# Ungluing a joint



## Abie63 (Jul 12, 2007)

I have a beech Ercol dining chair on which one of the legs has broken. My problem is, how do I unglue the stretcher bars from their various attachments without damaging the joints, to enable a replacement leg to be fitted?

Let me say, that I am not a woodworker either professional or otherwise and would appreciate advice in the simplest terms.

It is probably useful to know that the chair's wood is natural finish which has been varnished.


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## Daveb (May 3, 2007)

I am not a professional either. But I think some furniture is purposely glued with Hyde glue that releases when wet (or heat?).

I do not know how to get the joint wet without damaging the wood or how to test this theory. Any ideas out there?


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## MinConst (Oct 30, 2006)

When I was in the furniture business a rubber mallet was the tool of choice. I have never heard of wetting a joint to loosen glue of any kind. Hyde glue is reheat-able I don't think it is water soluble. I may be wrong. Been many years since I had a glue pot. If the joint is so solid that it wont budge leave it alone. Generally a couple good blows with a mallet will open it up. BUT think about where you're hitting so as not to do more damage. And by good blow I don't mean a powerful strike just a solid hit. Also you can put pressure on the opposite side of a joint that your going to strike. This tends to help make the pressure even. Stay as close to the joint as possible. Once the glue joint is loose then tap the pieces apart. Evenly from both sides of the joint. This will help to NOT oversize the hole.


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## wood tick (Jul 12, 2007)

try vinegar


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## Abie63 (Jul 12, 2007)

Thank you all for your suggestions. I think I'll take the route that MinConst suggests, after all he was once in the trade. The chair in question is some 40 odd years old, so the glue used is not likely to be high tech stuff and will probably will succumb to the rubber mallet.


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## MinConst (Oct 30, 2006)

Let us know how it works out.


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## Abie63 (Jul 12, 2007)

Will do MinConst!


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## pianoman (Jan 16, 2008)

(powder form) citric acid mixed 1 to 1 with water will desolve Titebond. I replaced a bridge on a 1909 Gibson Mandolyn . The bridge was made of Ebony that had a slot which held 4 individual staggered string supports. The bridge was easy to make. The supports were another story. Luckally I have a friend who is a Violyn Bow maker!! Long story short... He told me... they were inserts that were glued in place. We soaked the old bridge in citric acid and water... then let it soak over night. The next morning they fell out with one little tap. I cleaned them off with water...dried them in the microwave for a minute and then glued them into the new bridge. The Ebony was $5.00 The repair was $150.00


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## chiki (Jan 21, 2011)

Hi,
Can anybody help me.
I have a teak door...i want to unglue the door pieces as i want to replace the middle part of the door.Can anybody quide mw whether the vinegar method or the acetone method or heating method 'll work.As i have tried soaking it in the water for 2 days & it dnt work.

The door was made just a month back.

Thanks a lot in advance.........


Regards


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

A heat gun will release most glues. Care has to be taken in separating a joint so there won't be damage to the mating parts. In addition, cleaning or sanding the mating parts could change the fit. If gaps become evident reglue with a two part epoxy.












 









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## Brink (Nov 22, 2010)

cabinetman said:


> A heat gun will release most glues. Care has to be taken in separating a joint so there won't be damage to the mating parts. In addition, cleaning or sanding the mating parts could change the fit. If gaps become evident reglue with a two part epoxy.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Sometimes wrapping the joint with a towel soaked with hot water before the heat gun helps. But it could raise the grain or damage a finish.


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## Tony B (Jul 30, 2008)

Abie63 said:


> I have a dining chair on which one leg has broken....how do I unglue the stretcher bars from their various attachments without damaging the joints, to enable a replacement leg to be fitted?....


I use a hypodermic needle with hot vinegar. try to get the vinegar in every crack possible. With luck, the joint will loosen some and you will be able to 'tap' the pieces apart with a mallet. This works sometimes but not all of the time. 
Can you attach a photo? There might be an alternate way to make the repair. I am very familiar with the problem of broken stretchers and the rest of the chair is solid and wont come apart.


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