Posted by Stephen Shepherd on May 16, 19101 at 09:09:32:
In Reply to: softening wood glued chair legs posted by Stacie Hoffman on May 14, 19101 at 14:14:15:
: Help, please. I bought a chair that was put together with the legs structure on backwards. It used wood screws and glue. I can get the screws out, but how do I soften up this glue?? Any ideas will be greatly appreciated. It has been about 3 years since it was assembled using regular yellow wood glue.
: Thanks for the help.
: Stacie
You might try a mixture of vinegar and hot water to soften the glue. Soak the joint with the liquid and cover with a wet rag and allow to soak in. If possible inject some of the solution into the joint with a hypodermic needle. You can use a heat gun or hair dryer to gently heat up the joint to soften the glue, but be careful as it can damage the finish or scorch the wood. This is the reason to use hide glue on furniture, it is easy to reverse and the joints will generally fail instead of breaking the wood. Good luck
Stephen