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One of my sofa's metal legs now has a loose screw such that I can't screw it in properly to the sofa. Possibly broken as a result of moving. Is there any way to fix it or at least a band-aid solution that will fix it until I can get a new one?

Here is a gif demonstrating the problem. The screw is supposed to stay still so that it can screw into the sofa. I cannot remove the screw from the leg, although I don't know if that would be helpful. That cap is also welded on to the leg. Unfortunately if I try to screw it in like normal it doesn't catch on the threads. I've tried to use a small crescent wrench to screw it in while holding the leg, but it hasn't worked so far. There should be a nut to hold the screw in place, maybe it fell out because I don't hear it bouncing around in the leg. Not sure what I would do with it if I found it though.

I don't have access to a lot of tools or materials right now, so hopefully there is a simple fix. Unfortunately I also got rid of the extra legs the sofa came with, which in retrospect was a dumb move.

Thanks!

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    I would pull the screw up and try some epoxy to get it to hold in place , not a lot , once the screw gets tight it might hold as you tighten beyond the strength of the epoxy. Adding a lock washer under the head or star washer may also help it to bite in and tighten.
    – Ed Beal
    Commented Apr 2, 2020 at 3:24
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    Can you shim it somehow?
    – Michael Karas ♦
    Commented Apr 2, 2020 at 4:46
  • does the other end of the leg open?
    – Jasen
    Commented Apr 2, 2020 at 8:33
  • The bottom has the plastic foot which does screw off but even so it only reveals a small opening big enough for that end to screw in.
    – shim
    Commented Apr 2, 2020 at 16:35
  • @MichaelKaras 🤣
    – shim
    Commented Apr 2, 2020 at 16:35

2 Answers 2

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Perhaps the screw was welded to the cap on the inside, and that weld broke.

A quick-and-dirty fix: put a thin nut on the screw, and tighten it while holding the end of the screw so that the threads are not damaged (e.g. with a rubber band around it held with pliers). Place a large washer, the same thickness as the nut, around the nut, to bear the weight of the table more evenly, preventing wobble.

Of course, the nut (and washer) make that leg a trifle longer. On carpet, this might not be an issue, but on a hard surface, put washers of the same size on the remaining legs to equalize height.

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  • Haven't tried yet but giving credit for a solid answer in meantime; thank you!
    – shim
    Commented Apr 2, 2020 at 16:36
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Well, I was able to get it to hold in place by wrapping the screw in a decent amount of packing tape. Seems like it's holding well, and of course as long as the screw is fastened the leg will do the rest of the work.

Still, I am definitely open to better band-aid solutions or what a proper fix would look like (i.e. would I need to weld it?).

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    Well, brass to steel doesn't really "weld", epoxy or JB weld is about as best as you can hope for.
    – IronEagle
    Commented Apr 2, 2020 at 4:12
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    Plus vote for using the grey JB Weld Epoxy on the threaded stud in the leg to secure it. Smear a good amount of the mixed epoxy on the treads of the stud that is pulled up out of the leg as far as possible. Then work the stud up and down and turning. Repeat the application of the epoxy several times as described to get as much as possible down into the bolt cavity in the leg. Make sure to wipe off any excess epoxy on the exposed treads of the stud or the adjacent top face of the leg. At the end push the stud down in and let the epoxy cure for a good 24 to 36 hours.
    – Michael Karas ♦
    Commented Apr 2, 2020 at 4:46
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    Further to @MichaelKaras' answer, you indicated in a comment that there's a cap that can be removed from the other end of the leg. Pop that cap off and use a long thin stick (think chopstick) to slather lots of epoxy directly on the inside. No telling exactly what's left inside, so the more epoxy is in there holding the screw to the leg, the longer the repair is likely to last. (Leave the cap off for the 24 hour curing time, then put it back on.)
    – FreeMan
    Commented Apr 2, 2020 at 17:35
  • Hm, good idea; I'll have to check if it's unobstructed from the bottom to the top.
    – shim
    Commented Apr 2, 2020 at 17:41

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