[ceilingfanrepair]

My apologies if this is not the correct forums. I couldn't find a carpentry or woodworking forums. Feel free to point me there.

I have a Leslie speaker cabinet I am refinishing. It is plywood with veneer. Someone has glued a bunch of boards inside the cabinet that are in the way and blocking the louvers, I need to remove them. They used woodglue but also sealed them with silcone. I need a chemical that will soften or eat the glue and silicone. I will be refinishing the outside of the cabinet so if any seeps through and eats the finish it will be OK, but I don't want to damage the veneer too badly.

I need to be able to buy a couple gallons of whatever it is pretty cheaply. There is a LOT of glue and silicone that I will need to remove.

Thanks guys!

-CFR-

[KBC]

Hi ceilingfanrepair,

Nice to see you in a forum I can assist YOU in:)

A picture paints a thousand words,can you post one of the area you are concerned with, close ups as well as a perspective one too?

From my days refinishing antiques,I have come across many patches and improvises in the pieces I've worked on,I'm sure Clough has also.

Age of the glue has some to do with how you can treat the removal,the silicone on the other hand, that just isn't right(for any respectable cabinet:(, shame on them for using that)

Many strippers will breakdown a glue based from years back,natural glues can't hold up to the modern chemicals.

I would simply try to remove manually if possible, chisel or sanding.

Then you can attempt the mallet and separate the pieces as needed to restore.

[ceilingfanrepair]

Here are some pictures.

Here is the inside of the cabinet, you can see the boards they glued with silicone and wood glue, as well as the residue from where I was able to remove boards (and other things) glued with silicone.




Here is one section of the cabinet where I was able to partially remove a board. As I got further down however, my prying was more likely to crack the cabinet than remove anything




Here is an outside shot showing the louvers they were attempting to seal off with the boards. I have no earthly idea why, as they are where the sound escapes from




Here is the shot of the inside of a DIFFERENT cabinet, this is what it is SUPPOSED to look like:




You can see the space where a shelf goes, just above the louvers. Both cabinets have that shelf removed and I will need to reinstall it.

If there are any woodworking experts near Madison, WI, I would love to trade favors! Come give me a hand! I'll throw in gas money and food and a little something extra.

[KBC]

Madison, WI huh... lol.

I am in northern Illinois, not quite close enough,not quite far enough.. lol

Do you have access to any Japanese flexible saws?They are cabinetmaking tools that taper from the handle to tip slightly(both sides taper outwards about an inch on either side)making the tool similar to a roundish handle,blade is ,say, 2 1/2 inches at the base and 3 1/2 at the tip.One side is a fine cut,the other rougher.

Making a cut is(with some) in the pushing direction,instead of the draw.some are both ways..

IF! You can get the blade between the inner face and the panel you want to remove,a slow draw and shove will get you through the glues,adhesives,etc.patience,patience.. :p

With the sides cut, separation from the bottom shouldn't be too much pressure for the unit.hopefully!
Let me settle things down 'round here(I've been sick with? For about a week, my customers need me! I hope! )

[ceilingfanrepair]

Northern Illinois is quite close. I have a lot of woodworking projects I need help with, but very little money.

I don't have one of these Japanese saws, how much do they cost?

I couldn't so much as get a screwdriver between some of the boards and the cabinet, the silicone is too thick.

And as you can see, I can't use too much pressure, as the louvers will crack. The whole cabinet is pretty weak with that lower shelf removed. The cabinet you see without all the extra garbage, it's cracked on one of the sides where the cabinet buckled when the shelf was removed. I'm going to find an expert to reglue it for me as I want it to look decent.

I am really hoping for some sort of chemical that will soften the silicone and wood glue so the boards will pry off easily.

[KBC]

I am afraid the chemical remedy might be more costly than any physical efforts would ever be.(and a LOT more messy,too)

Bracing the base that is buckled with different wood, you'd need to screw to the outer face, making only a few holes to be filled later on.This would stiffen the outside from further problems.

The saws don't cost much,being so flexible,there really isn't much to them.Lowes or Home Depot would most likely have them.

I'll look around for locations.

Are there any metal fasteners holding these panels in place?something you can remove already?nails,screws?

[ceilingfanrepair]

Yes, there were tons of nails and screws. Removed all of them.

Bracing the outside really isn't a viable option. And based on how the louvers are cut, I'm pretty sure they'd still crack.

Those cans of adhesive softener I see at Menards, those won't help any?

[KBC]

I think you'll have a mess to clean up if you do that,I refinished furniture in Naperville years ago and still remember how things were such a mess, we had to wash the chemicals off with a pressure washer..

Keeping it dry and cutting would be my suggestion,really.

[ceilingfanrepair]

What do you mean by a mess?

I plan to refinish the cabinet after I get all the crap out of it. And I have a concrete, ventilated work space.

I also have access to a 60 gallon air compressor, although I haven't hooked it up yet.

