restoration help needed

[lemonjeff]

I'm in the process of restoring a teak dining table. The legs are M&T to the skirt? They are glued (scotch) and pinned with nails/brads with the heads flush
Has anyone a suggestion/tip for removing the nails without too much damage.
The only thing I've thought of was to carefully chisel away an area around the heads to allow the use of pincers but there isn't much meat between the outside edge and mortise (7mm) and I'm fightened that it will weaken the M&T.

Jeff.

 

[Shultzy]

Jeff, first thoughts - drill down side of nail with fine drill and lever out. Re-drill in larger size for peg or short length of dowel.

 

[engineer one]

look at the japanese nail removers, and i think veritas do one too a kind of spring metal device which also causes less damage.

using pincers will always cause damage to the wood, and drill ing down the side does not really help, since you have to then fill the holes.

if you rock the legs around the m/t do the nails move at all and do they come nearer the surface. that helps too.

good luck
paul :wink:

 

[Paul Chapman]

One method I've occasionally employed is to use a narrow nail punch and hammer and knock the nails right through and out the other side. This can result in less damage than chiseling out enough wood to enable the use of pincers.

Cheers :wink:

Paul