David. Scott
I'm glad that I discovered your channel, I appreciate your skill & I enjoy watching your videos, thank you!
Glad you like them! Thanks for watching. Scott 🇨🇦
Suggestion for cleaning out screw slots: I collect antique firearms. I have a cheap set of Dental Picks that I use to clean out screw slots that have 100+ years of oils and grime. They work well getting into the bottom edges of a screw slot, and they are far more precise than using a hacksaw blade.
Excellent suggestion. Thank you for sharing that. Scott #tip
Methodical, well shot, and well explained. Thanks!
Glad you liked it John! Scott
Enjoyed the video. You just about motivated me to restore my wife's grandparents old rocker the looks allot like the one you just reglued but ours has a cushioned bottom. It's been in our barn for over 30 years. I really like your portable shaving horse. Thanks for taking the time to produce the video and y'all take care and God bless.
Very nice work, beautiful chair...somewhere between a late Federal and Frank Lloyd-Wright design.
Thank you. Yes it is unique. Cheers. Scott
As I always say to you excellent video! I always learn some new technique watching, and I have been woodworking for about 50 years. I started with my grandfather when I was young. He was a cabinet maker.
Thanks for sharing that Gary. I love to hear that you're learning new things! Scott
Especially cool for me. I lived for 30 years in a 175 year old log cabin quite close to the old Mundell factory.
Oh, yeah, that is cool! Scott
Watching you work and seeing how you thoughtfully solve any problems that arise is a joy. Thank you for your videos and for taking the time to make them and upload them.
Thank you very much! I'm glad you're enjoying our videos. Scott
I've learnt about 6 things watching this! Making a right-angled wooden fence which you then clamp the wood onto before running it through the table saw - that's a neat trick! I'll be making one of them - thanks.
That makes me so happy to hear! I love to hear you're learning from our videos. Your comment made my day today! Thank you! Scott
I just found you today and this is the third video I am watching. I have to say this is just so Wholesome and relaxing.
Thank you so much for all your hard work and for sharing with us.
Glad you're enjoying our videos! Thanks Alice. Scott
@@FixingFurniture 😊
We frequently have broken rockers come into our shop in Missouri and while we've successfully repaired most (including replacing rockers), your solution is far less complicated and perhaps stronger than many of our fixes. I'm eager to try it our next repair. Thank you for sharing this, as well as your other ideas.
Glad you found this helpful Doug. Thanks for sharing that. Scott
@@FixingFurniture Recently at our shop, we had occasion to use a variation of your technique. A customer brought in a very old rocker had been left on a floor register (you remember, the kind that left waffle imprints on the soles of your bare feet if you carelessly stepped on it in the wintertime?). The bottoms of rockers were badly charred, and it looked like we'd have to replace them. But first we removed the rockers and, using a jig on our table saw, made a straight cut to slice off the burned portion of each. New wood was glued, clamped, and shaped, then the rockers were reattached. We were able to save about 75% of the original rockers, much to our customer's amazement. It also took less time than trying fit new ones, and the repair actually made the rockers stronger. Thank you again for sharing this technique.
Süper
The professional repair
Thank you. Scott
I gotta say you did some beautiful work on this restoration. Top Notch!
Thank you very much! Scott
Great job very useful interesting upload thanks for sharing 👌👍❤
Terrific repair on the rocker Scott. Elegant idea, super strong and invisible. Love it.
Thank you kindly. Scott
Love your videos! Thanks for sharing your knowledge/expertise. Awesome restoration.
Thank you very much! Scott
Great video. This was my first one of yours. I am an avid follower of Tom Johnson and came to you via your joint holiday video. I look forward to seeing more and becoming a Patreon sponsor soon.
Thank you for the honesty and quality.
Awesome! Thank you for subscribing! All the best to you in 2021! Scott 🇨🇦
Incredible craftmanship along with a thorough explanation of each action. Highly educational indeed.
