Calamity Kris Posted March 4, 2019 Share Posted March 4, 2019 We have these lovely oak cabinets in the kitchen and adjacent laundry room. The previous owner collected plates so they installed this railing around the top. Installed poorly is an understatement. I am now trying to remove the rails. I have tried a hairdrier, rubbing alcohol and "Goof Off". without much success. It looks like they may have used more than one type of adhesive to attach them. The one I'm working with now is wood colored and almost a putty consistency. The other I've seen looks like glue from a hot glue gun. Any ideas what I can use to get them off? I've spent the last four hours on a ladder and haven't removed one yet. Thank you so much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perro Del Diablo Posted March 4, 2019 Share Posted March 4, 2019 Flush cut saw could be an option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faith Trek Posted March 4, 2019 Share Posted March 4, 2019 Calamity - Without seeing the railing up close (and personal ) it is difficult to determine how the railing was installed. And by that I mean: Was the railing attached to the top of the cabinet with glue, which was run along the bottom of the rail as seen in BLUE on the diagram? Or was it nailed with brads along the bottom rail as shown in BLACK on the diagram? In addition, where are you applying the solutions to remove it? At the points marked in RED, or along the bottom of the bottom rail in BLUE? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyesa Horg Posted March 4, 2019 Share Posted March 4, 2019 Possibly a carefully applied chisel starting at the corner. Some refinishing along the top will likely be needed since it appears that it can be seen from above. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Harley, #14153 Posted March 4, 2019 Share Posted March 4, 2019 Kris, 40+ years of furniture making talking... If I were installing the rails, I’d have used a small wire brad like shown in Faith Trek’s sketch. If this is the case for you, I’d use a small chisel and start at one of the corners, gently prying the rail up from the cabinet top. The glue joint will come apart fairly easy under pure tension. If the rail is held oh by only glue, a small chisel will still work, or a flush cut saw. Put a few layers of masking tape along the top of the cabinet to prevent the saw from scratching the trim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calamity Kris Posted March 4, 2019 Author Share Posted March 4, 2019 1 hour ago, Faith Trek said: Calamity - Without seeing the railing up close (and personal ) it is difficult to determine how the railing was installed. And by that I mean: Was the railing attached to the top of the cabinet with glue, which was run along the bottom of the rail as seen in BLUE on the diagram? Or was it nailed with brads along the bottom rail as shown in BLACK on the diagram? In addition, where are you applying the solutions to remove it? At the points marked in RED, or along the bottom of the bottom rail in BLUE? No brads were used. Only glue as you have diagrammed above. In my four hours of fighting with it, I was able to loosen about three feet off the top of one of the cabinets. The way I was applying solution was to run a cotton swab along the blue joint in your illustration. I would then take a putty knife and whittle it into the joint until I passed all the way through. I would also take the putty knife and whittle partially into the joint, flex the blade so it curved up then dribble a few drops down the blade so it would flow into the area I opened up. My thinking was that would give it contact with the area I was trying to loosen. I can't pry or pull too much on the top of the flashing because they aren't secured very well and wiggle a lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Original Lumpy Gritz Posted March 4, 2019 Share Posted March 4, 2019 Heat the area with a hair dryer(use Uno's). It may soften the adhesive up. OLG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faith Trek Posted March 4, 2019 Share Posted March 4, 2019 6 minutes ago, Calamity Kris said: No brads were used. Only glue as you have diagrammed above. In my four hours of fighting with it, I was able to loosen about three feet off the top of one of the cabinets. The way I was applying solution was to run a cotton swab along the blue joint in your isllustration. I would then take a putty knife and whittle it into the joint until I passed all the way through. I would also take the putty knife and whittle partially into the joint, flex the blade so it curved up then dribble a few drops down the blade so it would flow into the area I opened up. My thinking was that would give it contact with the area I was trying to loosen. Calamity: It appears you are doing a masterful job on your own, based on the construction method you described. I applaud you for the unique process of flexing the blade and letting the drops flow down the blade. Soon you will be able to hang out your own shingle and charge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sedalia Dave Posted March 4, 2019 Share Posted March 4, 2019 Stop in at Lowes or Home Depot and buy an inexpensive oscillating saw and a couple of flush cut blades. Apply a layer of masking tape to the top of the cabinet inside the railing to reduce the chance of damaging any more of the top of the cabinet than necessary. Take your time and cut the railing free. You will have to sand and refinish the top but that will be a relatively easy task. I have used the wood chisel method a time or two and most of the time it works well. However, occasionally the wood I want to keep will split and come off with the part I want removed making repairs significantly more involved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Harley, #14153 Posted March 4, 2019 Share Posted March 4, 2019 Sounds like a serious glue they used. Since there are no brads, and you want a nice finish for the exposed top, it’s worth it to invest in one of these: https://www.woodcraft.com/products/veritas-flush-cutting-saw-double-edge-22-tpi?via=573621f469702d06760016cd%2C57641cd569702d65930009cc It will remove the rail with minimal damage. A little sanding, a touch of polyurethane, and you’re good to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forty Rod SASS 3935 Posted March 4, 2019 Share Posted March 4, 2019 3 hours ago, Country Wildman said: Flush cut saw could be an option. And finish it with sandpaper. Faster and easier, probably a lot less expensive, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calamity Kris Posted March 4, 2019 Author Share Posted March 4, 2019 1 hour ago, Charlie Harley, #14153 said: Sounds like a serious glue they used. Since there are no brads, and you want a nice finish for the exposed top, it’s worth it to invest in one of these: https://www.woodcraft.com/products/veritas-flush-cutting-saw-double-edge-22-tpi?via=573621f469702d06760016cd%2C57641cd569702d65930009cc It will remove the rail with minimal damage. A little sanding, a touch of polyurethane, and you’re good to go. They used so much adhesive it ran down the front of the fascia as well as caked up on the inside of the top rim. Nasty stuff. Thank you very much. I will look into this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badlands Bob #61228 Posted March 4, 2019 Share Posted March 4, 2019 If they used a good wood glue like Tightbond, the glue joint is stronger than the wood. Some wood glues are water soluble and may soften if they get wet. I think the flush cutting saw and refinishing the top of the cabinet is probably the best solution. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheyenne Ranger, 48747L Posted March 8, 2019 Share Posted March 8, 2019 as far as refinishing the top once you have removed the railing, I would consider using a thin piece of wood to cover any possible damage the removal made. Places like Woodcraft sell both veener in roll as well as 1/16" sheets. rolls are put down using an iron. check out this page for examples scroll down a bit to see all the choices. From a distance it blends in very well https://www.woodcraft.com/search?q=venier&button=search Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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