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Removing Rusty Nails from Wood

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sam

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Oct 10, 2010, 8:29:27 PM10/10/10
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I got some old oak fence posts with nails in them. Of course, when
I try to take out the nails, they break off. Is there is ingenious
way to get these old nails out? When I plane down the good wood after
taking out the nails, this oak is just plain beautiful.

Thanks,

s

PS - Yes, I have a Lumber Wizard!

Martin H. Eastburn

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Oct 10, 2010, 11:01:45 PM10/10/10
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Being fence posts, they have been in wet weather. Likely the nail
expanded by rust and has a good hold on.

Maybe the best way is to pound them through with a punch. Cut off
the head (grind ?) and use a flat face punch.

I rather expect there is enough wood there with nails you want to save.

Martin

Martin H. Eastburn
@ home at Lions' Lair with our computer lionslair at consolidated dot net
"Our Republic and the Press will Rise or Fall Together": Joseph Pulitzer
TSRA: Endowed; NRA LOH & Patron Member, Golden Eagle, Patriot's Medal.
NRA Second Amendment Task Force Originator & Charter Founder
IHMSA and NRA Metallic Silhouette maker & member. http://lufkinced.com/

Pilgrim

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Oct 10, 2010, 11:06:32 PM10/10/10
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In article <MPG.271c1660f...@news.supernews.com>,
sam <sp...@nospam.spam> wrote:

If you can tolerate a larger hole, This is what I have done. Take a
piece of tubing that will fit over the nail, with a file make the teeth
of a hole saw around the perimeter[for most purposes 4 teeth will do],
put in an electric drill and have at it.

CP

-MIKE-

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Oct 10, 2010, 11:14:57 PM10/10/10
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Or a hole saw? I've seen them pretty deep.
Certainly deep enough to get that sucker loose enough to pull out.


--

-MIKE-

"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com
mi...@mikedrumsDOT.com
---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply

sam

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Oct 10, 2010, 11:38:44 PM10/10/10
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In article <pilgrim-6FADA1.20063210102010@70-3-168-
216.pools.spcsdns.net>, pil...@noemail.net says...

That sounds like it will work. I will try it.

Thanks!

s

Artemus

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Oct 11, 2010, 4:45:12 PM10/11/10
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"Pilgrim" <pil...@noemail.net> wrote in message
news:pilgrim-6FADA1...@70-3-168-216.pools.spcsdns.net...

>
> If you can tolerate a larger hole, This is what I have done. Take a
> piece of tubing that will fit over the nail, with a file make the teeth
> of a hole saw around the perimeter[for most purposes 4 teeth will do],
> put in an electric drill and have at it.
>
> CP

Roll pins work well for the above. I have had good success by
simply drilling 2 holes, approx the same size as the nail, on either
side of the nail. This allows the nail to be wiggled side to side and
extracted with needle nose pliers. Drilling on the end grain side of
the nail works best as those fibers seem to have a tighter grip than
the side fibers.
Art


RicodJour

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Oct 11, 2010, 11:54:17 PM10/11/10
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On Oct 10, 8:29 pm, sam <s...@nospam.spam> wrote:
> I got some old oak fence posts with nails in them. Of course, when
> I try to take out the nails, they break off. Is there is ingenious
> way to get these old nails out? When I plane down the good wood after
> taking out the nails, this oak is just plain beautiful.

These work well for the recalcitrant little bastards.
http://www.amazon.com/Cooper-Hand-Tools-56-Crescent/dp/B00002N7SD
If the nail is largely rusted away, there's little you can do short of
boring a hole around the nail and plugging the hole.

R

Robatoy

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Oct 12, 2010, 6:05:43 PM10/12/10
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On Oct 10, 8:29 pm, sam <s...@nospam.spam> wrote:

As you capitalized the words Rusty and Nails, I can, with a shiver,
remember that weekend in Montreal. She was a blonde. A blonde that
would have a bishop kick out a stained glass window.
White Russians an Rusty Nails.

