On 7 Jan 2006 06:56:20 -0800, "pookie03" wrote:

I was asked to repair and restore an ole child's rocking chair.

The splits have glue coming from them and I am afraid the wood
will split if I try to pry them open.

What's the big deal with splits? It's rarely any harder to fix a total
split than a partial split, and access for cleaning it up and fixing it
is much better.

I'm assuming that this isn't an antique that needs conservation, you
simply need to fix it well and leave a neat job behind, not preserve
originality. I'd look at either biscuit jointing it, or even cutting a
couple of crosswise sliding dovetails into the underneath of the seat
and installing battens.