Would you pull nails???

[gator gar]

Just got off a shutdown a couple of weeks ago and am ready to go back to sawing again. I went to the sawmill this morning and talked to the owner about running the LT70 and he said to start next week. We started talking about some logs that were set aside and he said I couls have them, but they had nails in them. They were debarked and had a slab taken off. I have a metal detector and was wondering if it is worth it, to pull nails. Looks to be a good whack of logs, that I could get for nothing. Would you pull the nails??

[ladylake]

 A nail or 2 yes, a whole mitt full no.  Drill around a nail with a cordless drill then use a vice grips to pull, most come out easy.  If you don't have your own sharpener it might not be worth it.  Steve

[rph816]

This is the best thing on earth for pulling nails from logs.  Use the slide hammer to pound the jaws in then pull. 

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00002N7SD/?tag=googhydr-20&hvadid=10630187619&ref=pd_sl_5bk5urpecr_e

It's a crescent No. 56 nail puller btw.

That being said, there's no good way to pull nails from logs.  Unless your metal detector can pinpoint where and how deed a nail is it will be a crapshoot anyway.  I'd maybe run the detector over it to see if you are talking 1 blade or 10.


Ryan

[york]

Well,the way i look at this,is how much are these logs worth???

[r.man]

Like most problems with an unknown or in this case a few unknowns in them I would do a test to determine the viability of pulling the nails to salvage the logs. I would also suggest that you look at your test logs from the point of view of learning as much as possible. Can you identify a contaminated log by end stain, size, position in the tree ( if known or discernible ) or other factors. You might be able to make the job easier or just increase your own knowledge of problem indicators.

[redbeard]

100.00 carbide bandsaw  blade can eat 16d and under nails I've gone through quite a few nails sawing tele-poles and reclaimed beams. Its your call on how much you want to spend sawing your parts. I still saw anything suspect with carbide blades even after I clean them.

[Brad_S.]

This is the best thing on earth for pulling nails from logs.  Use the slide hammer to pound the jaws in then pull.  

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00002N7SD/?tag=googhydr-20&hvadid=10630187619&ref=pd_sl_5bk5urpecr_e

It's a crescent No. 56 nail puller btw.

I second that although they sure have gone up since I last bought one

I saw one in an antique store once. It was labeled as a "boot puller" and priced 50% higher than a new one even though the jaws were worn round instead of flat. I really wanted to have the owner show me how it worked pulling boots on...it would have been good for a laugh...but it was a co-op and the booth owner wasn't working that day.

[ladylake]

 That puller would work OK on softwood, hardwood no.  Drilling along side the nail loosens them up.    Steve

[Dan_Shade]

i have one of those pullers.  It works well most of the time, sometimes, it is tough to get it to grip, though.

[Troublermaker]

I didn't know that you could still buy them. I got one that I know is over 60 years olds. I heard my Daddy say once that he had it before I was born.

[shelbycharger400]

yep...familiar with those...and the slide handle/thumb if your not carefull pinch.  the only tool that will pull pole barn nails !

the 36 in boxelder 6 ft long log... i sent out..year ago... couldnt wait til my rig was done..still isnt  anywho...it was an urban tree.   and twards the center had a 2 in long 1/8 in dia fence staple in it..  he had a over/under circle rig.  i think it was an older linn mill.   I offered to pay him more when it came to $  but  he said its the nature of the game.        He had carbide inserts and blade bounced off, or he was just happened to cut right on the edge..   that piece just so happened to crack in the middle,  so im cutting 3 in out of that 27 in wide piece.

[Magicman]

Sorta like this.
 


I bought it at a flea market.   

[metalspinner]

I didn't know that you could still buy them.

I've bought one within the past 5 years at a local hardware store.  It's pretty handy. To get the best grip, the tool handle should pull at the angle the nail was pounded into the tree.  Having a pair of Vise-Grips close by usually gets the job done quicker on smaller or short nails.

[gator gar]

I'm going to start work up there next week, running the LT70 and I will bring my lowboy to haul logs back each day. I took a cats claw, a drill with a paddle bit and a hammer up there the other day to see how easy it would be to remove the nails and it wasn't bad at all. I would run the paddle bit down on opposite sides a little ways, put the cat claw in there and tap it with the hammer to get a bite and pull the nail right out. Someone mentioned drilling down beside the nail with a regular drill bit to loosen it up and I feel that that would be a great idea too. So, looks like I am going to be pulling nails. All the logs have been de-barked and what nails could be seen, were circled with red paint. The rest I will find with the metal detector.

[bandmiller2]

I have a couple of old chisels and a big pair of end nipper pliers rocks them right out. Frank C.

[Magicman]

I have been known for doing it like this.
 


Chop around them and use pliers.

[ladylake]

 You all need to try the cordless drill and vice grips, it's fast and you can get the tough ones out. I use a 5/16 bit or a little bigger.   Steve

[Jim_Rogers]

I just did a job of resawing old timbers into flooring. The customer had the beams in his garage attic for 28 years. Boy was this stuff dry, sawdust everywhere....

He had me scan each timber for nails, some had none, some had one or two, some where loaded. These were old "cut nails" and they broke off very easily with very little side to side motion when trying to pull them.

I loaned him my needle nose vise grip pliers but he did use a drill and drilled a small hole on either side of the nail when he found it to loosen up the grain so that they wouldn't break off when he pulled on them. It seemed to work very well for him.

I did take two pictures of the wood:





But they only show the brace pocket in the timber and some of the grain, none of the nail holes....

Jim Rogers

[metalspinner]

If he can keep the brace tenons in place through installation of the floor that will look awesome!   Is that pine, Jim?

[Jim_Rogers]

Yes, I believe it is pine... braces were long gone....

[shelbycharger400]

thats some nice stuff their  jim...   barn reclaim floors are my personal favorite. Even more so when the pegs stay in the holes.   One thing i have noticed,  old siding, logs ect, when you do remove the nail,  their is no way you can manualy create the effect of stains and grain deflection, the pattern grown around the site.