I'm glad you enjoyed it Patrick! Thanks for sharing that. Scott 🇨🇦
Very impressive repair to that rail...thanks for sharing the method...!
What I love about your work is, that you are always so precise, like perfect. Your working space are always neat, and tidy. You don't let things go to waste, and you don't give up, until the chair is fixed. Thanks for your tutorials.
Thank you so much! Scott
This chair is very nice and you did attest job repairing it. (In my humble opinion.)I just have been wondering if the rockers are kind of skinny for the hefty chair or is that normal. Thank you for your videos.
I enjoyed this repair , interesting results fixing it . 👌
Glad you enjoyed it! Cheers. Scott
This is the video I have been searching for. I have three of these type of rockers to fix! Family heirlooms of course. The one that worries me is the one that has a broken (and very thin) spindle. Like yours here it is between two stretchers. I believe means I will have to take that rocker apart, separate it from the stretchers, replace with a new spindle and put it back together. Until today I wasn't sure if that was the best way. But now I think it is. Thanks!
Yes, you will need to take the rocker apart. There are 2 ways to make replacement spindles, depending on the diameter. You can use a spokeshave or a lathe. Here are videos on making replacement parts for each method:
Spokeshave route - ua-cam.com/video/92deV01eWFU/v-deo.html
Lathe route - ua-cam.com/video/iSoxUoyJDm0/v-deo.html
Brilliant work.
A few thoughts...
1. You may want to start using a scribe for precise work. On the ship, I would use them to chase threads that got painted. If you use a decent one, it's sturdy enough to put some oompf behind, but still sharp enough to get where you need them. Might be a good alternative for cleaning out slots in the heads of screws - push it in the middle to break the paint, then from the sides to clear out the waste. Also helps for pushing around small bits like that splinter you glued back down.
2. Best way I've found to remove broken screws is to grab a dremmel and carve a cross in the top, then use a screwdriver to back it out.
What a pleasure to watch and learn from your videos! Hope you keep making these. They are very helpful. Thanks for sharing your talents.
Thank you. Absolute genius what you did to the rocker and how you determined the angle for the dowel. God bless you, i have learnt a lot today. I can say this is probably one of the most intricate works you have shared, absolutely thrilled. Great work as always
Glad to hear you enjoyed it. Thanks. Scott
Hi again Scott, well just watched this video for the second time. and once again came away content that I learned something new.! and again I applaud the fact that you gave Tom credit for his Tip. its nice to see craftsmen sharing tips amongst themselves. that shows respect from both of you and I think that's admirable. thanks again for your video and for sharing.
Amen for slotted screws.
What an ingenious idea for strengthening the rocker and what a creative jig you made for cutting that dado. I loved it. I also loved watching you use the tape to mark and drill the hole for the dowel pin that you inserted into the leg assembly.
I think that this is one of your best videos. Thanks for posting it.
Thank you very much! I'm glad you enjoyed it. Scott
@FixingFurniture thanks for the lesson and the history. As part of my self taught education I'm researching old tools, furniture and the makers. Do you have any videos on researching and resources? What books and websites would you recommend please?
Not sure if you knew this but there is a tool for removing broken screws. I believe it's called a reverse out.
Great job. Your craftsmanship and patience in detail is amazing.
Thank you very much! Scott
Excellent repair on the rocker, thanks for sharing !
Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed it. Scott
Another JOb well done Scott, I love the fact you try to keep the existing finish at its existing place n time. And not tryo to "do it over". also love the repair to the rocker far superior to just a dowel , or just a flat "dutchman" type fix. And that you gave Tom some credit for what he passed along to you on the thickener/epoxy tip. Still waiting for another "Tom/Scott dual video that other one was great!. Thanks for taking the time to do the video and best of all for sharing. Ellis
Thank you Ellis! Scott
Beautiful restoration 👏👏👏
1. Didn't you think of reinforcing the other rocker so that it will not break?
2. Did you do anything to kind of revive the old finish?
🙏👍
1. No, I left it in the original state.
2. Nothing more than a wipe with a clean rag to preserve the character in the finish. The sentimental value was important for the owner so the wear has meaning to them
Great video , Thank's for the share Stay Safe !!!.
