How To Make an Arm Chair Rest
How do you make a sofa arm table?
An arm chair rest — a small U-shaped timber tray that sits over the arm of a sofa — solves the problem of having nowhere to put a cup down. It is a good small project for a compact living room, and it uses a technique worth learning: two adhesives working together, one for strength and one for speed. Selleys Aquadhere Interior does the structural gluing, and a few drops of Selleys Fix & Go Super Glue at each end hold the joint together while the wood glue cures.
That combination is why you can build this without clamps big enough to span a U-shaped assembly. The super glue grabs in seconds and acts as its own clamp; the PVA underneath develops the real strength over the next day.
What you need
- Timber panel, 1200 mm × 300 mm × 18 mm
- Selleys Aquadhere Interior
- Selleys Fix & Go Super Glue
- A mitre box and hand saw
- A ruler and tape measure
- Sandpaper
- Clamps
- Varnish or paint
Measure before you cut
- Measure the width of the arm of your lounge with a ruler and subtract 1 cm. You want the holder to be a snug fit — the whole thing is held on by friction, so a loose tray slides off when someone leans on it.
- Measure the height of the arm. The sides should be at least 10 cm deep to be stable.
How to make it
- Cut three pieces. Use your mitre box and hand saw to cut three pieces of timber to size. Cut one edge of each piece at a 45-degree angle so they join into a U-shape.
- Sand and clean. Lightly sand back the edges and clean them so they are free of dust. Dust on a glue face is the most common reason a small joint fails.
- Apply the wood glue. Run Selleys Aquadhere Interior along one edge to be joined, leaving a couple of centimetres free of glue at each end.
- Add the super glue. Put a few drops of Selleys Fix & Go Super Glue into the spaces you left at each end, then bring the pieces together.
- Hold it. Hold the pieces together for 60 seconds to let the super glue set.
- Repeat the gluing process for the other joint.
- Clamp and cure. Clamp tightly and leave for 24 hours to make sure the Aquadhere Interior has fully cured.
- Finish. Paint or stain the arm chair rest, and apply a clear coat to protect it.
Why the two glues are kept separate along the joint
This is the detail that makes the method work, and it is easy to miss. The instruction is to leave a couple of centimetres at each end free of wood glue, and put the super glue there. The two adhesives are not mixed — they occupy different parts of the same joint.
The reason is that cyanoacrylate super glue needs clean, dry, close-fitting surfaces to bond. Squeezed into wet PVA it has nothing to grip, and you lose the instant hold you were relying on. Kept to its own patch of bare timber at each end, it sets in seconds and locks the joint in position while the PVA in the middle — which is doing the real structural work — cures over the next day.
Fix & Go Super Glue: what the figures say
| Set time | 10 seconds |
| Sufficient bond strength for use | After 30 minutes |
| Full cure | 12 hours |
| Bonds | Metal, ceramic, china, rubber, wood and most plastics |
| Will not bond | Polyethylene, polypropylene, Teflon, glass |
Indicative data only, not intended for the preparation of specifications.
The set time is 10 seconds, so holding for 60 seconds as this method suggests gives you a comfortable margin rather than a marginal one. Bond strength is sufficient for use after 30 minutes and full cure takes 12 hours — but since the Aquadhere Interior underneath needs 24 hours anyway, the super glue is never the limiting factor here.
Surfaces must be clean, dry, free of dust and close fitting for the super glue to work. That is the same requirement as the sanding step, which is another reason not to skip it.
Limitations — what to watch for
Aquadhere Interior
- Interior use only — it is not water resistant.
- Not suitable for exterior projects, wet or damp areas, or structural applications.
Fix & Go Super Glue
- Will not bond polyethylene or polypropylene plastics, Teflon, or glass.
- Surfaces must be clean, dry, free of dust and close fitting.
Neither product is structural, and this project does not ask them to be. An arm rest carries a cup and a book. It is not a step, a seat or a shelf, and the timber sides are load-bearing only in the sense that they grip the arm of the sofa.
