I thought that title might get some attention...
I have four trashpicked Wegner "wishbone" chairs with different broken parts on each -curved backrest, wishbone support, cross brace, etc. However, there should be enough pieces to make three good chairs... The question is how to best approach deconstructing them in order to salvage and rebuild them. Do I just genty tap the joints with a soft mallet to loosen them and hope for the best? Is there a way to soften the glue joints first?
The re-stringing of the seats will be another project in itself..but hey, with free Wegner chairs I can afford to practise on that.
I've always been curious as to whether
the "fox" or blind-wedge mortise was used for the rear post to arm/back rail joint. If so, good luck. Otherwise, you can try heat, steam or hot water to help work the joints loose. Bad language is universally applied. Some drill tiny holes diagonally into the joint and inject hot water with hypodermic needles to help soften glue, but this can often swell the tenons, too, and make disassembly even more difficult. Compounding the task is the quality of the original assembly. These chairs were simply not meant to come apart easily.
How do you break four "Y" chairs, anyway? Must've been one hell of a party!
A deadblow
is a special kind of mallet that doesn't bounce back when you hit something, because it has a movable load of lead shot inside which follows the blow with a backup. It quite effectively doubles or triples the force of the blow -- or seems to, at any rate. I've had mine for twenty years and wouldn't give it up for anything. It has a rubberlike plastic surface that doesn't mar the material I'm striking -- usually wood.
order
the missing parts from Carl hansen instead of canabalising the other chairs.
i have many a time replaced broken parts on the wishbone chairs. The glue needs a little gentle knocking to loosen but once that is done it;s straight forward to deconstruc the chair.
Good luck with your project.
Currently working on his AP62 chairs after major restoration. 98% complete.
I used
I used a dead-blow hammer to knock apart a Wegner J16. They were straight mortise & tenons and the glue was quite dry already. I'd gone in first with a dental tool and picked as much of the glue (and the crappy reglue) as well.
You might also try a shot of whiskey first - to settle your nerves before hammering away at a Wishbone! (I second the buying replacement parts)
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