[KBC]

Mess meaning the softened adhesives, imagine pancake syrup on wood.. then scrape,sand,sand,sand,then get the runny stuff from within the louvers...


I'm just thinking that making more work for the project verses a little elbow grease.. and a light sanding/filling holes,etc.verses clean-up after a product I know nothing about, I can't really say how well or not that stuff might work.

PS... I am done for the night, I am up WAY to late for my job in the AM(which I want to be on in 4.5 hours:( )

More later on today:)

Ken

[ceilingfanrepair]

This cabinet already has way too many holes in it for me to add any more. The same nimrod that glued all the wood also drilled a bunch to mount whatever, I have no idea what he was trying to do.. .

I will pick up the saw and try that tomorrow, BUT if there is also a chemical that will help (messy or not) I want to pick that up at the same time, so if the saw alone doesn't cut it (terrible pun) I can try that as well. Mess doesn't scare me.

[ceilingfanrepair]

Tried the japanese saw, it didn't really help, however I was able to pry the remaining boards out with a hammer and some screwdrivers.

There is still plenty of glue an silicone residue that will be in the way when I put this pack together. I am hoping maybe the Zip Strip will eat it?

[KBC]

I used my Japanese saw today to clean off a layered pine over pine console unit for my van(I made it years ago and wanted to improve the appearance)I'll be relining the insert areas with curly Ash and then a 'sculpted' maple top.. I think it'll make for an interesting chat piece when others travel with me(much less,I had TOO much time on my hands today)

Did the saw at least get you inside the glue lines?A utility knife couldn't do that,it's too short and would cut at an angle.. heavier equipment,such as a sawzall would have made for a too serious cut,with many problems if it travels.

I hope you are going to be satisfied with the stripper.. a little goes a long way(mess)... try covering the stripper with waxed paper,that will trap the fumes(which do more of the work than the actual liquid does, in most cases)

[ceilingfanrepair]

The saw wasn't able to cut through the silicone easily. Hammer and screwdriver (being used as a chisel) eventually pried their way through.

I have several cabinets to refinish, they are all this size or larger. Where can I buy stripper in bulk very cheap?

[KBC]

Then it most likely wasn't silicone.Probably some 'siliconized' latex or something like that.

Have you tried ANY stripper yet?

I would trial and error till I found what works and what doesn't,then buy it in bulk.

[Alty]

I have a recommendation and if it was already suggested, I do apologize.

I don't do a lot of refinishing, most of my projects are the things I make from scratch, but I have had oopsies where I had to remove glue, or worse.

CFR (Ceilingfanrepair) have you tried an exacto knife? I've used this method many times. It's labor intensive, but I've found that it works pretty good. Most wood glues, when ages, become a bit brittle. If you go along the lines of the glue with a knife, you may be able to just pull it off, or use a screwdriver or chisel after you cut around the glue.

It requires a steady hand, but it's cheaper than solvents or hiring someone.

Just a thought. Can't hurt to try it.

How close are you to Canada? I'd be willing to take on the project if you deliver. :)

[KBC]

I have a recommendation and if it was already suggested, I do apologize.

I don't do a lot of refinishing, most of my projects are the things I make from scratch, but I have had oopsies where I had to remove glue, or worse.

CFR (Ceilingfanrepair) have you tried an exacto knife? I've used this method many times. It's labor intensive, but I've found that it works pretty good. Most wood glues, when ages, become a bit brittle. If you go along the lines of the glue with a knife, you may be able to just pull it off, or use a screwdriver or chisel after you cut around the glue.

It requires a steady hand, but it's cheaper than solvents or hiring someone.

Just a thought. Can't hurt to try it.

How close are you to Canada? I'd be willing to take on the project if you deliver. :)

He's actually a couple of hours from me,but my schedule is such that right now it wouldn't be a good idea,, yet;)

And wow,if EVER we got together.(but alas,dreams are for the dreamers, and single folks... LMAO)... the project(s) we could make... :eek:

[Alty]

He's actually a couple of hours from me,but my schedule is such that right now it wouldn't be a good idea,,,yet;)

And wow,if EVER we got together.(but alas,dreams are for the dreamers,,and single folks...LMAO)...the project(s) we could make....:eek:

We'd never leave my workshop/garage. :)

Maybe we should both darken CFR's doorstep. If only I had a passport, and millions. :)

[ceilingfanrepair]

I have a great workshop. It's 20x30, heated, AC, with all sorts of tools including a 60 gallon air compressor. And cable. You guys come any time!

Last refinishing project I did, I used zip strip, but I'm really not picky. Where can I buy any stripper in bulk? I am sure I can make pretty much anything work.

FWIW the person that gave me the cabinet said it was silicone. It looks like very very thick caulk. And it was VERY hard.

[Alty]

20x30, heated and AC?

Will you marry me? ;)

Sadly I'm out of ideas. I'll ask a friend of mine, he does a lot of refinishing, I'm a "from scratch" type of gal.

Give me a few days, I'll call him and see if he has any ideas.