How can I turn these table leg attachment screws?

Question

I bought a used table and the screws holding it together are of a kind that I've never seen before. Unfortunately, some of them are loose and I need to tighten them. They are impossible to turn with any of my tools. The problem is that when sticking something "horizontally" in the notch it can be turned only for a couple of degrees until one touches the wood, and then the screw has not yet turned enough such that the other notch (the other "half of the cross") would be accessible. Sticking any sensible screwdriver "vertically" in the screw is not possible either because there is very little room.

The holes around the screws are so small that a finger barely fits inside; they are way too small for turning the screws with a coin. Also an Allen wrench or a similar tool is no option because the ones that would be thick enough to turn the screws are too long (even on their short sides) to fit in the holes.

Here's a picture of the full table as requested, with a walnut for scale. It's just a small couch table. As observed in the comments, the table seems to be from IKEA's former Ekersby series.

Is there a special kind of "bent screwdriver", "furniture tool", or any other tool that I could order online to tighten those screws?

Answer 1

Those aren't screws. They're engagement dogs, or maybe cams, which connect to a mating part in the table leg. You're expected to use something like a flat-blade screwdriver from the side and rotate the part a quarter turn or so using whichever slot is available. It's possible that they're bi-directional, so you'd need to have them both centered in their range of movement to remove the leg.

The problem may be that you've tightened them to the extent of their range, but time and use have loosened things enough that this isn't adequate. You may need to remove the legs and add shims between the backing blocks and the rail bore, or between the rails and the legs. Card stock may do.

Answer 2

I'm suspecting that a custom tool is needed to actuate these. Most likely the furniture maker wanted a clean look on the outside, with no visible fasteners.

This dog looks like it needs a tiny spanner like this to turn - the ends are offset by 45 degrees here

And if you can't get 45 degrees of swing then additional spanner/s with 22.5 degrees of offset would fill the gap.

It is possible there'a machine tool with a power drive to do this in a factory setting where time is important but that's a commitment to a "system"

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Other solutions:

1. Add small L brackets under the table screwed straight into the timber
2. Chisel out a "ramp" to allow a large-but-normal flathead screwdriver to mate with the fittings to loosen, shim, and refit.
3. Same ramp, but remove these weird-ass fittings and then replace with a normal screw/bolt
4. Drill a pocket screw beside this post (but so it doesn't intersect) and fit another screw.
5. Forgo the seamless outside and install screws from the outside - could be quite ugly.

For really brutal results - consider cutting through the timber completely at this hole. Then removal should be a breeze. Square off the remaining timber and secure with glue and a pocket screw. DOWNSIDE this will effectively shrink your table, so any glass won't fit and you'd need a new top, OR put the existing glass on-top rather than recessed into frame.

Answer 3

Normally there should be just enough space to turn the screw head by a quarter turn and then move the screwdriver blade to the next slot.

If there is not, then you need a tool with a bent end, which you can manufacture yourself. The idea is to turn the screw as far as it will go, then flip the tool and turn the screw some more. Something like this:

(That is sold as "pry tool" or "pry bar" or "mini crowbar")

If a PH3 or large flat bit fits in the screw head, there's also the micro ratchet. It's a good tool to have for hard to reach screws.

Another option is "the tool that does everything" since you don't care about scratches on the workpiece:

Answer 4

In the end I felt that the possible "actual solutions" were all too complicated for me, so I just went for a "dirty hack", avoiding to turn the screws/dogs/bolts at all.

Answer 5

You have a variety of options:

Bent or Offset Screwdrivers:

^{Images courtesy of Home Depot}

Allen Wrench:

Open End or Combination Wrenches:

US Quarter (or any similarly sized coin of your realm):

Basically, anything that can get into one of the slots and give it a bit of a turn. You've got 4 slot options, so just change the angle of the tool until you get purchase on the slot and some room to turn the tool.

Answer 6

I would replace those funny "bolts" with hex head or Allen bolts - likely they are a standard thread, especially given the damage shown.

An Allen key or wrench can easily be cut down to work in that space and if needed a "twist" applied on a second one to divide the turning angle needed.

Done similar before for bolts that were hard to reach...

Answer 7

In tight spaces I often use a standard 1/4" hex fitting bit of an appropriate type, but instead of turning it with a handle I use a 1/4" AF combination spanner (ideally the 12-point ring end, into which you can hold the bit with BluTak or a magnet), but the open end works too. I keep such a spanner in my main drill accessory case with the screwdriver bits, for precisely such tight spaces.

Bits are normally 25 mm long (or longer) but they can be cut down with a grinder. The really cheap ones can be cut with a decent hacksaw.

Answer 8

The first thing I would try is a micro ratchet, the smaller the better (such as VIM tools HBR3: https://a.co/d/6OScOE6) with a large slotted bit, or maybe a #4 or larger Phillips bit (but these are very uncommon and hard to find). A micro ratchet is an incredibly useful tool to have regardless.

If there isn't enough room for the micro ratchet, the next thing I would try is a 'low profile' offset screwdriver. A slotted one should work. There are inexpensive sets available on Amazon, such as this one from Neiko: https://a.co/d/bot6PTw

A small flat pry bar, the kind used for lifting nails or pulling trim, might work as well. Typically one end is bent to a 90° angle, and the other is slightly bent from straight. I'm not sure if they will fit in the hole, but I think it might. These are available in any hardware store, usually near the hammers.

Answer 9

It looks like there is enough space in the hole that a a pair of needle nose pliers, or if your grip strength isn't strong enough some long nose vice grips would be able to fit in and allow you to do a 1/16th of a rotation.

Answer 10

You only need to back out the nut a couple of turns. I use an allen key -- the thickest that will slide through from above and engage with two of the dogs on each side (using the long end for maximum leverage). You want the thickest because that gives the least slack in the movement.

As soon as the nut is backed out by an eight of an inch or less, it frees itself from the shallow recess in the the brown plastic curve filler. You will find that the filler has a slot cut in the lower edge, such that you can pull it upwards, as the bolt does not go through it. That is what the two holes in the face are for.

Finally, the whole bolt, with the nut still attached, can be pulled through outwards, still attached to the leg.