Featured Mid Century Sofa Questions

Howdy Folks! I’ve been absent for some time…family health stuff and moving.
I recently got this from a family member. The only marking of note is a “made in Norway” stamp on the underside. It’s had a tough life no doubt, mainly the splitting where the back braces are screwed into the base. It looks like someone attempted to glue it up already.
I’m curious if this a trickier fix than appears on the surface, and if so is it worth fixing in its current state?

Thanks so much!

 

Lovely sofa, I love MCM.
Very unfortunate that the break is in a crucial area. I know nothing about furniture repair, however. Sorry I can't offer any help!

 

Model 70/5 sofa designed by Tove and Edvard Kindt-Larsen and produced by Gustav Bahus. Here's a shot from one of their catalogs from the 1950's or 60's showing this sofa on the cover. If you're not familiar with furniture repair or woodworking in general, I would definitely have a professional look at doing a better repair. Even if you can't bring it back to 100%, structurally, it's worth saving.

 

OUCH!!! That certainly NEEDS a BETTER FIX that we're looking at!!! Absolutely have a professional at least LOOK at it....then it would be up to you if you think the cost is worth it.....if your initial investment was "zip" it just might be worth it....it's a nice looking piece!!!

 

In my market (S Ontario) anything in teak sells for several hundred dollars so well worth repairing. Modern glues are stronger than the the wood but the problem with teak is it has a lot of oil in it so getting glue to stick can be difficult.
It looks like it would be possible to add an additional piece of wood (or even steel angle) along the back to stabilize and strengthen it.
When I look at the way the back is attached, I'm surprised it didn't break the 1st time somebody leaned back - it certainly wasn't designed by anybody with any engineering skills.

 

I love it, hope you can repair it and make it better.

 

Certainly worth fixing. The previous glue job may make this a more difficult fix than it would be otherwise. You should completely remove the back and metal brackets. Remove all the old glue if possible before regluing. Get a tight fit and be sure to use clamps.

 

That sounds like solid advise, thank you!
The worst crack is at the center joint but it’s also beginning to crack on the outer two joints as well. I think because of this I may seek experienced/professional help..at least get an estimate and go from there. It’s a pretty sharp little sofa, the arms pull straight up and out for daytime napping….I’m a big fan of naps these days!
Thank you to all for the comments/advise/support!!

 

A friend of mine is a professional contractor dealing in very complicated high priced structural jobs. He recommended Gorilla glue as his new go to glue. He says it holds better than other wood glues , is sandable and stainable. I have to take his word for it.

 

However, it expands so you end up with it bursting out of the joint. Try it on a test piece and see if you can deal with it

 

On another forum that discusses a lot of teak furniture repairs, the resident expert always recommends hide glue over the common wood glues you find at the local home improvement stores.

 

Gg also expands Times 3, so a little goes a LONG way!!!!

 

Hide glue is used by restorers/conservators because it is reversible by using liquid and heat, even after hundreds of years.

 

Indeed, it's been around for hundreds of years and is still being used today, there's a reason for that.
UPDATE: Make that thousands of years.
"Hide glue was being used by the Egyptians as a furniture glue as far back as 2000 BC"
On OP sofa, that is a structural break on the frame, if it was mine I'd get a professional opinion, it cost nothing to ask.