Tpt life

ECE is definitely worth that cost.

Hydrogen Peroxide is a common bleach alternative. Just look for the highest concentration you can source and wear PPE.

WTN, hey R. No glue is good for MDF...if you think it will behave like wood. MDF can delaminate for lack of a better word. Guys were bad mouthing glues early on because they were popping MDF into homes while it was under loads that flexed the MDF. The glue was a hard bit that would not flex the same and caused that delam. If your expectation is realistic, as others have said...most anything will do.

Riving knife is black and prominent.

Maybe try flipping the stretcher end for end? Start simple.

Sounds like dust inside the switch is causing the moveable contact to be unreliable.

I like it! Nicely done! Whats the light patch in the end of the handle?

Pine is too wide a field. Some SYP and heart can work well if you can source old stock. The problem is that “pine” is just not specific enough.

Traditional ship and boat builders buy flitches that are more or less slabs. I think a lot of that may be custom orders though.

Give us a little bit to discuss this out. If VOC is the concern, we are likely to not find a good substitute for you. Understanding the nature of the ban helps us not suggest a list of other items likely to be banned. We mean you no disrespect.

Is that a serious comment? No grain alcohol? https://www.finewoodworking.com/2019/08/28/shellac-solvent-grain-alcohol-vs-denatured-alcohol

Needs a finer point...

I might use a 21 gauge micro pin just to secure the rung during glue cure.

If replacement is the goal, you don’t spread the chair. You cut the old stretcher out. You then size the new to slide into one side, then back to a central position. Softening the glue depends on the glue used. Heat and moisture are good bets, but they can mess with the finish on the chair.

We need to know what you don’t like with the original design in order to understand what you would consider an improvement.