How To Make Simple Furniture Repairs

When I stumbled across this little drop leaf side table I was immediately drawn to it. The price was $35 and when I showed interest the dealer immediately told me that he could do better on the price. I asked how much better. His reply was $20 and I agreed to buy it.  You wouldn’t believe how many $20 jewels I have rescued! One day I will do a post on them.

I thought that I would be painting this table and selling it but my plans changed. I decided not to paint it and I decided to keep it for a while. It did need a few simple repairs. 

Dovetail joints on the drawers are a sign of good quality workmanship.

Flathead screws tell me that this piece is older rather than a newly made piece which would have phillips screws.

The crusty brass casters also indicate that the table is old.

The brass feet and casters cleaned up well with Bar Keeper’s Friend and Wenol metal polish.

There were several loose joints that needed attention.

I used wood glue and a clamp to repair the loose rail under the drawer.

Be sure to wipe of any excess glue after putting on the clamp.

I also put glue in each of the four corner joints. I used wood glue rather than Gorilla glue because Gorilla glue tends to expand as it dries which sometimes causes items to separate rather than come together.

I then used a ratcheting band clamp around all of the corners and wiped off the excess glue.

This clamp was purchased from Harbor Freight Tools. I also use it to tighten the joints on chairs. It is a very useful tool to have. I usually allow the glue to dry for 24 hours before removing any clamps.

It turned out to be a nice little side table for books and a drink and it fits well in a rather small spot.

I am up to my eyeballs in projects now!

Here is a sneak peak!

Check back soon to see if I have made any progress!

I’ll be linking to Inspire Me Tuesday at A Stroll thru Life and to The Scoop at Worthing Court and to Wow us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style.