Getting the fit right
The two measurements at the start do more for the finished result than anything else. Subtracting 1 cm from the arm width gives a friction fit — the tray grips rather than rattles. Sides at least 10 cm deep give it enough purchase to stay upright when weight goes on one edge; shallower sides let it tip.
If your sofa arm is soft or rounded rather than square, err towards a slightly tighter fit. Upholstery compresses, and a tray that feels snug on a firm arm will feel loose on a padded one.
Common questions about making an arm chair rest
How much narrower than the arm should the tray be?
1 cm narrower than the measured arm width, so it is a snug fit.
How deep should the sides be?
At least 10 cm to be stable.
Why use two different glues?
The super glue sets in seconds and holds the joint in position; the wood glue provides the strength as it cures over 24 hours. It avoids needing large clamps for an awkward U-shaped assembly.
Can I mix the two glues together in the joint?
No. Leave a couple of centimetres free of wood glue at each end and put the super glue there. Cyanoacrylate needs clean, dry, close-fitting surfaces — it will not set properly in wet PVA.
How long do I hold the joint?
60 seconds by this method. Fix & Go Super Glue's stated set time is 10 seconds, so a minute is a comfortable margin.
How long before I can use the tray?
Clamp and leave for 24 hours so the Aquadhere Interior fully cures.
What angle do I cut the joints at?
45 degrees on one edge of each piece, so the three pieces form a U.
Do I need to clamp as well as using super glue?
Yes — the method clamps tightly for the 24-hour cure. The super glue holds the assembly together in the meantime.
Can I leave the tray outside on a patio lounge?
Not if it is glued with Aquadhere Interior, which is not water resistant and is for interior use only. Aquadhere Exterior is the weather-resistant option.
Will super glue stick to a glass or plastic insert?
Fix & Go Super Glue will not bond glass, polyethylene, polypropylene or Teflon. It does bond most other plastics, metal, ceramic, china, rubber and wood.
Do I need to varnish it?
Paint or stain it and apply a clear coat to protect it — a surface that carries drinks will get wet.
What if my sofa arm is rounded?
Aim for a slightly tighter fit. Upholstery compresses, so a tray sized for a firm arm will feel loose on a padded one.
How much narrower than the arm should the tray be?
1 cm narrower than the measured arm width, so it is a snug fit.
How deep should the sides be?
At least 10 cm to be stable.
Why use two different glues?
The super glue sets in seconds and holds the joint in position; the wood glue provides the strength as it cures over 24 hours. It avoids needing large clamps for an awkward U-shaped assembly.
Can I mix the two glues together in the joint?
No. Leave a couple of centimetres free of wood glue at each end and put the super glue there. Cyanoacrylate needs clean, dry, close-fitting surfaces — it will not set properly in wet PVA.
How long do I hold the joint?
60 seconds by this method. Fix & Go Super Glue's stated set time is 10 seconds, so a minute is a comfortable margin.
How long before I can use the tray?
Clamp and leave for 24 hours so the Aquadhere Interior fully cures.
What angle do I cut the joints at?
45 degrees on one edge of each piece, so the three pieces form a U.
Do I need to clamp as well as using super glue?
Yes — the method clamps tightly for the 24-hour cure. The super glue holds the assembly together in the meantime.
Can I leave the tray outside on a patio lounge?
Not if it is glued with Aquadhere Interior, which is not water resistant and is for interior use only. Aquadhere Exterior is the weather-resistant option.
Will super glue stick to a glass or plastic insert?
Fix & Go Super Glue will not bond glass, polyethylene, polypropylene or Teflon. It does bond most other plastics, metal, ceramic, china, rubber and wood.
Do I need to varnish it?
Paint or stain it and apply a clear coat to protect it — a surface that carries drinks will get wet.
What if my sofa arm is rounded?
Aim for a slightly tighter fit. Upholstery compresses, so a tray sized for a firm arm will feel loose on a padded one.