How can I remove the nut off the bolts in these chairs?

[Dumb_Polack]

Hi,

I offered to remake a few slats/parts in a neighbor's chairs.  However, I can't figure out a way to "grab" the nut to take the chair apart.  As you can see, my smallest wrench is nowhere near able to grab on to the nut.  (I don't know how these were put together initially, but I think I'm going to screw the parts together).

I tried forcing a reg, screwdriver down there to "hold" the nut but that didn't work.  I did spray some lubricant down there to hopefully loosen up the nut, but these chairs are 40+ years old and it didn't work.

What tool did they use to hold the nut while tightening the bolt?

[Hank Knight]

Socket wrench should do the trick.

[Gary G™]

The nut is perpendicular to the hole?

[Phil S.]

My guess is that when the bolt and nut were new that they didn't need anything to hold the nut.  Once they got it started on the bolt they could draw it up against the curved side of the mortise with no more than finger pressure against the side of the nut to keep it from turning while they tightened the bolt.  Once the nut bit into the wood a bit they could snug up the bolt.  Now after 40 years of corrosion reversing the process doesn't work as well.

Any chance you can grind the head off the bolt to separate the parts?  Not seeing the whole thing I'm thinking you may need to demolish the part and replace it with a new piece.

[castguy2003]

Long nose vise grip

[MT Woodworker]

Socket wrench should do the trick.

Plus 1
Thin wall deep socket, or grind one down to fit the opening

[bmich]

Hi,

I offered to remake a few slats/parts in a neighbor's chairs.  However, I can't figure out a way to "grab" the nut to take the chair apart.  As you can see, my smallest wrench is nowhere near able to grab on to the nut.  (I don't know how these were put together initially, but I think I'm going to screw the parts together).

I tried forcing a reg, screwdriver down there to "hold" the nut but that didn't work.  I did spray some lubricant down there to hopefully loosen up the nut, but these chairs are 40+ years old and it didn't work.

What tool did they use to hold the nut while tightening the bolt?

Can you just cut the two pieces apart, then worry about joining them later?

[fredhargis]

There is a version of the locking pliers that resemble a needle nose plier, but the jaws are much stouter. If you have or can get a pair of these they may possibly work.

   

[oakey]

Fred's idea might work the nut appears to be very rusty so just cutting it apart might be the only option
i think some of the guys are looking at it and seeing the hole but not realizing the hole goes straight through and the nut is on the side of the trough hole not at the bottom
more like a barrel bolt the fastener is 90 decrees to the hole not up through the bottom at least that is what i see
socket of course will not work for that

[DaveR1]

As other have suggested, grinding off the head of the screw might be the best option. The you should be able to push the screw and nut back to where you can get hold of the nut or possibly drill through the nut to get rid of it. If that chair ended up in my shop I would likely consider building a new chair to duplicate it so I didn't have to worry about saving the parts and then I would assemble it so it could be disassembled in the future if needed.