Removing Rusty Nails from Wood

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!

Reply to
sam
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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.

Mart> I got some old oak fence posts with nails in them. Of course, when

Reply to
Martin H. Eastburn

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

Reply to
Pilgrim

Or a hole saw? I've seen them pretty deep. Certainly deep enough to get that sucker loose enough to pull out.

Reply to
-MIKE-

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

Thanks!

s
Reply to
sam

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

Reply to
Artemus

These work well for the recalcitrant little bastards.

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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
Reply to
RicodJour

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.

Reply to
Robatoy

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

Reply to
Mark Whittingham

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
Reply to
sam

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

Reply to
Pilgrim

"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

Reply to
Lew Hodgett

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....

Reply to
Robatoy

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

Reply to
Mark Whittingham

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