Thanks, you too!
I love the care and respect you give to these pieces that mean something to your customers. I'm giving a sub for that alone. I'm about to tackle a well-loved and very old dining set I fell in love with in hopes to give it life again. Thank you for what you do!
Thanks for the sub! Good luck with your project. Cheers. Scott
Greeting from 🇩🇿 Algeria
I like your craftsmanship and attention to details,hope you're thinking about a way to transfer all that skills good job.
From Algeria! Cool! Thanks for your encouraging comments. Scott 🇨🇦
Amazing and dedicated work. Such a great outcome.
Thank you so much! Scott
@21:55 there's a good second life for plastic blister packaging!
Great job, both with the restoration and video production. Even though you were maintaining the original finish I was surprised that you did clean the chair.
Thanks. I left the finish untouched as I didn't want to risk damaging the crackled texture as shown in the close ups. I took the conservative route on how much I worked on this antique to preserve the character. Scott
I am so excited by this video! (I've actually built new runners for these problems but you have given me a new approach which suits the situation so much better)
Thank u!
Happy to help! Cheers. Scott
Brilliant repair of that heirloom, Scott. I wonder if it might be a proactive idea to replace the screw in the other rocker with a dowel to prevent a similar fracture?
you should have kept the some ridges at bottom of the restored curved piece like how it is on the other one. that way the recovered piece won't slide or slip while the other one has some grip on ground.
Outstanding repair. Great tip on aligning the new rocker dowel. I would have used a drill press for the hole in the rocker. I thought you would have modified the other rocker as insurance against future failure. While you didn't alter the original finish, did you clean the old dirt off? That would have been acceptable?
I didn't alter the existing rocker as in my mind, it was a 30% chance it might break and my preference is to do as little alteration to an antique as possible. The finish was very old so I avoided cleaning it as the cleaners may have damaged some of the uniqueness of the crackled finish as shown in the close ups. Again, this was a judgement call, but one I made conservatively to preserve the rocking chair. Cheers. Scott
Another way of removing a broken screw that you might want to keep in mind is to use a edge file or rotary cutter to make a slot in the metal, then use a screw driver to get it screw out. This can be a harder method if the screw is small...
Nice repair. You might find that your drawknife is more effective if you you skew it and slice rather than just planing perpendicular to the grain. I like your space-saving shavehorse.
It is telling that this chair which is joined with mortise and tenons is relatively strong even after one-hundred years. In contrast, many of the chairs brought to you for repair are built with doweled joints and are already loose sometimes after just a couple of years.
In general, dowels in joints originally were intended to locate pieces relative to one another, not to provide the joint's primary structural integrity. For example, a large table top made from several long boards joined together might have been doweled to insure the boards lined-up; once glued, the long-grain-to-long-grain joint between the boards provided the strength, not the dowels. A doweled joint perpendicular to the grain is essentially long-grain-to-end-grain: the dowel is long-grain; the inside of the mating hole is essentially all end-grain. In contrast, the flat sides of a tenon have broad areas of end-grain that mate to similarly sized long-grain in the mortise, and the resulting glue joint is exceptionally strong. Structurally, the mortise and tenon is significantly stronger and can more effectively resist the stresses a chair undergoes. Of course, drilling a couple of holes and gluing in dowels is much quicker and cheaper in mass production which is why it is so prevalent these days.
It's disheartening to see so much cheaply made furniture from the Far East these days. What's more annoying is that people who buy such furniture expect it to hold up over time just because it resembles a quality piece built by a highly-skilled craftsman. And then they may be indignant when their junky piece of furniture fails again after a repair blaming the repairperson for shoddy work rather than recognizing the inferior quality of the piece is the source of the problem.