Took a LOT to remove those Rusty Nails from my memory....and her. Red
leather jacket, high heels. Blonde curls covering her shoulders down
to her waist. She hailed from Strasbourg, Alsace Loraine.
1989. Thierry Boutsen won the F1 GP in the rain.

That weekend Stevie Ray played at McGill U (Leonard Cohen's alma
mater) what a show. A year later he was gone.

Mark Whittingham

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Oct 12, 2010, 7:07:54 PM10/12/10
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On Oct 10, 8:29 pm, sam <s...@nospam.spam> wrote:
> I got some old oak fence posts with nails in them. Of course, when
> I try to take out the nails, they break off. Is there is ingenious
> way to get these old nails out? When I plane down the good wood after
> taking out the nails, this oak is just plain beautiful.

Best way by far is to yank them straight out with Vise grips. Of
course you can't do it just by hand - you need to have a slide hammer
welded to them. You can buy them on eBay - search for "slide hammer
puller". We specialize in reclaimed wood (pioneermillworks.com)
(newenergyworks.com) and make our own that are beefier and better, but
those on eBay will do the job. Just a bit slower. You can't bend the
nails or they'll break. You want to chisel out around the top of the
nail and grab it with the vise grips, then slam DOWN first to loosen
it and then start hammering up and out. We've got guys that denail
all day 40 hours a week. Oooph. I'm thankful for their work! BTW -
these are also good for other pulling tasks where you can't pry
without damaging the surroundings. Handy tool.

JP

sam

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Oct 12, 2010, 10:16:38 PM10/12/10
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In article <50883cb1-5004-45b1-807e-
c95820...@t8g2000yqk.googlegroups.com>, mwskan...@gmail.com
says...

I like this idea. What about chaining the vice grips to something
like a hydraulic car jack and pulling it out that way? The first
slam down sounds like a key move to get this to work.

Thanks,

s

Pilgrim

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Oct 12, 2010, 10:42:06 PM10/12/10
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In article <MPG.271ed27e5...@news.supernews.com>,
sam <sp...@nospam.spam> wrote:

The problem with this method, as others have pointed out, is that this
wood has been out in the weather for years. The nails and the wood have
become almost one. You apply this much force and the nail only breaks.

CP

Lew Hodgett

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Oct 13, 2010, 1:26:03 AM10/13/10
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"Robatoy" wrote:
As you capitalized the words Rusty and Nails, I can, with a shiver,
remember that weekend in Montreal. She was a blonde. A blonde that
would have a bishop kick out a stained glass window.
White Russians an Rusty Nails.
--------------------------------
Make the Russians Black and mine was a 20+ year love affair.

Times change, people change.

BTW, "Rusty Nail" AKA "Bloomer Dropper" AKA "Knuckle Head"

There are more, maybe later.


Lew

Robatoy

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Oct 13, 2010, 8:13:28 AM10/13/10
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When The Jolly Miller was my office away from my office (Hog's Hollow,
Toronto) my favourite barkeep made a drink called a Mexican Porch
Climber. Tequila based, citrus stuff in it....

Hardwood Lumber

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Oct 17, 2010, 12:28:41 PM10/17/10
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Drill a small hole on the opposite side, then use a small steel rod
knot the rusty nails out from the back .

----------------
http://www.towood.com/ is a market place for importers and exporters
to trading furniture, plywood, timbers, hardwood floors, MDF, HDF,
tropical logs.

Mark Whittingham

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Oct 17, 2010, 7:31:14 PM10/17/10
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On Oct 12, 10:42 pm, Pilgrim <pilg...@noemail.net> wrote:

> The problem with this method, as others have pointed out, is that this  
> wood has been out in the weather for years. The nails and the wood have
> become almost one. You apply this much force and the nail only breaks.

I'm not sure about the nails and wood becoming one, but I'll take your
word for it. I'm just saying that I work with reclaimed barn wood
almost every day and this is how we denail it. Slide hammer vise
grips. You don't bend the nail - you yank it straight up and out.
Rarely do I have one break that way. YMMV.

JP

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