Help... I glued the wrong bits together!!!

[stix]

This is my first post so hi to all you forum members out there.

I'm fairly new to this furniture making (only a hobbyist) but I enjoy having a go.

I am currently making an oak coffe table. I cut all of the pieces for the legs & table top, cut all the mortice & tennons in and dry assembled the table. I was really pleased with my 1st attempt of making a nice piece of furniture in hardwood an in my excitment to get it finished I proceeded to glue the parts together.

Now that I've come to assemble the table base to the table top it doesn't fit!! This is because I have glued 2 of the leg parts in the wrong place :roll: .

I there any way to undo the PVA glued joint or am I going to have to make the legs again?

 

[Evergreen]

Hi Stix

Welcome to the forum.

I can't quite visualise your mistake but if you've made your joints well and glued them with an appropriate adhesive, then I'm afraid that's it. You won't be able to get them apart without damaging them so it's time for a redo. Try numbering the legs next time so tenon #1 goes in mortise#1 under corner #1 of the top - that sort of thing. Above all, don't get disheartened - we all make mistakes!

Regards.

 

[Adam]

You can't saw through them and use loose tenons can you? Then you can spin one leg back into position. It requires you to cut cleanly through the tenon, then remove the material in the mortice, cut a mortice in the bearer (that previously had a tenon sticking out of it), and make a small stub (a loose tenon) that inserts both sides and is glued in position.

Adam

 

[Colin C]

Hi Stix

Welcome to the forum

You might be able to get them apart [-o<

How long have they been glued

Here is one way that I use.

If you can try to drill a hole a long side the tenons ( through the top of the leg if it will not sho after ), some thing like 6mm and use a syringe or some thing like that to get some hot water in to the joint.

Take your time as it will be slow but if you can get to some of the glue you might have a chance of gettting them apart.

Also if you can, put the rail a your vice when you have tried the hot water and with a pine block, hit the end near the joint but dont hit it to hard.
The way I do it is to not use too much force but to try to keep the hammer going past the joint.

I hope that is clear but if not let me know

 

[stix]

Thanks for the reply evergreen

Yeah, i was kind of hoping you would tell there would be some magic wood glue removing solution

I did number the joints up but sanded all the parts before assembly, thus removing the numbers, thinking "there's no way I can get this wrong"

Looks like it's back to the timber yard then.

 

[Freetochat]

On numbering, I use little round sticky labels of different colours. Very cheap for large sheets. That way I don't have pencil marks to get rid of.

 

[Colin C]

I did number the joints up but sanded all the parts before assembly, thus removing the numbers, thinking "there's no way I can get this wrong"

Famous last words for the best of us
Before you go back to the timber yard, try mine or Adam's ideas in that order.

I hope it helps

 

[George_N]

thinking "there's no way I can get this wrong"

It's when you start to think that you've got everything sussed that you end up doing something silly. Been there, done that.

Welcome to the forum, by the way.

 

[Steve Maskery]

I try to remember to label mine 1,2,3,4 with the numbers written on the top of the legs, in the same corner of the leg as the leg is in the table.

--------------------------------------
|  1               |                2 |
|                  |                  |
|                  |                  |
|                  |                  |
|                  |                  |
|                  |                  |
--------------------------------------
|                  |                  |
|                  |                  |
|                  |                  |
|                  |                  |
|                  |                  |
|   3              |                4 |
--------------- -----------------------

But we've all been there, dont that, so don't get disheartened.

 

[stix]

Hi Colin C

I think I understand what I have to do. They have been glued for about 3 days now though. Has the glue been left too long to try your method?



Hi Adam

That sounds like a good idea. If I can't get them apart using Colin C's method then I'll give that a go.

 

[woodbloke]

Stix, welcome to the forum. As others have said, there isn't any really easy way to get a joint apart once the glue has set, but its worth having a go anyway

I did number the joints up but sanded all the parts before assembly

For future reference to overcome this problem, you can number the joints by chiseling Roman numerals with a 6mm chisel onto parts that mate together and will eventually be covered when the joint is complete, then it doesn't matter how much cleaning up (with sandpaper or finely set plane) you do, your markings ought to still be visible - Rob

 

[Colin C]

Hi Stix

No three days is not to long as I have dont some that have been done much longer than that but one thing I forgot to ask was is it waterproof glue #-o [-o< .

If it is then I think you will have to cut the joints
Good luck any way

Ps I hope to see some pic's when you have finished :wink:

 

[dedee]

Stix,
remember that the man who never made a mistake never made anything.

Andy

 

[stix]

Thanks for all the replies

I was a bit disheartened to start with and nearly cut the legs off anyway. But now I've had a bit of time to think about it I can see the funny side of it. (It took my wife about 10 seconds to see the funny side of it)

I'm not sure if it's waterproof glue or not. It's Evo-stick in a green bottle (if that help's??). I'll check when I get home to see what it says about being waterproof.

Yeah, I'll put some pics up when it's finished.

 

[Colin C]

Hi Stix,

The green bottle is not waterproof so go head with the hot water .

Ps if it does start to move give the leg a wiggle as you are putting the water in but dont rush that bit as that is when I have found bits might break :wink:

 

[George_N]

Pretty sure the Green bottle Evo-Stick is just regular PVA. The waterproof one comes in a blue bottle. That is good news, as the hot water trick is more likely to work.

 

[NeilO]

Im with georgeN, the green bottle is interior, so the hot water trick might just work......

And Stix , dont dishearten , i guess most of us on the forum wear the Tee shirt " been there, done that" sort of thing.........

and the rest are just too ashamed too admit it..

 

[stix]

The hot water trick worked! :lol: :lol: :lol:

The table legs and rails have been separated with only a few minor bits of damage to a couple of the tenons, but nothing that will be seen when it's assembled.

All the parts have been cleaned up, the joints numbered, and my table legs are now being re-assembled.

Thanks guys for your help =D>

 

[Colin C]

Glad I could help

All we need now is some pic's :wink:

 

[filsgreen]

Welcome to the forum Stix, glad you got out of that pickle. Now how about some pics?

Phil