To quote John Ruskin, It's unwise to pay too much, but it's worse to pay too little. When you pay too much, you lose a little money - that's all. When you pay too little, you sometimes lose everything, because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the thing it was bought to do. The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot - it can't be done. If you deal with the lowest bidder, it is well to add something for the risk you run, and if you do that you will have enough to pay for something better.”
Thanks for sharing your insights and tips Richard. I appreciate you sharing your knowledge with our furniture repair community. Scott #Tip
Great job and attention to detail. Question: my rocking chair has one split runner, but the split is perpendicular through the runner (through the engrain at the screw hole), but along the grain. The length of the split is about 8 inches. Do you think that gluing the 2 pieces and inserting a screw through the runner at an angle (to provide maximum penetration on both sides of the split) would work? I do not have the skills of tools to try your ingenious solution. The alternative seems to me to be to buy new runners.
Fantastic video!! Loved the detail that you provided. I have a similar Stanley ratchet screw driver, that just the other day I was using on a chair repair..it will certainly remove a lot of skin if you’re not careful with it. I actually cringed when you used it to drive the screw. Great job!
Thanks for the warning. My Yankee screwdriver has a free-spinning hand hold at the front that allows me to hold the screwdriver steady while pushing on it. Maybe that's different than yours? Scott
@@FixingFurniture Mine does also. When I was a kid I just couldn’t hold it properly. Today so far it is not a problem
Excellent rocker solution, awesome repair. In retrospect, do you think you could have cut the rocker insert closer to size and skipped the draw knife? Or, if there is more of a pronounced round over to the rocker profile than appeared on video, it still seems perhaps the spokeshave alone would still be sufficient and offer more control?
Hi Tom. Good question. For me, it's about efficient use of time. I could try to trim the inserted piece in the rocker closer using a bandsaw, but I would still have to work down the curved profile by hand. It's just as easy for me to use the draw knife to rough out the shape since I have my shave horse setup. And yes, I could have worked it down just with a spokeshave, but it would have taken a lot of time to remove material. As with many woodworking projects, there are different ways you can approach the work. I hope that helps. Scott
Hi, could you tell me what the adherence difference is between hide glue and pva glue please? Also what is your opinion on using fluted dowels compared to flat dowels? I do like how you bounce ideas off Thomas and yourself, especially in this case where he uses a router and jigs where as you utilise the table saw. It's nice seeing options. Love your work and explanations. 👍🏻🇦🇺😁
Could you share more details why you had trouble with custom woodworking? Did you have the common issue of customers not realizing the cost involved?
After you used the plug cutter around the broken screw, have you ever not been able to get it out?
slotting it with a Dremel to receive a flathead was how I thought you were going to do it
When you showed the break on the rocker (13:32), did you notice how the grain was oriented (the rays were horizontal). That probably helped contribute to the reason the wood failed at the screw point. If it had been oriented 90 degrees (like you would when making an axe handle), it might have been less likely to snap, even though the chair maker compromised 50% of rocker's integrity by drilling it to accommodate the screw head.
You can get hollow ground flat bit screwdrivers, or just individual bits, at a gunsmith supply house that will apply force to the bottom of the screw slot instead of at the top of the screw. This type of screwdriver will save the heads of old screws.
Thank you for that tip! I will try that out. Scott
@@FixingFurniture I was thinking a wider bit would give more gripping power to the screw. I will have to try the heating method. I have also used screw extractors with success. Well done!
I couldn’t tell from the video, but I’m assuming you glued the broken rocker together then plowed the dado. Pretty clever solution. Did you “fix” the unbroken rocker the same way?
I’m going to use that technique, by the way. We had a vintage rocker when I was a kid that broke the same way. The guy who repaired it just made a new one that didn’t match and never looked right.
Yes, I glued the broken rocker together first to hold the parts together. I didn't alter the other rocker as I suspect it will remain intact for the next century. Cheers. Scott