I'm gonna wreck it!

[Monkeyvoodoo]

Simple but strange question: Has anyone ever torn apart a cabinet before?

I have a 3Koam Z-Back that has seen better days. I'm thinking of breaking it down into pieces for easier repair and modification.With the lack of a decent workspace that can get messy, it would make things easier if I could drag pieces outside to work on them instead of the whole cabinet.

Any idea if original cabinets were glued, stapled or nailed together?

[WaRpEd]

Most are glued and stapled, however the glue deteriates with time and can sometimes be taken apart. A heat gun and patience get the glue joints to soften up. Be careful of swollen water damaged wood as it's really brittle.  Best of luck with your project

[kahlid74]

Most are glued and stapled, however the glue deteriates with time and can sometimes be taken apart. A heat gun and patience get the glue joints to soften up. Be careful of swollen water damaged wood as it's really brittle.  Best of luck with your project

Big time here.  What you want to do is really size up all the joints and note their state.  Ones that look water damaged could warp on you.  It also really depends on how much you want to salvage.  When I need to take stuff like this apart I use the old chisel/flat head screw rivers and a hammer.  I work slowly and patiently and I don't pull anything.  I let the chisel/screwdriver push apart the pieces.

There shouldn't be any screws in the cabinet but you can't be 100% sure without maybe a metal detector or trying a corner that is okay if you destroy it.  If you're super concerned I would get a metal detector and do a once-over of the whole cabinet.

[Vigo]

Take lots of pics and label your hardware. Using cheap Plano box works great. Keep close tabs on things like metal brackets unique stuff. I have seen more than once someone losing a special made metal piece to a cabinet they disassembled. Usually impossible to find a replacement.