# need to get glue joint apart



## woodnut (Apr 22, 2007)

hello guys and gals I could use a little help and I know that I've come to the right place. So the problem is I have a glue joint ( mortice and tenion ) that I need to get apart with out damaging the wood , is their any hope for me. What can I do to weaken the glue so I can seperate the pieces?


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## teenagewoodworker (Jan 31, 2008)

if its freshly glued i don't think that you will have much luck with that. the only thing i could think of would be to cut off the tenon piece and reshape the mortise. and make a new tenon piece. other than that i don't think that there is that much that you can do.


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## ropedog (Mar 26, 2008)

hello woodnut, yellow glue has a life of like 25 years so if you just glued the joint the best bet is to cut the tenon like tww said. if it is oid some rocking back and forth and some moisture should do the trick.


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## GaryK (Jun 25, 2007)

If it's yellow glue, you can steam it.


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## brianm (Feb 16, 2008)

Heat gun will work.


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## motthunter (Dec 31, 2007)

HEAT.. STEAM… or you can drop it in the center of a nuclear reactor and pray… (if oyu dont mind it glowing in the dark)

New glues are too good… They are rarely forgiving and designed to hold forever.


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## Chiefk (Jan 28, 2008)

Woodnut, I have had some success using white vinegar in combination with a heat gun. I once glued a cabinet face frame and need to take it apart again. I was about to start over building a new face frame, when my wife said she could open the joint. She brushed the vinegar along the joint line allowing the vinegar to seep into the joint. After working with it several minutes, she was able to open the joint. It was a fairly easy process. To my utter surprise. The vinegar didn't seem to have any adverse effect on the wood. Good Luck, pkennedy


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## Taigert (Nov 20, 2007)

White vinegar is what I would try as well. I use vinegar to clean dried glue out of tips for my applicator.


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## woodnut (Apr 22, 2007)

just thought I'd let you kinow that the heat gun did work thanks for the advice guys


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