My new chair repair record...

Even though the state of Nevada is slowly coming back to life, I think that some people are still cooped up in their homes, and working on projects around the house. Yesterday was a record for me, four people brought chairs to the shop for me to repair.

I used to dread these repairs, but honestly, after you've done a few, they're quite easy.  

This one had a broken side stretcher, 

and it was a little tricky because of its odd size.  It was basically a dowel, but an weird size - 7/8" in diameter. Of course, I had smaller ones at the shop. And bigger ones. But not that exact size. 

I didn't feel like pulling out the lathe and turning a new one. So the next best thing was to make a quick one - by cutting a strip of wood 7/8" square, 

and then running over the corners with a router bit. 

I used a bit that wasn't exactly the right size, but in a pinch, I made it work. I rounded the corners over, and them shaped the ends to fit into the holes on the chair, where the broken piece fits. 

Of course, they used a pocket hole on the stretcher (anyone who know me will know how I feel about those!) so I had to drill one on each end. A little sanding and the new stretcher was ready for finishing. 

There's nothing like using Mohawk spray Toners to match a finish.  I tested these - one was too golden, and the other was too red. 

But the perfect match was this... 

Dark Walnut. Perfect. 

I love it when the right color pops out immediately, instead of having to blend colors together. I taped off the ends, so they would remain clean for gluing, 

and made a small "rotisserie" out of cardboard, for spraying the part. 

Honestly, this piece was a super quick fix - from old to new in 45 minutes. You could barely tell the broken part from the new one. Another happy customer in the books!  

Other small repairs are piling up - a bunk bed ladder to re-size, a few new drawers to make, and a rocking chair repair. As much as these small jobs can be tedious, they actually make me a much better woodworker, teaching me about matching finishes, re-engineering poorly designed pieces, and more. 

One thing is for sure - people want these repairs done quickly and for a fair price. 

What's your latest home project?  Working on anything fun?