Ercol chair repair

[Glitch]

My wife has a thing about occasional chairs. She bought a pair of 1980's Ercol chairs. One has some dreadful repairs. The owner refused to split the pair and it was a good price (according to the wife).

What can be done with this?
Spindle has split and got a bolt through it.
Another bolt holding the arm to the back.

 

[Sebb]

Maybe get some dowels in there to hold it together?

 

[Amplidyne]

Grief! What have they been doing with it!
Take the "repairs" (I use the term loosely, which is what the repairs will soon become anyway) apart carefully. Clean any glue they're bodged in there off, and get the parts to match back together again as far as possible. Make new parts, or parts of parts where necessary. Fill the drilled holes with solid wood plugged at the ends. I think Ercol uses beech IIRC. Then glue it all back. No screws. Coloured wax there needed, and a mix of painted finish, possibly a bit of wood dye to match and so on. As already said, dowels can be useful to hold it together. Patience is the main thing. I restored a friend's antique mahogany chair like this. They had already paid a "restorer" to do it. Screws and filler again. The chair had collapsed after a little light use.

 

[Cabinetman]

I found with my Ercol chairs like those that the easy way to finish repairs to match the original colour was to use a button shellac polish, almost indistinguishable from the original.
And no those weren’t my repairs lol!
Ian

 

[Glitch]

Thanks all.

Yes the 'repairs' are shocking. Didn't even bother to realign the split properly.
Wife is going to get a price for repairs via an upholsterer she uses.

No further harm can be done if I take it apart and clean it up to get a better idea of how to fix it.

From what I've read I'm also pretty sure it's beech.

Best to leave the broken spindle end in the arm unless it needs completely replacing.
I guess it's hard to find a replacement spindle? Not like popping down the breakers to get spares for the car.

As much as I like to justify the need to buy new tools (to gather dust in the shed) I don't see me getting into wood turning any time soon.

 

[deema]

They burn very nicelyand in the cold weather could help reduce your heating costs?

 

[TomGW]

As Amplidyne has advised, "Make new parts, or parts of parts where necessary". I think that would be my approach too.
From the photos I'm thinking that the 'spindle' is actually the arm post and the top of it is broken, possibly still in the socket?? The rear of the arm also seems to have a missing bit. You could try splicing new beech into these and reshaping before re-assembling but I would be seeing this as a challenge to make both parts afresh.

 

[Glitch]

As Amplidyne has advised, "Make new parts, or parts of parts where necessary". I think that would be my approach too.
From the photos I'm thinking that the 'spindle' is actually the arm post and the top of it is broken, possibly still in the socket?? The rear of the arm also seems to have a missing bit. You could try splicing new beech into these and reshaping before re-assembling but I would be seeing this as a challenge to make both parts afresh.

Yes it is the arm post.

With the boss's permission I will take the bolts out and separate the glued parts and clean them up to get a better idea of the options. Options which will be limited by my woodworking skills.
I will then be seeking more advice and post some better photos.

 

[Glitch]

They burn very nicelyand in the cold weather could help reduce your heating costs?

It might come to that although Sadiq Khan might have me deported for pollutin' the ciddy.

 

[Jacob]

It might come to that although Sadiq Khan might have me deported for pollutin' the ciddy.

It's a different problem in towns. Clean air zones become essential, so carry on Sadiq!
Maybe wood-burners could be designed to burn cleaner?

 

[Jacob]

As Amplidyne has advised, "Make new parts, or parts of parts where necessary". I think that would be my approach too.

I agree.
But if beyond your abilities, do some proper bodge repairs - screw on angle irons, repair plates etc, don't mess about!