How To Do A Simple Repair

I have a junkin' buddy who's carpenter husband said this little trug on legs couldn't be fixed.  Really?!#*@?  I'm on to you, mister.  You think if you tell her that she'll just bring her junk to me and you won't have to deal with it....well, you'd be right!

Are you a woman who likes to go junkin' but aren't necessarily handy with tools?   That can be a problem when you find something that needs just a little repair but your husband isn't into junkin' and doesn't really want to participate in your hobby.  If you're that woman....this post is for you.




This is the perfect piece for a lesson on the right way vs. the wrong way to fix something.  You can see from this closeup, there are a couple of holes where it looks like old nails used to be.  Then, if you look closely, you'll see lots and lots of tiny holes.  Those tiny holes are created by a pneumatic finish nailer.  Now, I have nothing against them; I happen to have one and love it.  It's the perfect tool to apply decorative trims or anything that isn't structural.  However, it is not the right tool for this job.  Shooting a bunch of finish nails into a piece that needs to be structural is not going to make it stronger.  And it's not very attractive.




From the closeup of the detached leg, you can see that the glue was squirted on and not spread all over the piece because it dried with the squirt pattern.  As bad as this looks, it's taking me longer to write this post than it did to fix the leg.










I have a lot of "favorite" tools but my nippers are close to the top.  As a junker, I'm constantly taking things apart so they come in handy on almost every project.  They are perfect for pulling finish nails.  Once all the nails are out, I need to get rid of the glue so that I will have a flat surface that will give me a good structural base for new glue.


A quick sand with a palm sander and a medium grit paper takes the old glue off in about ten seconds.


So, I got a little carried away with the sander and sanded off the stain at the end of the leg that will show.  Can't have that; so I found some red mahogany stain that's close enough for this project.  


Next, apply a little wood glue to the inside of the leg and spread it evenly (I use my finger).

 A small clamp works great at this point.  I can clamp the leg in place while I drill the holes and screw the leg down.  I personally think clamps make so many jobs much easier.  I don't know what I ever did without them.  They are right up there on my "favorites list".  If you don't have them or want to purchase any, it's probably a good idea to pre drill your holes before applying the glue.






I decided to use the holes that were already there from the old nails but wanted to make sure I predrilled for the screws I would be using.  I save old rusty screws that are still usable for just this type of project (big surprise).

Oops, one step forward, two steps back.  I decided I didn't like the first screw I used...besides I didn't have enough of them.  The hole I had made with the new screw was larger than the screws I would end up using.

Tip:  When you need to make a large hole smaller,  depending on the size difference, use a toothpick, bamboo skewer, or golf tee, and shove the pointy end into your hole.  For mine I used a bamboo skewer.  Insert the skewer and just break it off.  Then drill the correct size hole for the smaller screw.








I decided to go ahead and add screws to all the legs; otherwise, there's a good chance I'd be seeing this fix-it project again.





And there you have it...a cute little trug ready for garden duty.

So, next time you have a little repair; don't be afraid to tackle it yourself.  Just pull up this blog post and walk yourself right through it....or find a friend like me :)