Is this chair part of a set you want to preserve having 'all' the chairs because you need that number of seating? Or a single chair used at a desk for example, or for extra seating when needed?

Since most of the damage was done where seams do not intersect, that means the wood is split, which means the integrity of the weight supporting feature of the chair has been compromised, and the chair could not be fixed properly.

To repair this chair will require a disassemble of the parts so each part can be considered to do its job for reassembly with each part having original integrity to hold the weight of someone sitting on it without wobbling, seam opening up to pinch someone, or someone getting hurt if the chair fails to hold its form.

Only if you can make a replacement part.

Thanks guys. Guess it's a cleaning guinea pig then!

I'm going to disagree. Proper gluing will restore strength to this chair. "A lot of clean and a little glue and not the other way around." Clamp firmly once the glue is all the way in the splits. Just don't let the split slide "downhill." The dowel joint in the front needs to be disassembled, cleaned, reglued and clamped.

A good, clean and well-fitting long grain glue joint will stronger than the surrounding wood.

Avoid polyurethane glues such as Gorilla Glue. A good type I or type II PVA will do fine -- Titebond I, II or III, Elmer's Carpenter's glue, etc.

I think I will go ahead and try it, Bob. It's got a very large area to glue instead of being in a small fiddly area.

"A good, clean and well-fitting long grain glue joint will stronger than the surrounding wood. "

The PVA glues may be stronger than the wood, but they all show creep under long term loading, like someone siting in the chair.

It is not worth the safety risk of having it give way at the wrong moment.

Hide glue does not creep and is also stronger than the wood, but still not worth the risk.

Looks like someone had a bad day, and took it out on the chair!