"sinister" wrote in message
...
I need to remove some deep-set nails. They're the type without large
heads, and they look like they must have been placed with a nail gun,
because the heads are (say) 1/8" into the wood.

One method I thought of was some kind of drill bit that would drill out a
small circle, except it would have a hole where the nail is so the bit
wouldn't press on the nail itself.

Thanks to all of you for replying!

About whether I want to save the wood:

It'd be easier for me to save the wood, but it's not important. The problem
is that the "top" piece (which I don't really need to save) looks sturdier
than the "bottom" wood, which is thinner, tongue-and-grove panelling stuff.
I'm worried that if I pry up the top piece, that I'll damage the panelling.
(Minor scraping is OK, but if I just pound a crowbar into there, I'm not so
sure.)

Maybe there's some wider prying tool than the usual crowbar that stands less
of a chance of damaging the paneling?

Aside: this is in the basement. The reason I want to take this apart is
that I need to be able to get at the AC, and this stuff (panelling, and the
top piece which is if I recall 1/2 or 3/4 inch strip of wood) is nail up
around the AC/furnace. I just bought the house, and myself, it makes no
sense why someone would "nail in" the furnace like that. Me, I would have
secured the part of the panelling (it cordons off a small storage area, in
addition to the AC/furnace and H2O heater) with some kind of latch or large
butterfly nut, or at least used screws there.