Nail Pullers

Ben Donovan · Jan 25, 2010

I recently dismantled a 45 by 60 machine shed and had to pull all the nails out of the tin was curious if any of you other guys have ever done this and how you pulled the nails out with out ruining the tin
Thanks

glennster · Jan 25, 2010

we took down a 60X120 morton building and pulled all the nails. i made some slide hammer pullers using long handle end nippers, welded some steel rod to one of the handles, and added a sliding weight. worked real good. pulled the nails without damaging the tin. a friend of mine borrowed em a few years ago and has yet to return them.

Anonymous-0 · Jan 25, 2010

RR pinchers work real well, and a pair of leather gloves because you pinch the nail head off. Enders pinchers will work ok, but the jaws break off. They offer replacment, but it's a trip to town to replace them.

The RR pinchers have replacable jays, but I have never replaced one ever in fourty years of abuse.

JR Frye · Jan 25, 2010

Good morning:
My son and I pulled the steel off of a 40x60 we
used 2 pair of horse hoof nippers and they work great.
JR.Frye

Errin OH · Jan 25, 2010

I fashioned a slide hammer to a regular framing hammer head and just pulled them out without putting any pressure on the tin. I like the nipper idea though. Sometimes it wasn't real easy to get the hammer head on nails in the flat area of the tin. On the ribs was pretty easy though......

Billy NY · Jan 25, 2010

I'm trying to visualize what that looked like, I've got 1/2 of a 125'-0" x 80'-0" barn with corrugated aluminum roofing, where the nails are coming up out of the perlins, we just re-trussed and put new tin up on the other half, a tool like that sure would help on the repairs to re-fasten etc. though these are aluminum nails, heads are soft, they deform easily, I'd love to see a photo of one of these tools if anyone has one and could post.

Anonymous-0 · Jan 25, 2010

I welded a vice grip to a slide hammer and they pulled out quite easily. That thing is handy for other tasks as well. Surprised they don't make a model of that for retail sale.

old · Jan 25, 2010

Can be touch to do BTDT and I build a lot of stuff from used stuff. I have used hammers, pry bars and horse hoof clippers and all work so so at best. Sure wish I could find a magnet strong enough to pull nails but with sheet metal that might be something that would get you in the long run. The best way I have found was a set of clippers that cut the heads off. Did little harm to the tin but then it was a night mare getting the nails out of the wood

PJH · Jan 25, 2010

I've used a short piece of pipe, diameter big enough to just clear the ridge. Lay it in the groove next to the nail and use a claw hammer or flat pry bar to pull the nail - the pipe is the fulcrum. DON'T strike the hammer face with another hammer (see posts below. . .)

I like the slide hammer/vice-grip idea - gonna remember that.

Somewhere I remember seeing a slide hammer type tool with pincher jaws that were designed to grip tighter as the pull increased, kinda like the mechanics of log tongs. I don't know what it was used for, but it's got me to thinking it was some kind of nail puller.

Paul

PJH · Jan 25, 2010

Do a google for slide hammer nail pullers. Might be what I am remembering - memory is failing along with the rest of the body. . .

Paul

JMS/.MN · Jan 25, 2010

I made a slide hammer that screws into vice-grips; remove the adjusting bolt and screw the hammer into the same threads.

paul · Jan 25, 2010

Nippers, clip the nail heads off.

--->Paul

eastexan · Jan 25, 2010

(quoted from post at 10:15:12 01/25/10) I've used a short piece of pipe, diameter big enough to just clear the ridge. Lay it in the groove next to the nail and use a claw hammer or flat pry bar to pull the nail - the pipe is the fulcrum.
Paul

That's a great idea. Simple but effective.

Ronnie

Janicholson · Jan 25, 2010

Greenly nail puller. 120 pounds of nails in a 6000sq ft barn from 1914. Whew!! google it. JimN

eastexan · Jan 25, 2010

(quoted from post at 11:29:35 01/25/10) Greenly nail puller. 120 pounds of nails in a 6000sq ft barn from 1914. Whew!! google it. JimN

I'd like to have one of those, but I haven't been able to find one.
I first seen one used in the "This Old House" show on TV, and wanted one ever since. Most of the original ones found are antique's, made in the early 1900's.

But as far as I know they are out of production unless there are knock-off's of the original Greenlee's that are being made.

Ronnie

Anonymous-0 · Jan 25, 2010

Sorry, I did not mention pulling the nails afterwards. We usualy don't pull them, just smack them into the wood. There is always a pattern so you know about where they are when reusing the lumber.

We also often use a 4" side grinder with a thin cutting wheel to remove nails from used lumber. Our labor costs are to high to pull nails, so we just grind them off. One guy rolls them on to the saw horse, the other guy just keeps the grinder going. After ten layers we band the lumber, and fork lift it out of the way.

We always throw down a tarp so the nails just drop to the ground, then roll the tarp up.

This is not a good idea if you intend to sell the lumber, but we usualy use the lumber to strip roofs, over a shingled roof when applying steel roofing. You can justify the labor cost that way.

The guys that tear down barns in our area are looking for other ways to provide income because the market has dropped pretty bad on used lumber.

As I said, with our labor costs, one must use a sharp pencil to justify used lumber / nail removal. Often depending on location, a match will remove the nails, then we just pick up the sheets from the ashes.

We still have some old sheds with home sawed lumber, often hard wood--then it is usualy a no brainer--we use a match.

Anonymous-0 · Jan 25, 2010

I welded the slide hammer right on the end of the screw because I had an urgent need. Probably would have been better to thread the slide rod the same as the vice grip thread.

Owen Aaland · Jan 25, 2010

(quoted from post at 12:26:05 01/25/10) I welded a vice grip to a slide hammer and they pulled out quite easily. That thing is handy for other tasks as well. Surprised they don't make a model of that for retail sale.

When Vise Grips were still being made by Peterson they sold an adapter that replaced the adjustment screw that you could attach to a slide hammer. I have not seen it available anywhere for a long time. Maybe Irwin discontinued it when the bought out Peterson?

Anonymous-0 · Jan 25, 2010

The simple way is to make up a jig, that lays flat on both sides of the groove(s), that you can whack a hammer against a cat's paw puller for the first 1/4" or so, then move to a good crowbar. If you have enough help, you make more jigs, if help is scarce, you weld the crowbar to the cat's paw puller, and just flip it, as you slide the jig along the tin.

Geo-TH,In · Jan 26, 2010

Be careful about leaving nails in lumber. I was cutting used lumber with a table saw and a nail came out of the saw and went into my finger. My finger was in the hurts for a week. Taught me a valuable lession to always wear safety glasses when using a saw. You don't know where the nail may end up.

Michael Foley · Jan 26, 2010

The simple answer is the Nail Hunter, and it is brand new on the market. Check the video and see if this is the answer, and please don't think this is spam. www.thenailhunter.com

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