Swel-Lock 2fl oz

I've been a wood worker and had an informal, part-time business repairing furniture, for 35+ years. A common problem I deal with is loose rungs and spindles on old chairs, and I often have to re-repair chairs which owners have tried to fix with liberal amounts of glue. Glue is NOT the best way to fix this problem. Yes, applied correctly, glue can be useful - but the key phrase here is "applied correctly." That means choosing the right glue for the right job, and knowing when something else is needed. For many years, I relied on Chair-Loc as my go-to fix , but that product has become a unicorn in recent months. I purchased a bottle of Swel-Lock because glue was not the answer to my customer's problem, and I needed *something* like Chair-Loc. Swel-Lock proved to be similar enough that I've continued to use it on other projects. It's ultimately not quite as effective as Chair-Loc, but it's dang close, and I recommend trying it before using glue or anything else for repairing loose fitting joints.

Works great

I have a collection of antique and "classic" hammers, hatchets, and other tools. I have used this before and bought a new bottle when I couldn't find the old bottle. This works by soaking into the wood end and causing it to expand in the tool socket.Here is how I fix a hammer or hatchet that's loose in the socket. First make sure no paint, oil, or shellac is on the bare wood part of the handle that sticks into and through the tool such as a hammer head. A little sandpaper can be helpful. If the wood doesn't absorb the liquid it won't work. Next I put the tool in a clamp or vice so that the tool is standing straight up. Then I apply a liberal amount of the stuff to the end of the wood. Don't be afraid to let it puddle on top of the handle - That's why you fix the handle upright. Let the tool sit for a couple of days. It should have absorbed all the stuff into the wood by then and be tight in the socket, Occasaionally with really, really old dry wood - It may take a second application and a second time to work. I've yet to have a problem after a second time if it was needed.The good thing is that this works by causing the wood to swell and it contains additives that causes the pores in the wood to stay swelled even in dry weather. This means that you don't ruin the appearance of an antique hammer by using glue or an additional wedge or something like that. This works for cases where the wood has shrunk over time to restore the tool to working order.On the other hand if the loose handle is caused by wear or damage that has removed some of the wood in the handle socket area you are probably going to have to add a wedge to the handle top, epoxy the handle in, or replace the handle. The latter two are not good cosmetic fixes if you are dealing with an antique tool and want to keep the character of the original handle. But you can generally avoid the wear or damage from a loose handle by using the swell-lock the first time you notice the tool is a bit loose before the damage becomes worse.

I have a rocking chair ( all wood) that my father brought me back in the 70s. It was really loosened at the bottom . Every-time you rocked back it wood slide out enough that when you rocked forward there was a loud thud. Without Swell Lock, we would have had to remove the whole curved rocker piece. We put the swell lock into the joint and put a come-a-long to tighten it. It was better after it dried, but still a little loose. So we applied it again. And now no more thudding. It's not a glue. It's runny like water. So no ugly glue to show. Something that did as exactly as what it was suppose to do ! I'm very pleased.

Swel-Lock is a great product whcih is why i ordered it. Unfortunately Amazon sent me 2" O rings instead of the product and has not made it right ...so far. Still waiting for them to contact me regarding their mistake. looks like that charge gets disputed until they fix it.

This stuff is seriously amazing! It has the consistency of a light carrier oil or just slightly less viscous than water. I definitely recommend spending the extra $5-$10 and getting a set of syringe applicators. I had a set of 4 wobbly chairs that needed to be mended and didn't want to disassemble them completely. I separated sockets where I could and filled the holes as directed. I also just used the syringe to go around the joints of the loose legs and back that wouldn't easily come all the way apart. I filled the gaps and let it sit overnight. Some of the joints needed several applications but in a matter of 72 hours I was able to completely tighten all 4 chairs! No more wiggles and wobbles! A+

Picked up a chair with every spindle and rung loose. A quick internet search came up with Swel-Lock. I read some of the reviews, so when the product arrived, I went to work! I pulled out the rungs as much as I could and removed any glue. I then applied the product liberally and moved the spindles back and forth so the product ran into the joint. I then clamped the spindles down. The next morning they were all very snug. I then took the chair and placed it upside down to repeat the process on the bottom rungs. It is important that you are able to let the product seep into the joint. The chair is very sturdy now and I am very pleased!

This stuff is good and useful, but it won't perform miracles. I live where the air is very dry, so my beloved old hammers are always a little loose. I treated several of these old hammers with Swel-Lock and improved the handle fits. It does take time to work! There is an initial swelling that occurs over a few hours and then it keeps on going for a few weeks in a small way. I did try it in combination with a water soak on one really loose hammer and that seemed to work better than either the Swel-Lock or water alone. YMMV.