Unclamping with a Pipe Clamp

Convert a pipe clamp—the type with a sliding crank handle—into a handy aid for disassembling old furniture. Unscrew the fixed jaw that has the crank and screw it on backward—so the jaw faces away from the pipe. Now reverse the direction of the sliding jaw and use the clamp to gently break apart the joints you’ll be repair-ing. When the handle hits the pipe, just slide it to its opposite end and give it another half crank.

P.S. Slide a piece of 1/2-in. dia. dowel in the pipe so the clamp jaw won’t flop around while you’re tightening it.