Removing Wood Appliques

Place a tarp on the floor under the wood appliques or a rag on the work surface and set small items with appliques on top.

Pour 1/2 cup white vinegar into a small saucepan. Heat the vinegar on the stove until it is hot, but not boiling.

Insert the tip of a thin-bladed metal putty knife under an edge of a wood applique and lift it slightly off the surface if possible. If glue bonds to the edge, do not attempt to pry or chip the wood applique off the surface.

Fill an eyedropper with the hot white vinegar. Place the tip of the eyedropper into the small gap between the wood applique and the substrate. Squeeze three to four drops of white vinegar into the gap. If there is no gap, squeeze three to four drops of white vinegar along the edge of the applique where it meets the substrate. Allow the vinegar to remain in the gap or around the edge of the applique for five to 10 minutes.

Pry the applique up slightly and add three to four drops of white vinegar. Leave the putty knife under the lifted edge to hold the wood applique away from the substrate or insert a small wood shim to hold the applique away from the surface. If the vinegar sat on the edge around the wood applique, insert the knife under the edge where the vinegar softened the wood glue.

Continue to pry the applique up, squeeze three to four drops of hot white vinegar, let it sit for five to 10 minutes and pry again until the wood applique lifts away from the substrate.

Dip a rag in the hot vinegar and lay it over the remaining wood glue. Let the rag sit for five to 10 minutes.

Remove the vinegar-soaked rag and wet a nylon scrubbing-pad with white vinegar. Gently scrub the substrate with the nylon pad to remove excess dried glue. Repeat as many times as necessary to remove all dried glue.