Favorite nail/metal technique

[hopm]

As intelligent and experienced as this crowd is somebody got to have a way.....

[YellowHammer]

I just start cussing and cut and pull with anything handy, including the chainsaw.  

[Chuck White]

So, what exactly is the question? 

[terrifictimbersllc]

I tell customer to take care of it and decide what to do next while I change the blade.

[firefighter ontheside]

Hammer, chisel and vise grips

[SawyerTed]

Hatchet, hammer, chisel, flat bar, channel locks, vise grips, chainsaw.  I have all these on hand to remove  nails, screws, staples, etc. or cut them out of the log. 

[moodnacreek]

I thought you where nailing on a metal roof.               On walnut logs I have bored in with a big winged wood bit to try and get deep metal I pin pointed with my metal detector.   Normally make 4 chainsaw cuts and then pound in a big chisel sideways and try to pop a slab off.

[KenMac]

Cat's paw and hammer seem to work better than anything else for me. Had to round them up today. Hit a nail, found 3 more, changed blade, hit a nail, changed blade again!! Metal detector missed #2. I did learn that blades that I sharpened cut nails better than new blades! >:(

[terrifictimbersllc]

I copied a technique from a guy named Mark who has probably pulled a million nails out of beams.  It does not damage much wood, leaving just a couple little holes.  Very fast when you have the tools all ready.

Tool kit:  a punch sharpened to a point, a regular and a large needlenose vise grips, a hammer, and a regular medium size crowbar.

1) Make a hole on either side of the nail.
Prepare a long punch with a point on it by sharpening the end of an 11" punch to a point.  
Now use a regular vise grips to grip the top end of the punch so the vise grips is at right angles to the punch.
Hold the vise grips and hit the punch to make 2 deep holes 1/2" or so on either side of the nail.  Rotate the vise grips/punch back and forth in an arc to remove the punch from the hole , without enlarging the hole further.

2)Now take the large needlenose vise grips and tap it into the two holes on either side of the nail.  Can strike the adjusting screw of this vise grips gently to get it in.   Tighten and clamp this visegrips onto the nail.

3)Take the crowbar and lift out the nail by using the curved end of the crowbar to grab the lower handle of the needlenose vise grips.

Maybe I add some pix tomorrow.
You could use a cordless drill to make the holes but this is low tech and fast, and the punch doesnt remove any wood. Besides the vise grips and punch are handy for other nail maneuvers.

[Brad_bb]

If no head on the nail, my first choice is the slapper whacker.


 

You can get one new on Amazon.  Apex or Crescent brand.  You have to periodically sharpen the teeth with a dremel with a sanding drum.  First clean up the concave inside of each tooth, then close them together and sand the outside so that both teeth together form one continuous curve.  that way the meet properly.  The tips of the teeth will get worn or chipped over time from doing a numbe of nails.  We've removed alot of nails with this tool.  

To use it, it's a slide hammer to open the jaws around the nail and hammer them down into the wood somewhat, enough to get a bite on the broken off nail.  Sometimes, especially in old dry hardwoods like barnwood, you have to use and 1/8" drill bit and drill around the nail to loosen it up enough.  

Technique #2 is when the first doesn't work and is use much less often.  After drilling around the nail, clamp a needle nose vise grip on the nail.  Then use a small crow bar and hook it on the adjustment screw of the vise grips.  Then use a hammer (I use the side of the hammer, not the typical business end), and whack the under side of the crow bar to SHOCK the nail to free it.  Sometimes takes more drilling and more attempts clamping and whacking.  We call this technique "Rocketman".

Johnnys Rocket Man - YouTube

[Ianab]

If no head on the nail, my first choice is the slapper whacker.

Those work pretty well, because the harder you lever on them the tighter the pincers grip the nail. Might take a minute with a drill or chisel to dig a hole and get enough grip, but it those wont pull a nail out, not much else will. 

[mike_belben]

I havent used them on iron in a log (dont saw much and never actually hit any!) But i made a slide hammer vice grip by welding an allthread coupler to the back of a vice grip, then threading the slide bar and weight to that.  



Mine had duckbilled jaws i made from slitting a threaded tube and welding those on.. it was my best valve seal puller but the slide hammer application may be handy for you nail chasers.  A lugnut would also be a good thread anchor to weld on.  You could hammer against the nut a bit too for driving the beaks in. 

[kelLOGg]

Not a favorite but once I did this: (see opening post)
Removing nails in Sawmills and Milling (forestryforum.com)

[WDH]

Here is my technique.....

Take your big tractor with forks to the mill and get the offending log off the mill as fast as you can without tearing up anything.  Throttle the tractor to 2000 rpm's and unceremoniously haul the offending xylem over the the woods as fast as you can without tearing up anything.  Dump it unceremoniously into the woods and leave it there as fast as you can without tearing up anything.  Let the offended xylem lay there and let the beetles and fungi have their way with the xylem as fast as they can, tearing up everything.  After a couple of years the offended xylem is so rotten that the rusty metal falls out, and PRESTO! You have removed the metal  .