Finishing nail removal tools?

[ron350]

What tools do I need to remove finishing nails with minimal wood damage?

 

[Todd.Brock]

If you are reusing the piece, pull them through the back. If not, get a pair of these or something like them and use a wood shim or something thin to roll the pliers into so you don’t mar the piece of wood you want to save.






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[The Cobbler]

99% of the time I use side cutters & pull the nails thru the back. no damage to the face that way

 

[subroc]

I have all sorts of wrecking bars, flat bars, cats paws etc that get used to pull nails. I also have one of these, a Crescent Nail Puller Pliers. They work especially well for finish nails and are effective for other sizes and types of nails as well.

 

[mslim]

I have a pair of (US) 4WR visegrips from my old dirtbike kit I use to remove air driven finishing nails that drive short (if there's enough head to grasp). I tighten the jaws enough to grasp the nailhead and jerk and twist 'em out. The 4LN model might have better jaws for this though. I run what I brung.

The Crescent nail puller looks interesting but looks like it would dent the surrounding wood. I've been known to use a cheap 6" putty knife behind a wonderbar to spread out the load when prying out small nails.

 

[Bogie1632]

I'll add nail set if you have not yet removed the trim. Sometimes it can be a bit stubborn to pull free without cracking/splitting the trim. Knock the nail in farther with an appropriate sized set.

V/R
Bogie

 

[RTM]

If they are in loose trim, I try to push them back out the way they came, no sense making a bigger hole than needed, usually using end nippers and a block to protect the surface.

If the wood is attached, I use a variety of thin pry bars, pulling and releasing, trying to get the head to pop out instead of pulling through the wood, then use the end nippers again. If that fails and it pulls through the trim, the nippers or cats paw, or even a box terrier depending on access.

 

[see pictures]

Pneumatic nail remover

 

[Kscardsfan]

The crescent nail puller pliers are pretty much my go to for pulling nails out. Like someone else said, a small tool bag worth of pry bars, nail sets, chisels and cats paws that have been adjusted, ground down, sharpened etc to my liking to work finish trim off the wall and the nails with minimal damage to the piece.

 

[matt_i]

Oscillating multi tool and a metal cutting blade. Reach down behind and saw thru the nail. Then tap the head back out.

Any other kind of pulling or digging creates more damage.

 

[mr.lemons]

I have a pair of the Crecsent. Bought to strip pallets, but found mine cannot grip nails that are anything close to flush with the wood.

Example of a nail and staple that the pliers cannot grab onto.





Nails need to be sticking out more than about 3mm, or you are out of luck. You can see that the first teeth that do 99% of the pulling are not close enough to the tips of the pliers to grab close to the surface of the wood. If there is a lot of screw sticking out of the wood, they work fine.

 

[RossOlsen]

Because the price of lumber is so nuts, I just cleaned a bunch of plywood and dimensional lumber. For Staples and finish nails I liked these best. And for sure pull them through the back.

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[gungatim]

what size finish nails? some are hardened, they can be tapped out from the back.

if we're talking 16 or 18g air driven finish nails, I rarely can get them out so I snip them off flush on the back and fill the front side with a crayon.

I have done that a lot when I redid my bathroom as I air nailed all my trim. snip and fill, snip and fill...

 

[Leaflessshadetree]

If the heads are set below the surface tring to drive them back out often causes splits/chips around the hole. I usually pull them through the back side. Usually it doesn't even disturb the finish or putty used to fill over the nail head.

 

[Ton ton]

If you are reusing the piece, pull them through the back. If not, get a pair of these or something like them and use a wood shim or something thin to roll the pliers into so you don’t mar the piece of wood you want to save.






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I need one of those pliers.