I have to pull some 3 inch penny nails, which were hammered flat into some
good quality timber. I cannot gain access to anything except the nail head,
even after the nails have been removed. I am looking for ways to extract
these nails without doing serious damage to the timber.


TIA.

Don't know what "serious" damage means in this case, but never heard of
any easy way. You might not have thought of just drilling the heads off
and covering the remaining bit with some wood filler. Presumably you
will have to patch anyway. 'Course, that doesn't help if your trying to
cut or mill the wood in some way, so I give up.

-Kevin

George Eberhardt wrote:
I have to pull some 3 inch penny nails, which were hammered flat into some
good quality timber. I cannot gain access to anything except the nail head,
even after the nails have been removed. I am looking for ways to extract
these nails without doing serious damage to the timber.

There are two tools that will minimize damage, one is a slap-hammer
type arrangement
http://www.gp.lib.mi.us/information/...nailpuller.jpg and the
other is a more typical nail puller with very sharp pointed ends
http://www.vandykes.com/images/products/02003709-lg.jpg

There is no way to remove a 10d nail by pulling it out of the face of
the wood without damaging the wood to some extent.

R

On Wed, 21 Dec 2005 08:57:36 -0500, "George Eberhardt"
wrote:

I have to pull some 3 inch penny nails, which were hammered flat into some
good quality timber. I cannot gain access to anything except the nail head,
even after the nails have been removed. I am looking for ways to extract
these nails without doing serious damage to the timber.


Three inch nails, or 3 penny nails? and by "hammered flat" do you
mean driven all the way in, or bent over? What do you intend to
do with the "timber" when you're done, and what size is it?
By "good quality timber" do you mean fir or oak that you
don't want to throw away, or some specialty hardwood worth
several hundred dollars? (In the latter case, it's worth
building a special tool, and/or using some fairly exotic
technology [get someone to make you a titanium tube that
just barely fits over the nail-wire, grind the heads off
the nails, pound the tube over the nail and pull it out,
and then take the nail out with a magnet.])

Assuming you mean 3" nails driven all the way in (the worst case)
you pretty much have to carefully pare away around the nail-heads
with a knife or chisel until you can get a nail-puller around
the heads, and then plane down the beam about 1/4" when you're done.

If you're using the thing as a structural member and don't intend
to cut it, you could alternatively grind/drill the heads off,
and drive the nails farther in with a punch.

center punch the nail head, drill away nail head with 5/16" or so drill bit,
drive the nail on through.

bill


"George Eberhardt" wrote in message
...
I have to pull some 3 inch penny nails, which were hammered flat into some
good quality timber. I cannot gain access to anything except the nail
head,
even after the nails have been removed. I am looking for ways to extract
these nails without doing serious damage to the timber.


TIA.

"George Eberhardt" wrote in message
...
I have to pull some 3 inch penny nails, which were hammered flat into some
good quality timber. I cannot gain access to anything except the nail
head,
even after the nails have been removed. I am looking for ways to extract
these nails without doing serious damage to the timber.


TIA.

check out a cats paw.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=...rds=cats%20paw

a piece of plywood to pivot on would help the gouging. YEP going to be some
gouging.

George Eberhardt wrote:

I have to pull some 3 inch penny nails, which were hammered flat into some
good quality timber. I cannot gain access to anything except the nail
head,
even after the nails have been removed. I am looking for ways to extract
these nails without doing serious damage to the timber.


TIA.

Use a pair of Channel Locks and piece of plywood once you have it lifted a
bit, or try the Channel Locks to get a bite on it. If nothing else drive it
home and patch.
--
"you can lead them to LINUX
but you can't make them THINK"

http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=...=nail%20puller

Either of the first two would be the best.

Frank

"George Eberhardt" wrote in message
...
I have to pull some 3 inch penny nails, which were hammered
flat into some
good quality timber. I cannot gain access to anything
except the nail head,
even after the nails have been removed. I am looking for
ways to extract
these nails without doing serious damage to the timber.


TIA.

George,

Lowes and Home Depot in the tool section sell what looks like a pair of
pliers but has a grabber to grip the nail head and then you bend it over
to pull the nail out. Works great and does no damage.

J



George Eberhardt wrote:
I have to pull some 3 inch penny nails, which were hammered flat into some
good quality timber. I cannot gain access to anything except the nail head,
even after the nails have been removed. I am looking for ways to extract
these nails without doing serious damage to the timber.


TIA.

If this is NOT finish lumber, just grind them off with an angle
grinder. If it finish lumber, use a block of scrap wood under the pry
bar.

On Wed, 21 Dec 2005 08:57:36 -0500, "George Eberhardt"
wrote:

I have to pull some 3 inch penny nails, which were hammered flat into some
good quality timber. I cannot gain access to anything except the nail head,
even after the nails have been removed. I am looking for ways to extract
these nails without doing serious damage to the timber.


TIA.

On Wed, 21 Dec 2005 22:37:31 -0500, Joey
wrote:

George,

Lowes and Home Depot in the tool section sell what looks like a pair of
pliers but has a grabber to grip the nail head and then you bend it over
to pull the nail out. Works great and does no damage.

OP, you do know that once it is out a little, you rest the hammer on
another piece of wood before you pull it out the rest of the way,
right?

J



George Eberhardt wrote:
I have to pull some 3 inch penny nails, which were hammered flat into some
good quality timber. I cannot gain access to anything except the nail head,
even after the nails have been removed. I am looking for ways to extract
these nails without doing serious damage to the timber.


TIA.






Remove NOPSAM to email me. Please let
me know if you have posted also.

George Eberhardt wrote:
I have to pull some 3 inch penny nails, which were hammered flat into some

TIA.

