Photo: herzogbr / Flickr

If you know the glue bond on an old piece of furniture is broken but the parts still won’t separate, its more than likely being held together by a hidden nail (or more than one). The head may be just below the surface of the wood or possibly at the surface, signifying an old repair job. If you can’t find the head, you could try forcing the parts away from each other to find the shank of the nail.

How to remove hidden nails from furniture

Should you manage to see a bit of the nail’s shank between the two parts you’re forcing apart, you can use a hacksaw to saw through the metal. Your task might be made easier by using the blade only, in which case remove it from the tool. This way, you’ll be able to work your way around or under the nail.

Once you’ve managed to separate the parts you can pull the nails out of the wood with a pair of pliers.

How to drive a buried nail out of wood

It is possible to drive a buried nail out of wood but there are some criteria to consider before you attempt this: the nail should be slender, it should preferably not have a head and the point should lie close to the outside of the piece of wood you’re working with.

To drive a buried nail out of wood, rest the wood against a horizontal surface. Brace it and then force the nail through by using a nail set. A nail set is a small tool that is used to hammer nails below the surface.

If all else fails, you could use an awl and dig a little of the wood away so that you can reach the head of the nail. Then use some needle-nosed pliers to pull the nail out. Alternatively, use a diagonal cutter to pull the nail out. Unfortunately, this route results in some damage so try to avoid it if you are working on a genuine old antique.

Tags: furniture