Share
Hi, just wanting to get some advice on how I would fix my outdoor wooden arm rest. Any advice would be appreciated 😊
Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @Abigailc11. It's sensational to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about repairing wooden armrests.
There are a couple of ways you could go about the repair. Firstly, you could cut some new armrests from a section of timber. You can use the existing armrests as a template. This is likely going to be the best solution. Alternatively, you could trim off the damaged section and graft on a new tip you've cut from timber using dowels and PVA glue. I've added a rendering below to illustrate.
The second solution, if you are happy to paint the armrest, would be using Builder's Bog to form up the end. If you haven't used bog to form up an area before, there could be some trial and error. The basic idea is to apply the bog slightly proud of where it's needed and then sand it back down into the required shape. You'll start with a large glob of bog on the end of the armrest and once it's dry, follow the armrest lines to re-create the missing section. Once you're happy with the shape, you can prime and after it's dry, paint the armrest.
Please let me know if either of those options sounds like they'd work and if you have any questions.
Mitchell
Thank you for this advice. I have the same project on the go!
If I was to cut some new arm rests, what timber would you recommend? And how could I create the bend in the timber?
Hello @Simon7,
My sincere apologies for the delay in responding to you. It's been an unusually busy time on the site and our resident Bunnings D.I.Y. expert @EricL will be happy to assist as soon as he can.
In the meantime, let me call upon our ever-helpful members @Jewelleryrescue, @Dave-1, @DIYGnome and @Nham for their insights. You might also want to check out our Best Advice article What timber should I use for outdoor furniture? while waiting.
Many thanks for your patience in the meantime and apologies once again.
Akanksha
Hello @Simon7
My apologies for the late reply. The process of bending wood involves two main steps: initially, softening the wood, and subsequently, shaping it. Effective agents for softening wood include steam or very hot to boiling water. Another method involves creating multiple cuts on the back of the wood using a saw, known as kerf-cutting, to achieve the desired flexibility.
However, bending wood is a bit involved as it will require a frame to hold the wood into the shape that you want it to take. It will also take a fair amount of time before it bends to the proper shape. A possible alternative is to shape a piece of timber both horizontally and vertically using a sanding belt. It will take a bit of carving guesswork, but you should be able to use the intact arm rest as a guide.
Another way to cheat on this is to cut a channel in the bottom of the arm rest so that the steel guide sits inside timber arm rest thereby hiding it. The timber pieces I would suggest using is either pine or plywood.
Allow me to call on our experienced members @TedBear and @JoeAzza for their recommendations.
If you need further assistance, please let me know.
Eric
