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Once we bought an old pallet factory, so I really got to "see how the sausage is made".
Pallets are made in extremely, extremely high production because the typical corporate customer orders thousands and pays about $6 each for them. There are also an infinite number of pallet sizes and styles, though most fit a 40x48 footprint. These two requirements ...
answered Oct 2 '18 at 21:36
Harper - Reinstate Monica
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42
I use a device called a nail jack. It will work with or without a nail head. It has a beak that you center on the nail then a slide that you smack down on and it bites the nail. After it has a grip 1 sole has a lever that you rock back on and it pulls the nail out. I have used on all sizes of nails in both hard wood and soft wood. Aged oak with nails is the ...
32
The nail heads aren't big enough for the holes. At that time carpenters didn't enjoy the vast array of fasteners and installation tools that we do today, so they may have used what was available at the moment. It did the job, right?
~ or ~
The carpenter had intended to replace them with lag screws and forgot.
~ or ~
There's something sensitive to ...
16
Yes it is typical, but a conscientious contractor will pick them up with a magnet or not let them drop to begin with. Sadly, from my experience, not many workers do. Cost of the nails versus the time needed to pick them up, it is cheaper to leave them.
I would call and let the contractor know you are not content with the nails everywhere, see if any action ...
16
I'd take a different approach. I'd simply drive them in with a nail set so they effectively disappear. In cases where you need to make cuts, shift things to avoid the nail locations.
15
People were using them to secure things or hang things on. They serve no purpose. I would just pull them out since hammering them in probably will not be that easy. You might want to get a small board to press against so you do no damage drywall.
Also FYI I do not think the drywall that is currently on there is going to take pain - even primer - that well....
13
I don't know Brad
There are no "brad nailers" in my lexicon as a former pro and perpetual home improver*. There are only finish/trim nailers that accept either 18ga. or 16ga. nails. Which you need depends on the job.
Most 18ga. guns only shoot up to 2" nails. Some only do 1-1/2". That's inadequate for things like heavy base trim and door ...
13
I know Brad
Also you need to get to know brad really well since that is the exact type of nail to use for shoe molding.
What is the difference between a Finishing nail and a Brad nail
Well the nails are different gauges with the brad nail being thinner. And also brad nails usually have smaller heads. But really the best way to describe a brad nail vs a ...
12
There are a bunch of different ways that nails wind up on the ground, and none of them are really avoidable. They fall out of nail pouches, they'll kick out and go flying if you hit them wrong with a hammer or double fire with a nailer, crowbars send them flying, etc., etc., etc. On top of this, individual nails are really hard to find in the grass, even ...
12
Even on a good day, brad nails can curl on you. Through your fingers, if you aren't careful.
However, if you look closely at the pointy end of a strip of nails, you'll see that they're cut at an angle on only two sides. (The other two sides are the ones adjacent to their neighbors in the strip.) Anyway, the nail is predisposed to curl in the direction of ...
9
Leave a hardhat or bump helmet (lighter version of a hardhat) by the attic hatch. Put it on when you enter; take it off when you leave.
answered Dec 31 '15 at 22:45
Aloysius Defenestrate
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9
I know this may not apply to every situation, but as an electrician I use a pair of side cutters and leverage it out of a hole. Lineman's pliers work too if there is enough space and you can get enough of a grip on it.
9
You might be able to use a pneumatic denailer.
It punches the nails through the wood to drive them out, and seems to work from either end of the nail, so would not require the nail to have a head.
It is probably an expensive investment for a one-time task, but you may be able to rent one from your local home-improvement store.
Here is a video of the ...
9
This style of nail puller does a good job of pulling out nails that are flush or deeper.
It won't leave the original surface completely untouched, as it needs a tiny bit of clearance to get a grip on the nail.
And here are a few videos demonstrating how to use it.
https://youtu.be/sWC0hkTH250
https://youtu.be/573UbJ3tgQI
https://youtu.be/kPh8GkComL0
8
Nah - most of the strength is in shear, and joist hanger nails are nice and fat so they have good shear strength.
also, yanking them is likely to be harder than you think.
The actual nailing schedule seems to be here:
http://www.strongtie.com/products/connectors/H.asp
That suggests that 10d are one size larger than you should use in a model H1Z hanger (...
