Wood filler

[Rodney James]

I'm restoring old antique timber chairs that have been upholstered a number of times and i have removed all the tacks and staples.

The chairs have been upholstered that many times that their is not much timber to staple and tack back into, some areas can be stapled and tack in other places.

What type of filler should i use in the timber?, that can be stapled and tacked back into.

It will be covered by fabric so any timber that is filled won't be showing.

Thanks in advance.

[Master Splinter]

If it's that riddled with holes, I think your best path would be to route out the offending bits and glue in a new piece of timber to provide a sound nailing surface - I'd be surprised if you could get a decent nailable surface with any of the fillers available - they'll either be too soft and crumbly or too hard and brittle, I think.

The only thing that would come vaguely close would be PVA mixed with sawdust, but I think it might still be to soft to hold nails well.

[RedShirtGuy]

I'm far from educated in this matter but think Splnter's idea is probably very sound, particularly if as you say it won't be visible. A good hardwood inlay strip would give a deep, fresh surface that allows the chairs be reupholstered for many more years to come...at the cost of removing some of the original material which, depending on the antiquity value of the chairs, may not be something you really want to do.

Optionally, a thickish edging glued/nailed/screwed over the original nailing edge might let you get away without having to cut out or repair anything but a minimal amount the original material...just enough to get the new edge on securely.

On the topic of fillers though...I wonder how something along the line of a slow curing builder's bog, possibly mixed with sawdust, would go being injected into the holes. You could always experiment with different fillers and mixes by filling a scrap piece of timber with similarly sized nail and staple holes, filling them, and then trying your nails and staples out on the the filled area after the filler has had ample time to harden and bond with the timber. Try pulling the new nails and staples out too...was it too easy? did the filler crumble and fall out?

[Thumbthumper]

I agree with what everyone has said ....

The best result would be achieved by gluing in a new section of timber.

I was faced with this when recently restoring a cedar chair

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I was very close to having to saw off the top section of the rail and gluing in a new piece. I ended up using longer cut tacks successfully. I did however have to reposition some when nailing.
I would imagine that it would have been almost impossible if I was trying to staple into it.

[AnselmFraser]

We teach our students to use the following method to fill the nail holes,caused by lots of upholstery-strips of calico are dipped in watered down pva.Full strength pva then pasted over surface to be treated and the material is then stretched over surface.Leave to dry overnight.