Rocking Chair

[Bobby Thompson]

My daughter had my mom's old rocking chair in storage. They recently cleaned out their storage locker and she asked if I could repair it. Every joint was loose and mom had nailed everything together. I have finally got all the nails out and I am stripping all the old paint off. She had redone the string using hay string which was rotten. I will have to glue every joint.  I can remember her sitting in that old chair with a cloth on her legs and a basket full of purple hull peas sitting by her side. She used it so much that the rockers have a flat spot where she was rocking. Lots of good memories. But we weren't allowed in mom's rocker. I am looking for advice on what glue to use. I am not quite sure what wood it is, but it is a soft wood.

[AHill]

How old is the rocker? If the glue used was hide glue, some heat applied to disassemble, and new hide glue to reassemble can do the trick. Lee Valley sells Chair Doctor Glue. It expands when it cures, making old loose joints tighter. Given you much use your mom had with the chair, simply putting normal glue back in the joint may not ensure a tight joint. You may consider adding some wedges or wood shavings inside the joints to add stability.

[Willyou]

How old is the rocker?  If the glue used was hide glue, some heat applied to disassemble, and new hide glue to reassemble can do the trick.  Lee Valley sells Chair Doctor Glue.  It expands when it cures, making old loose joints tighter.  Given you much use your mom had with the chair, simply putting normal glue back in the joint may not ensure a tight joint.  You may consider adding some wedges or wood shavings inside the joints to add stability.

Agree. If the rocker is old enough to have been assembled with hide glue, you may want to maintain it's originality by using hide glue to repair it. However, if you have joints that are so loose that they won't stay put by friction, then you may need to do as AHill says using wedges or use thin shavings to fill the gaps.
You can also use epoxy to re-glue. However, even epoxy won't work well if the joint is real loose. In that case, you can add filler to the epoxy glue to thicken it. Fine hardwood sanding dust works well for this. Mix in enough to make it about the thickness of peanut butter.

[Bobby Thompson]

How old is the rocker?  If the glue used was hide glue, some heat applied to disassemble, and new hide glue to reassemble can do the trick.  Lee Valley sells Chair Doctor Glue.  It expands when it cures, making old loose joints tighter.  Given you much use your mom had with the chair, simply putting normal glue back in the joint may not ensure a tight joint.  You may consider adding some wedges or wood shavings inside the joints to add stability.

All the joints were free. All that was holding them together was my moms nails. I already have it apart. Thanks, I will try the wedges.

[Bobby Thompson]

Agree. If the rocker is old enough to have been assembled with hide glue, you may want to maintain it's originality by using hide glue to repair it. However, if you have joints that are so loose that they won't stay put by friction, then you may need to do as AHill says using wedges or use thin shavings to fill the gaps.
You can also use epoxy to re-glue. However, even epoxy won't work well if the joint is real loose. In that case, you can add filler to the epoxy glue to thicken it. Fine hardwood sanding dust works well for this. Mix in enough to make it about the thickness of peanut butter.

Thanks, I have some epoxy so I will try that. It is 60-70 years old.