Steam cleaner for glue "unfastening" ?

[rudy de haas]

hi everyone:

I haven't been on this forum for a while since I finished rebuilding my house from the inside out - but have positive memories of the help I got here. Now I have a new problem and.. yep, looking for good advice.

Specifically we have a tightly fitted screen door made by a master craftsman decades ago. The screen itself (about 62" x 30") - which my dog stuck her paw through - is held in place with custom contoured wood strips that are glued and pinned (the pin heads look decorative, I do not yet know if they actually do anything). The wood looks like Honduran Mahogany and I do not have replacement wood nor do I think I can find any that matches - although I have some other mahoganies that might come close.

So how do I remove the glue without wrecking the wood? (The joins are long and tight, no room for tools or injectables that I can see).

I do have a dupray steam cleaner - would a directed steam blast work without damaging the wood beyond simple cleanup?screen_door.jpg

[Tom Bender]

Pull the pins and see what that gets you.

[Richard Coers]

You know for sure it's glued in? I wouldn't call anyone a master craftsman if he didn't provide for replacing the screen.

[John TenEyck]

I agree. I really doubt it's glued. You might need to cut along the line where the molding meets the frame to break the finish seal, but I think those moldings will come out once you do that and pull the nails. Get a thin blade between the screen and molding along its midpoint and gently see if you can pry it up.

John

[Warren Lake]

abused words. best I knew would never refer to themselves that way and likely turn red if someone called them that. Like using the word bespoke in america. Hocus pocus.

[Mel Fulks]

One thing I notice is the screen is not of the type that will refuse to allow the entrance of insects. It will refuse to allow snakes .

[Doug Garson]

+1 on not glued, don't think anyone who knew what they were doing would glue in trim holding a screen or glass in a door.

[rudy de haas]

I agree. I really doubt it's glued. You might need to cut along the line where the molding meets the frame to break the finish seal, but I think those moldings will come out once you do that and pull the nails. Get a thin blade between the screen and molding along its midpoint and gently see if you can pry it up.

John

Thanks all!

I'll try it and see.