I get the nail head up a little, then use a hammer...before pulling put
a small block of wood under the hammer. this makes pulling much easier,
it also keeps the hammer from marring the wood.

sand her down, back fill with wood fill, sander her down one mo time!

now it's got character

I just use a set of bullnose pliers and a small scrap piece of
stainless steel to protect the wood. I have yet to find a nail I can
not pull.
On 22 Dec 2005 05:21:39 -0800, "chickenwing"
wrote:


George Eberhardt wrote:
I have to pull some 3 inch penny nails, which were hammered flat into some

TIA.

I get the nail head up a little, then use a hammer...before pulling put
a small block of wood under the hammer. this makes pulling much easier,
it also keeps the hammer from marring the wood.

sand her down, back fill with wood fill, sander her down one mo time!

now it's got character

On Fri, 23 Dec 2005 02:04:17 GMT, wrote:

I just use a set of bullnose pliers and a small scrap piece of
stainless steel to protect the wood. I have yet to find a nail I can
not pull.

Guess you never tried to pull 6 inch ringed pole barn spikes....
You WON'T get them out no matter how hard you try. I have almost
every nail pulling tool type made. You just cant pull them if the are
in solid wood. Grinding off the heads is the only way. Once head is
ground off, pry board off. The headless remains of the nails are still
in the pole. Being hardened nails, they can be snapped off easily,
but you can not pull them. I have tried using a 4 foot pry bar with a
6 foot pipe on the handle. The boards broke.

Mark

Hmm I have used a railroad spike puller. For the 6 inch ringed spike
I would have to weld up something similar. This is if I ever run into
that problem.

On Fri, 23 Dec 2005 20:25:48 -0600, wrote:

On Fri, 23 Dec 2005 02:04:17 GMT, wrote:

I just use a set of bullnose pliers and a small scrap piece of
stainless steel to protect the wood. I have yet to find a nail I can
not pull.

Guess you never tried to pull 6 inch ringed pole barn spikes....
You WON'T get them out no matter how hard you try. I have almost
every nail pulling tool type made. You just cant pull them if the are
in solid wood. Grinding off the heads is the only way. Once head is
ground off, pry board off. The headless remains of the nails are still
in the pole. Being hardened nails, they can be snapped off easily,
but you can not pull them. I have tried using a 4 foot pry bar with a
6 foot pipe on the handle. The boards broke.

Mark

Something along the lines of the following
http://wcmachinery.net/images/produc...ools/sd45.html
http://www.stanley-hydraulic-tools.c...e%20puller.htm
http://cgi.ebay.com/Railroad-Hydraul...cmdZ ViewItem

On Fri, 23 Dec 2005 20:25:48 -0600, wrote:

On Fri, 23 Dec 2005 02:04:17 GMT, wrote:

I just use a set of bullnose pliers and a small scrap piece of
stainless steel to protect the wood. I have yet to find a nail I can
not pull.

Guess you never tried to pull 6 inch ringed pole barn spikes....
You WON'T get them out no matter how hard you try. I have almost
every nail pulling tool type made. You just cant pull them if the are
in solid wood. Grinding off the heads is the only way. Once head is
ground off, pry board off. The headless remains of the nails are still
in the pole. Being hardened nails, they can be snapped off easily,
but you can not pull them. I have tried using a 4 foot pry bar with a
6 foot pipe on the handle. The boards broke.

Mark

On Sat, 24 Dec 2005 02:53:12 GMT, wrote:

Hmm I have used a railroad spike puller. For the 6 inch ringed spike
I would have to weld up something similar. This is if I ever run into
that problem.

I must say, thats one I never tried !!!!
Something would have to be welded to grab the nail head.


On Fri, 23 Dec 2005 20:25:48 -0600, wrote:

On Fri, 23 Dec 2005 02:04:17 GMT, wrote:

I just use a set of bullnose pliers and a small scrap piece of
stainless steel to protect the wood. I have yet to find a nail I can
not pull.

Guess you never tried to pull 6 inch ringed pole barn spikes....
You WON'T get them out no matter how hard you try. I have almost
every nail pulling tool type made. You just cant pull them if the are
in solid wood. Grinding off the heads is the only way. Once head is
ground off, pry board off. The headless remains of the nails are still
in the pole. Being hardened nails, they can be snapped off easily,
but you can not pull them. I have tried using a 4 foot pry bar with a
6 foot pipe on the handle. The boards broke.

Mark

maradcliff@UNLISTED wrote:
On Sat, 24 Dec 2005 02:53:12 GMT, wrote:

Hmm I have used a railroad spike puller. For the 6 inch ringed spike
I would have to weld up something similar. This is if I ever run into
that problem.

it's not enough juice for the squeeze

whew

"George Eberhardt" wrote in message
...
I have to pull some 3 inch penny nails, which were hammered flat into some
good quality timber. I cannot gain access to anything except the nail
head,
even after the nails have been removed. I am looking for ways to extract
these nails without doing serious damage to the timber.


Thanks for the good advice. It helped me get the nails out with only minor
damage and my project is moving ahead again.

George
--
George Eberhardt
(732)224-8988

I use a set of bullnose pliers and a small piece of 16 guage metal to
protect the wood. Have yet to find a nail I can not get out.



On 22 Dec 2005 05:21:39 -0800, "chickenwing"
wrote:


George Eberhardt wrote:
I have to pull some 3 inch penny nails, which were hammered flat into some

TIA.

I get the nail head up a little, then use a hammer...before pulling put
a small block of wood under the hammer. this makes pulling much easier,
it also keeps the hammer from marring the wood.

sand her down, back fill with wood fill, sander her down one mo time!

now it's got character