Vintage Home Furniture

how to you take apart old furniture like a desk?

I have an old oak desk that some of the joints are loose and some are tight. I would like to take it all apart and reglue all jonts and then refinish. How do you get the tight joints apart?

Public Comments

1. How are the joints put together? If they are glued and the glue is still holding good then you can use a glue solvent. If you have staples to contend with then some well placed tapping with a hammer and a prybar can get it apart. Use a towel between the prybar and wood if you are prying against a finished surface. If it is staples then we you get the wood pulled apart you will still need to get the staples out. Use a pair of pliers and pull the staples through.. DON'T BACK THEM UP.. in most cases you'll ruin the finished wood if you try to get them out the same way they went it.