Extracting Nails

moonwolf · #1 01/25/15, 03:02 PM

What's the most effective and fastest way to extrac framing
nails from used lumber? I'm looking at removing nails from
some good used decking lumber, some of which are nailed
several thickness together making more difficult using a crowbar
or nail puller tool. The most time consuming part is getting a
Good grab onto the nail head. Then, if the head crimps the rest
of the embedded nail is more problem. Any better ideas?

where I want to · #2 01/25/15, 03:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by moonwolf

What's the most effective and fastest way to extrac framing
nails from used lumber? I'm looking at removing nails from
some good used decking lumber, some of which are nailed
several thickness together making more difficult using a crowbar
or nail puller tool. The most time consuming part is getting a
Good grab onto the nail head. Then, if the head crimps the rest
of the embedded nail is more problem. Any better ideas?

Try seperating the layer farthest away from the nail head from the rest of the boards until the nail is left in one thickness only?. Using a punch to drive the nail through if the head is removed or removing the head to allow the boards to seperate? Driving it out from the other side?
I throw these out because I personally never found an easy way to do this. Using another block of wood as a fulcum helped but only til the head broke off.

Rustaholic · #3 01/25/15, 03:25 PM

What type on nail puller are you using?
It is a Cat's Paw type?
I like the older slide hammer type.
They will grip the nail just below the head.

Harry Chickpea · #4 01/25/15, 03:32 PM

Do a video search on "denailer"

**clovis** · #5 01/25/15, 03:41 PM

I like a variety of tools.

A cat's paw is nice to lift the head up out of the wood.

My favorite is a pair of long handled nips. If the nails are 16's, you'll most likely need the longer handles for greater leverage.

I also like my 28 ounce Estwing framing hammer. It is a pretty long handled tool, and makes it easier to get good leverage.

Skandi · #6 01/25/15, 03:51 PM

I've been doing a lot of this recently.. from old decking and a old carport. I'm just using a claw hammer, and crowbar, crowbar to pry them appart, then hammer the nail back through a little and use the claw to remove it, not had any snap off at the head, plenty of bent nails.. but they are old and rusty so I didn't want to reuse anyway!
Been having more problems with the rusted and destroyed screws in it all. taken to just drilling them out now if I HAVE to remove them!

PS I do have pliers too.but I don't have the strength to just pull nail out

where I want to · #7 01/25/15, 03:52 PM

This post brings back the nightmare of taking siding off a small barn to save and reuse the redwood shiplap siding. The tool I used most was a forged nail puller with sliding arm. It was the most successful at getting those nails out of the framing but when the force took off the nail head, it made a sound like a gun shot, sent me flying back wards and occasionally resulted in the tool hitting me in the face. Oh the pain, the pain.

DaleK · #8 01/25/15, 04:04 PM

If you can't get them with one of the above relatively easily, grind the head off and pull the boards apart.

Alice In TX/MO · #9 01/25/15, 04:22 PM

FANTASTIC tool.

unregistered353870 · #10 01/25/15, 06:51 PM

+1 on the denailer.

moonwolf · #11 01/25/15, 06:53 PM

That denailer seems like the ticket. I work at a retailer selling
a wide variety of air tools. Worth checking out! Thanks for the
Suggestions.

Nimrod · #12 01/25/15, 07:00 PM

You can leave the nail in the wood and use a carbide blade in your saw when you cut the boards. Try not to cut through a nail but the carbide blade will cut through the nail if you hit it. I simply cut off the protruding part of the nail with the sawzall and a metal cutting blade. If two boards are nailed together, you can hammer a flat pry bar between them to seperate them just enough to fit the sawzall's blade between them.

If you really want to go to the work of completely removing all the nails, you can tap on the pointed end of the nail until the head sticks up a bit. Then grab it with the nail puller and rotate it to pull the nail. This nail puller works even if the nail had no head. I also used mine to remove thousands of staples that a crazed previous home owner had used to hold down the most awful lime green shag carpet.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/2614626...lpid=82&chn=ps