Antique furniture may give at out one time or another. And these breaks usually happen in the joints where they take much of the stress over the years. If you are planning to repair the joint, it will be a lot easier if you get down into separating the joints.

Here’s a great tip on how to soften up antique wood glue for easy joint separation. Squirting vinegar into the joint can help break down the old glue and soften it up. Drill out the old bits of damaged wood. Just be careful not to do unnecessary damage to the good wood. The old glue can be scraped off. Also, be careful not to soak up the other parts of the wood with vinegar as it may damage the finish. That’s why a syringe is recommended.

This trick is mostly done on antique wood because of the type of glue used in those things. Vinegar may not have an effect on modern day epoxy-type adhesives and other new glues.

Via Tricks of the Trade