I just acquired this solid Oak table which is too short to be a desk and too tall to be a coffee table. I would like to repurpose it into a desk but cannot get it apart without damaging it. It has a rich history and I’d like to preserve each element. Attached are images of what I think are the way the original carpenter joined the top to the base. Any ideas on how to take it apart.
Thanks
Michael
Replies
A better picture might be to flip it over and photograph the under side. That dovetail is short grain. Does it extend across the whole board? More than the one ? Its tapered. I don't see what it would accomplish unless maybe it is a patch for some flaw in the wood or hiding something. My guess is that the top will be screwed to the apron in some fashion. The stretchers, such as they are , will make repurposing the table into a desk a challenge. Raising it up and not ending up with an ugly out of proportion mess is more of a challenge!
I have attached 2 annotated pics. I intend using new legs, using the base as a second tier on the desk and the legs as a printer stand alongside. Thanks