What tool for these fixings?

karlyk1

Hi folks. Was wondering if anyone could tell me what kind of fixings these are and, more importantly, what tool to use to unscrew them? It's a big dining room table I need to dismantle to move out. I've never seen them before. Thanks.

mfceiling

karlyk1 wrote: »

Hi folks. Was wondering if anyone could tell me what kind of fixings these are and, more importantly, what tool to use to unscrew them? It's a big dining room table I need to dismantle to move out. I've never seen them before. Thanks.

Usually a large flat headed screwdriver. One "half" turn and the 2 parts should come away from each other.

fritzelly

Looks like a slotted spanner head - is the middle raised to the slot height so a flat head wont work?

karlyk1

Yes, exactly. Flat head won't do it unfortunately.

Gen.Zhukov

Security s/driver. You might be able to butcher an old one to fit.

my3cents

Looks to me like a Allen key in the middle of that?

cletus

my3cents wrote: »

Looks to me like a Allen key in the middle of that?

No, it's some sort of rivet holding the threaded end to the table. Look closely and you'll see the head of the rivet is split about six ways and peined over

Lumen

Is that not swarf in the head from using the wrong size or type of bit with too much chooch? But they look too perfect.

What's going in from the other piece on the left (at 90 degrees).

Gen.Zhukov

my3cents wrote: »

Looks to me like a Allen key in the middle of that?

Looking again it does look like that. I've seen that swarf in the bottom of cheap screws before. Think it's what's left after the hex tooling has punched the hex socket in the head of the screw.

my3cents

You can also see the edge of the allen screw thread?

Still can't work out how those fittings work?

cletus

Honestly it looks like a hollow externally threaded fitting, rivetted through the centre, with a threaded ring screwed down on it using one of those security bits.

I really think the Allen key look is simply an effect of the fixing process.

A better lit, clearer picture from the op could clear this up quickly though

my3cents

cletus wrote: »

Honestly it looks like a hollow externally threaded fitting, rivetted through the centre, with a threaded ring screwed down on it using one of those security bits.

I really think the Allen key look is simply an effect of the fixing process.

A better lit, clearer picture from the op could clear this up quickly though

The only way I can think it can work is if its a standard furniture bolt like this https://www.amazon.co.uk/sourcing-map-M6x90mm-Furniture-Phillips-Slotted/dp/B07KC73KY4/ with an extra hex head grub screw (in the nut part) to stop the main bolt coming loose. Note how both fittings are pulled to the left.

But thats just a guess.

Lumen

Well, I think you're just gonna have to cut the legs off and then glue them back on again. :pac:

my3cents

Lumen wrote: »

Well, I think you're just gonna have to cut the legs off and then glue them back on again. :pac:

And while they are off we could have a fight with the legs

THE ALM

You have three pieces:-

The long one will screw into the leg of the table, you then drop the outer housing into the hole in the table frame (the slots are to make sure it lines up) and then the threaded screw will screw into this to pull it tight.

You need an allen key to remove this centre screw and the leg will pull away from the frame.IMG_20191021_160126.jpg

karlyk1

Hi folks... Thanks for the input (even though I'm still a bit confused!) Hopefully this picture is a bit clearer. Am still flummoxed as to how to loosen these bad boys. I've never seen the like.

karlyk1

THE ALM wrote: »

You have three pieces:-

The long one will screw into the leg of the table, you then drop the outer housing into the hole in the table frame (the slots are to make sure it lines up) and then the threaded screw will screw into this to pull it tight.

You need an allen key to remove this centre screw and the leg will pull away from the frame.IMG_20191021_160126.jpg

Thanks for that... However I've tried lots of different sizes Allen keys and none seem to work 😣

Stigura

karlyk1 wrote: »

I've tried lots of different sizes Allen keys and none seem to work

Imperial And Metric? Have ye full sets, or just a box of them?

karlyk1

Stigura wrote: »

Imperial And Metric? Have ye full sets, or just a box of them?

Ummmm... That I'll have to check. Have lots and none were any use

Stigura

Cool. I honestly couldn't even tell ye if my red or yellow set are the Imperials. Nor could I tell, staring at a hole.

But, the difference in size between the largest of each sets largest is obvious, placed end to end.

Just possible that ye table maker used one 'size'. Your collection of keys might be the other?

Del2005

karlyk1 wrote: »

Hi folks... Thanks for the input (even though I'm still a bit confused!) Hopefully this picture is a bit clearer. Am still flummoxed as to how to loosen these bad boys. I've never seen the like.

Can a large flat screwdriver not open them? It looks like it could.

chillyspoon

Del2005 wrote: »

Can a large flat screwdriver not open them? It looks like it could.

In response #4 on the thread the OP said that it doesn't.

The three part allen locked system looks right to me too tbh.

THE ALM

did you get them off?

disposableFish

It's kind of weird that nothing will work - usually an imperial set will have something close enough that it at least sort of works.

Do you mean you can't get it in or can't get it to turn?
A lot of Allen keys (especially the kind of Swiss army sets pictured above) won't let put much force through them.

When you say you have loads of Allen keys, are you sure you have full sets? If you just have a load of them in a bag there's a good chance that the commonly used sizes went missing years ago and now you have 3 sets of what's left.

If you're getting desperate then you could try shoving torx bits in there.

karlyk1

THE ALM wrote: »

did you get them off?

Sorry for not replying sooner. No, nothing worked. Think it's staying put now!

THE ALM

karlyk1 wrote: »

Sorry for not replying sooner. No, nothing worked. Think it's staying put now!

very unusual, should be a very straight forward job, have fitted and dismantled thousands of these I would think.