by Rachelle de Bretagne

Created on: July 03, 2007

TIPS FOR REMOVING NAILS WITH EASE

There are many occasions when a woodworker has to remove nails, and this article covers the different eventualities that present themselves, and the manner in which to remove nails.

REMOVING NAILS FROM RECLAIMED TIMBER

Reclaimed timber is used for many woodworking projects, both from an aesthetic point of view, and also one of economy in many cases. Reclaimed timber may have been used for many purposes, though one of the snags of using it is that it can hide nails, which can cause expensive damage to workshop machinery. With a sensor, run the sensor the length of the wood, and do mark with a chalk those areas which show that the wood contains metal. Often these are not obvious, and here, using a center punch, you can pop the nail so that the head of the nail comes above the surface, and is able to be removed either with a claw hammer or pinchers. One word of warning is that in old oak, often the nail will leave a darkened area and this may have to be drilled out and filled so as not to detract from the quality of the wood color in your final project.

With reclaimed timber, it is vital to take old nails out since if left in, they can damage the blades of planers and equipment used in the project as it progresses. One tip here is to place a piece of waste wood in front of the nail and use this as a lever for your hammer to pull out nails. This protects the surface and makes removal easier.

REMOVING NAILS FROM FURNITURE.

If you wish to take nails out of old furniture, the snags that present themselves are numerous:

*Lost head nails are not easy to remove until a piece is dismantled.
*Nails may be stubborn
*Leverage may be needed to prise two parts apart in order to show where the nails are.

Lost head nails are those brads which are sunk below the surface of the wood, and are often hidden by a layer of filler. In order to expose where the nails are, the furniture pieces have to be carefully prised apart in order to minimize damage to the piece of furniture. When performing this task, do take care and use tools that are gentle. When the pieces are prised apart, you will see the nails and these can be tapped back through the surface to their original entry point, and then removed with pinchers.

If nails are stubborn be patient. Sometimes after you have prised the two parts of the wood apart, you can wiggle the nail gently with the pinchers and then pull to get the nail out, levering gently until movement is achieved.

REMOVING NAILS INCORRECTLY PLACED

Here, mistakes get made. If for example, you hit a nail into a surface and find that it doesn't fall where you want it to, this can be prised out with the claw hammer end of a hammer and a little leverage.

DELICATE NAILS

Here, in many picture or mirror frame projects, often the nails are old and although can be removed with a claw hammer, you may need to protect the surface of the picture frame with a rag under the claw end of the hammer.

Removing nails isn't difficult and certainly not rocket science, though logical approach will ensure that your project continues to it's conclusion with as little damage as is possible to the woodwork from which the nail is removed.

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