Archived from the Tools In Action forum (Pub Talk). This thread is read-only.
When I made my picnic table I used new pt 2x8s for the top. I drilled the hole for my umbrella and as the wood dried it seized the shaft into the top. Any ideas how to remove it without ruining the shaft or the table? I tried wd40 last year with no help.[External image (uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com), not copied]
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You need a heavier grease than wd-40, thick machine grease maybe but if that don’t work wait for a really cold day where the wood won’t swell as much
Jimbo
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Take out the 2×8 and rip it down the middle on either side of the pole, remove the pole, then just put the two pieces back on the table like it was just part of the design, no one will be the wiser!
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If you got a jig saw drill a hole and cut a slightly larger circle
Jimbo
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Put a piece of hard wood against it and hammer it out.
Are you able to rotate it by hand? Or is the wood so swelled around it that it wont let you?
I can’t rotate it at all. I tried in the middle of winter thinking the cold would help, but nothing. I may lay the table on its side and try to hammer it out.
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I’m with Not Carl ( 😉 ) in this. Great idea actually! I’ve also heard you could induce the opposite of this (I.e. Potato chipped wood) by laying it down on some wet ground, grass or something and let the sun go to work allowing the wood to settle back into its more natural state, basically inducing the wood to move as humidity does. Not sure if it would work but in the case of what @KnarlyCarlsaid, I totally agree. You can the refinish the top to get it closer to the hew board. Also give yourself some lee way with the new hole to allow for that expansion and contraction that you have seen!
Take a blow torch to the base but not so close that you leave unsightly burn marks on the surface. Eventually it will get hot enough that it will starts to burn the wood in contact with the shaft. Allow it to burn a minute or so and you should be able to twist it free once it cools. Use method at your own risk. I have had success with this method.
Head gun might be able to get the wood to shrink but with less of a chance to burn. First thought is to not use any lube because it will probably soak into the wood and you want the wood to shrink. Lubricant doesn’t really help all that much with wood anyway, at least none that I know of
Yeah i like the suggestions above,thats why most tables have like a 1 1/2″ hole with a grommet in it to prevent that from happening. The tabletop isnt really supposed to be the support,that all happens down below with your weight attachment and leg bracing.
If you end up sawing the piece in half,use pocket holes and some Spax screws to put it back together and you will never have that issue again.
What diameter is the umbrella shaft? Whats with that really small Oring there on top? All else fails saw that sucker off and make a new shaft that should be pretty easy to do.
Wait for a super hot day, leave table in sun. Use compressed air canister upside down to freeze metal and it should slide out.
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using masking tape, tape off square close to pipe leaving about 2″ pour hot water on wood, wait about 2 minutes then wiggle pipe back and forth in 4 different directions gently. tap pipe out ……….
The umbrella shaft is wood, not metal. I only had a 1.5″ spade bit when I made the table and it fit with some play so I didn’t think I needed to sand it any more.
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Dano, what about using a Japanese saw and cut the rod off of both ends. Then you can hammer out the small piece while you have the offending board resting on some bricks with the shaft hanging between said bricks. You’ll lose the pole but that might work and be a little quicker.
ChrisK wrote:
46 minutes ago, ChrisK said:Dano, what about using a Japanese saw and cut the rod off of both ends. Then you can hammer out the small piece while you have the offending board resting on some bricks with the shaft hanging between said bricks. You’ll lose the pole but that might work and be a little quicker.
a multi tool would come in handy, or a coping saw if you wanted to do it by hand…..
I’m with chris, a flexing japanese pull saw will get you the cleanest cut. Cut one side or both then hammer out.
If you don’t already own such a saw, go buy one, you don’t know what you’re missing.
I was trying not to ruin the umbrella pole. I will try to lube it up and hit it with my sledge first.
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This is just like Excalibur. You need to prove yourself worthy of being able to remove it 🙂
How about just using a drill bit to carefully drill out some relief holes. You’ll probably only need two or three.
Other option is a Dremel tool to cut the hole bigger. It’s the only tool I can think of to get close enough to keep the hole small.
How aout jacking/blocking up the table and using a deadblow to plow it back thru then make the hole bigger? using a holesaw or something.
The threaded end looks easy to reattach if you need to remove it.
Speaking of jacking…do you have a way to brace the table, then put a jack against the pole and try to jack it out. That sounds truly perverted, but I’m thinking you brace the table against something, then brace a jack against another something, then jack the jack into the pole. The jack will have more strength/force against the pole, and you won’t have to worry about damaging the pole.
I like Carl’s idea the most
I say if you are trying to save both, drill small holes as close to center pole as you can as many times as you need to until pole releases then once pole is removed clean hole then glue a plug in and redrill size you need……kinda like a helicoil but with no threads.
Kato wrote:
12 minutes ago, Kato said:Speaking of jacking…do you have a way to brace the table, then put a jack against the pole and try to jack it out. That sounds truly perverted, but I’m thinking you brace the table against something, then brace a jack against another something, then jack the jack into the pole. The jack will have more strength/force against the pole, and you won’t have to worry about damaging the pole.
Great idea but he’s still have to be careful, the jack definitely has the strength to snap the pole. If the table isn’t tied down, then the table’s weight can help but it won’t weigh soo much to snap the pole. I think this would work with dying out the area around the hole or opening the hole slightly.
In fact, why don’t you just open the hole up? Don’t they make grommets that are meant to hold umbrellas? Just drill out the area around the pole like comp just said but not wider than the grommet.
I’m not working anymore but when I did it was a cost thing, waste to much time on something it cost more than just replacing something. In this case you are trying to save a wood pole or a piece of 2″x 6″ …granted this possibly could be just a challenge but in the long run time is money even in my shop (even if I work at my own pace) I still have to decide if things are worth doing or what way is worth doing it.
comp56 wrote:
I’m not working anymore but when I did it was a cost thing, waste to much time on something it cost more than just replacing something. In this case you are trying to save a wood pole or a piece of 2″x 6″ …granted this possibly could be just a challenge but in the long run time is money even in my shop (even if I work at my own pace) I still have to decide if things are worth doing or what way is worth doing it.
Yup. Gotta put a value on your time. Actually, it’s a great idea to do this for just about everything. What’s your time worth to you and re-evaluate that regularly.
RickyMcGrath wrote:
12 minutes ago, RickyMcGrath said:Yup. Gotta put a value on your time. Actually, it’s a great idea to do this for just about everything. What’s your time worth to you and re-evaluate that regularly.
big part of buying all these tools is to make things easier and save time so why waste it……….
Could u not just chisel off the underside of the hole about a quarter inch depth all around the pole to relieve the pressure a bit.
Yeah, I agree that time is money. I bought 2 umbrellas at Ollie’s discount store for both of my tables that match and I doubt I will be able to find another one, that is why I am trying to save the pole. As for the 2×8, I can finally stain the top so I don’t want to have to replace the board and wait months for it to take stain to match. If I can’t get it out easily, I will just leave it for this year and cut it off in the fall.
I would either cut the pole and sand it flush, or if you want to keep both:
As other members already said,. Drill a few small relief holes around the pole. Should be easy to remove the pole. Then clamp some wood to the table and use a hole saw to make the umbrella hole just a little bigger- this will clean up the small relief holes too. You can leave it alone or plug the hole.
Have tried pouring hot water on it to expand the wood of the table? Should expand and soften it up enough to twist it out.
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