finish nail puller deluxe.

[ArlyA]

Here is a finish nail puller I put together. Its not my idea, and works like a charm when you have finish nails in old trim or boards and you'd like to pull the nails through, not backwards like most nail pullers. This very much lessens the damage to the wood. That's a little piece of pipe I welded onto the jaw. The pipe was smoothed up so as to scratch less.

 

[sea2summit]

You should check out a crescent 56

 

[ArlyA]

You should check out a crescent 56

I own this tool. You do know its diametrically different than the tool I posted?

 

[downsizingnow48]

I spent some years as a carpenter and contractor. Never owned or used the dedicated nail puller. For that matter never seen anyone use it. My uncle had one in the bottom of a tool box, but I never saw him use it either. I am sure it works fine.

For most situations I use the two tools below. They provide a lot of leverage. Use with a piece of 1/4" plywood to avoid denting the material you are working with, assuming it is worth treating carefully. For big rusty nails you cannot beat a crowbar. I also have a specialized tool for dismantling decks board by board, it is like a 5 foot pipe welded to a claw hammer.

I think the modified vise grips will work really well for a range of situations.

 

[ArlyA]

Seem there is some confusion as to that this tool does. This pulls the nails through the board, not backwards like most nail pullers do. This is best for trim nails in old wood or trim, that you'd like to reuse.

 

[MossRoad]

You should check out a crescent 56

I've used those to dismantle large wooden shipping crates. They damage the heck out of the wood if the head is buried. I don't think it would work very well for finish nails pulling them through the backside of trim work like the OP's vice grip tool, since there's no head on that end. But they do work great on sinkers.

 

[MossRoad]

Seem there is some confusion as to that this tool does. This pulls the nails threw the board, not backwards like most nail pullers do. This is best for trim nails in old wood or trim, that you'd like to reuse.

I've usually just used channel locks on the backside to pull finish nails through, but your tool looks like it has a good rocker with that pipe welded to it.

 

[s219]

Channel lock pliers do a great job pulling nails through the backside (or any direction for that matter).

 

[Diggin It]

Seem there is some confusion as to that this tool does. This pulls the nails through the board, not backwards like most nail pullers do. This is best for trim nails in old wood or trim, that you'd like to reuse.

No, we understand. I use either vise grips like that or channel locks, but use the larger rounded 'back' edge, opposite of where you welded the pipe.

 

[hunt4570]

Seem there is some confusion as to that this tool does. This pulls the nails through the board, not backwards like most nail pullers do. This is best for trim nails in old wood or trim, that you'd like to reuse.

Same way the blue handled tool in the pic on post #4 does.. Always pull from the backside.

 

[Hay Dude]

I use blue handled nail nippers and just pull. If I have to bend the nail, the curved jaw face usually doesn’t damage, but if it’s real delicate, I just pin a wood shim under them to protect wood surface. They are a must have in my tool pouch. They come in different sizes.

 

[WranglerX]

This has always been my tool of choice IF I needed a nail extractor....

The Extractor Extracting Pliers Review - Fine Homebuilding

The Extractor Extracting Pliers

www.finehomebuilding.com

Dale

 

[DaveinValdez]

Taught Wood Shop for 25 years. I always taught to kids to pull the finish nails through to lessen damage on the good face of the board. Used vice grips, the rounded edge and put a thin scrap piece in between. Almost always worked great.

 

[PILOON]

" Almost always worked great."
Cautious optimism?
or
alternate facts?

LOL, It gave me a good chuckle.

 

[DaveinValdez]

" Almost always worked great."
Cautious optimism?
or
alternate facts?

LOL, It gave me a good chuckle.

I always considered it good teaching year if i kept the stiches under 12. Managed the entire career maintaining the ability to count to ten! 🖐🖐 Retirement is great!

 

[Hay Dude]

Only problem with pulling finish nails through the back is if you have a piece of window/door trim mostly nailed on. Then you have to pull it out the way it went in. Usually a grasp and a twist and it’s out....kinda like a wisdom tooth. Lol

 

[MossRoad]

Only problem with pulling finish nails through the back is if you have a piece of window/door trim mostly nailed on. Then you have to pull it out the way it went in. Usually a grasp and a twist and it’s out....kinda like a wisdom tooth. Lol

Oooo I've done that a few times. Just a couple nails left in the trim and WHACK!

I've learned over the years I'm more awesome on the demolition crew.

 

[downsizingnow48]

This is a bit off topic. There were a few times when I wanted to save a piece of trim with an out-dated profile. The alternative might be to spend a few hundred dollars at a local mill for them to grind a matching set of knives and make some new material.

But mostly it does not make sense to pay someone to pull nails so you can put back up a (usually) cracked and (always) paint chipped old piece of wood that is worth about $2.00. Throw away the old stuff and put up new, you will be money and time and quality ahead.

 

[lennyzx11]

This is a bit off topic. There were a few times when I wanted to save a piece of trim with an out-dated profile. The alternative might be to spend a few hundred dollars at a local mill for them to grind a matching set of knives and make some new material.

But mostly it does not make sense to pay someone to pull nails so you can put back up a (usually) cracked and (always) paint chipped old piece of wood that is worth about $2.00. Throw away the old stuff and put up new, you will be money and time and quality ahead.

Even farther off topic.
I usually just cut the nails off on the back side with a pair of side cutters or my cordless angle grinder with a cutoff wheel on it for a whole bunch.
The little stick out (1/8” approximately) works good to “tack” the piece in place holding it while the real nails get driven.

Pulling them through seems to crack the older dry trim for me so I cut them off and leave the head buried in the wood under the original filler done long ago.

To remove the trim, I use a paint scraper/putty knife jabbed down to protect the wall as a backer and a set of thin 90degree trim bars to get started. Like these.
Pry Bar Set (3-Piece)

Dasco Pro Pry Bar Set (3-Piece) 91 - The Home Depot

Visit the Home Depot to buy Dasco Pro 3-Piece Pry Bar Set 91

www.homedepot.com

 

[Scar0B2150]

We had oak floors in our house. They were "sanded" to refinish them very poorly, before we bought the house. So I ripped them all up and installed a new bamboo floor.
Now to the point. There were several boards that were still in decent shape that I figured would be good for some projects. But there were several 100 nails still in the boards.
So I came up with this.
A cable tie clamp that you screw into a wall to hold phone lines, a small nut, and a rivet gun.
Worked like a charm! No tear out on either side.

Coffee table made from the flooring.

I also made a dining room butterfly table out of it.