Please can tell me what this screw is (if it is a screw!) and how to get it out?

[PotatoSoup]

Hiya, thank you for reading this
I want to take my bannister off to replace it and it's held up, I think, by the screws in the photo which are in twos at intervals along the length of it. I'm only guessing they're screws - could be anything?! I have no clue!

Please could someone tell me what they are and how to take them out - they don't have a head I can use an Allen key or screwdriver on .... I'm considering using my teeth at this point!!

 

[jeds]

Looks like a peg.

 

[matlob]

They may be screw caps, have you tried prizing them off or removing some paint

 

[^woody^]

Cupped washer or a timber plug hiding a screw? Bite the paint off have a look.

 

[PotatoSoup]

Thank you!! - I'll go and get the paint off and see if I can prize them off...

 

[PotatoSoup]

You were right - thank you so much!! Excellent

 

[^woody^]

Stairs must have been fitted by a furniture maker

 

[PotatoSoup]

How come?

 

[PotatoSoup]

How come?

Someone also attached the skirting with huge nails that were a right bugger to get off - they've taken half the wall with them in places!! I'm assuming that probably wasn't a furniture maker though - just someone who was so proud of their work they wanted the skirting to stay on FOREVER!!

 

[^woody^]

Those are furniture glides that go on the bottom of legs.

 

[noseall]

Someone also attached the skirting with huge nails that were a right bugger to get off - they've taken half the wall with them in places!! I'm assuming that probably wasn't a furniture maker though - just someone who was so proud of their work they wanted the skirting to stay on FOREVER!!

Those huge nails are cut nails, used before we had nail guns, cordless drills/drivers, screws etc. They don't half grip into soft blocks though.

 

[^woody^]

Yes, on the Herakles scale of grip we have

10 ... Strongest - Rusty cut clasp nail
v
v
5 ...... Medium - Dried milky cornflake
v
v
1 ...... Weakest - Tube of CT1

 

[Exedon]

My grandad was a cabinet maker when I acquired all what was left of his gear it included a old cardboard box of those things .
Box was marked dome's of silence!

 

[PotatoSoup]

Those huge nails are cut nails, used before we had nail guns, cordless drills/drivers, screws etc. They don't half grip into soft blocks though.

That is very true!!!

 

[PotatoSoup]

My grandad was a cabinet maker when I acquired all what was left of his gear it included a old cardboard box of those things .
Box was marked dome's of silence!

Dome's of silence?! Is that just an awesome name or does it actually mean something?