Subject: Refinishing Question

From: Aaron C Davis <[email-masked]>
Date: 13 Feb 1997 14:30:51 GMT

Repairing and refinishing some furniture for my neighbor.  Three tables
that his father made.  He gave them to me last night and I started to take
one apart.  All of the glue joints have failed, legs wobbly, joint in
table top seperated.  These table were made around 1948 out of mahogany.
The legs are mortised and tenoned to the stiles but wood screws were also
used to fasten them (his father was an engineer so major overkill).  Well,
I got a few of the screws out after straining myself and was wondering if
there was an easier way to get them out.  They're regular head screws so
I'm a little worried about stripping the heads.  Is there andy way I could
treat them, with an oil or something.  Not sure if they were glued too,
but if so, it's probably failed too.  Just think the wood has well dried.
Thought about using an easy out type device.  Well, thanks for any info as
these pieces have lots of sentimental value to my neighbor and I'd hate to
mess them up.

thanks in advance,

Aaron Davis

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From: [email-masked] (John Paquay)
Date: 13 Feb 1997 18:52:05 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] says...
>these pieces have lots of sentimental value to my neighbor and I'd hate to

My little trick for removing old, gummed-up, stubborn screws:

Apply a hot soldering iron to the head of the screw.  You don't want to heat it
to the point of scorching the wood -- just enough to get it hot, make it
expand, and break down any glue or finish that might be gumming up the
threads.  If they're long screws, you have to do this in small increments to get
the entire screw length heated up slowly.

When it's cooled to the point where it's not uncomfortable to touch, I take
some electronic spray cleaner and spray the screw for a few seconds.  This
chills the screw and causes it to contract, and also stiffens up any of the
remaining gunk on the threads.  Nine times out of ten, the screw rolls right out.

-- 
John Paquay
[email-masked],  [email-masked]
http://www.physics.purdue.edu/~jep/
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Without my wings you know I'd surely die...