Replies

1. 
   EdHarrow | Oct 06, 2005 04:59am | #1

   My usual method to remove bungs:

   Use awl to poke a centering hole.
   Use a drill of ~ 1/2 the bung dia and drill a hole down to fastener.
   Use the awl, or similar tool, to "collapse" the remaining portion of the bung into its drilled out center. 

   There are ugly possibilities, but don't worry about them, for now.

1. 
   Yogi | Oct 06, 2005 05:53am | #2

   Ed-  Thanks, I kinda thought it was gunna be something like that-   Ummmm, kay, uh, when should I start worrying about the ugly possibilities?

2. 
   notDusty | Oct 06, 2005 05:16pm | #3

   Yogi ,

               Ed gave one way that often is by default the way to go , but another way depending on the depth of the plug is the same method I use for removing broken off tenons from say chair rungs . What I first try is to run a screw into the center of the plug or tenon as far as I can and then careful not to dent the surrounding area I use a claw hammer to extract the part. Use a small piece of 1/4" ply to protect the piece. On the type of chairs you are working on, if one end plug is out you may be able to loosen the nut and tap the rod thru with a wood dowel to assist in removing the plug .

                         good luck  hope this helps                dusty

1. 
   Yogi | Oct 06, 2005 06:28pm | #4

   Dusty-  Thanks very much-  I'll try try that before, if necessary, going to the larger hole with Ed's idea-  Much obliged-  Yogi

1. 
   EdHarrow | Oct 07, 2005 02:30am | #5

   OK, the bad stuff...  howz the bung stuck in the hole.  If with something like paint or varnish, Dusty's method might work just fine.  Another technique is to continue to drive the screw into the bung until it hits the fastner.  Continued driving the screw jacks the bung out.  Now the down side of either of those techniques is if the bond between the bung and the surrounding wood is strong, the lifting bung may cause pieces to split off of the surface of the wood.  In that case, using the technique I suggested will still leave you cursing if the bung is epoxied in; at least you won't have damaged the surrounding wood.

   I also know of others who have used forestner bits for this task, but I'm not that good.