8
It's fairly typical. Nails get dropped, nails are struck poorly and go flying.
Nails are not hugely expensive (modern era - supposedly in the era that they were hand-made one at a time, folks would burn down old houses for the nails, though I am dubious that that is an accurate claim.)
Carpenters are fairly expensive and not fond of playing janitor. If the ...
8
Because it is easy to remove the nails if required to move the post.
The nails mostly hold the post in position until the overall weight of the building bears down a lot of pressure on the post. At that point it is mostly friction between the upper post plate and the beam that holds the post in position.
8
They look like nails used as simple hangers. The ones in the corners are clearly driven into studs.
These can be removed without issue.
7
Looks to me like a drywall screw or nail has "bubbled out". It happens sometimes due to wall movement, especially with weather swings (like a real wet winter or a long drought). It also happens when moisture gets to a nail or screw and causes it to corrode. Hopefully your kinda new roof is not leaking. I don't see any signs of plaster discoloration ...
7
Check the pressure
Check the recommended pressure range listed on the gun, and make sure the compressor is putting out a pressure within that range. I've seen similar symptoms when the pressure was too low. Presumably the hammer didn't have enough energy to move the nail, so it skipped over it instead.
Properly load the nails
If the nails are not properly ...
7
In general, the codes require fasteners to be of hot-dipped, zinc-coated galvanized steel in accordance with ASTM A153, type 304 or 316 stainless steel, silicon bronze or copper. [source]
FWIW, everything you ever wanted to know about pressure treated wood here.
6
Not the best answer, but:
Use screws on the top boards where people will be walking barefoot. Every kid has had a wicked gash from nails (naturally) poking up a bit.
Use big a** nails to attach your cross beams to your main structure. Nails are only good at holding against a shear, i.e. nails should always be (and only be) parallel with the ground.
Use ...
6
Nails are generally put in at 90 degrees to the wood (i.e. straight in), unless you are "toe-nailing". (see picture)
It all really depends on the application. As opposed to just nailing straight in, like if you were nailing together a built-up beam (face nailing) - Toe nailing the wood is usually not bearing much or any weight on the nails, they are holding ...
6
Use a small hole saw to drill out a wood plug around the nail. The method you have been using also works, obviously, though you don't need to clear so much area to get the grips on.
You can either leave the "artificial knotholes" resulting, or plug them. It would be a lot faster than cutting and prying each nail.
6
"I am not planning to use it with any regularity"
So, small hammer, nailset, perhaps a pair of nail-holding pliers. Perhaps a toolbelt to hold those and a supply of finish nails.
If you don't have production-level needs, you don't need the hassles and complexity and more things to go wrong of production-level tools. Complex mechanisms you don't ...
5
I usually use a pair of end cutting pliers, to pull the nails out the back.
The face of the tool is slightly rounded, which allows for a good rocking motion.
Just grab the nail gently with the pliers, as close to the work piece as possible. Rocking the tool on it's rounded face generates quite a bit of leverage, allowing you to pull most nails out. Just ...
5
Use a prybar to lever up the treads about 1/8" and then use a Sawzall type reciprocating saw with a metal blade to cut the shank between the tread and the riser. Check to see if you can rent the reciprocting saw at a tool rental. The blades are readily available at any Hardware and Tool supply.
You won't be wanting to drive back into the same hole as the ...
5
I have to say that I am no fan of cordless framer nailers. I have had two different ones, a Porter Cable and a Pasload. Both were gas fired. The PC was a disaster. Had lots of problems with the propane cells seating properly and nails jamming. Got the Pasload, worked OK, but slow and the smell was so bad that I only used it outdoors. The gas cells are ...
5
Screws hold better over time, so are preferable. Use a long (3") exterior grade screw and you'll be fine. I'd avoid stainless as they're expensive and sometimes brittle.
If the underlying joists are in rotten shape, come back and ask about them.
5
Don't dry fire brad nailers against anything you wouldn't drive a nail into. The instructions (PDF) specifically state, "against the workpiece," don't they? Use a scrap piece of wood for the initial testing. You may also want to limit dry firing to initial setup and any future troubleshooting procedures. Many newer nail guns have a dry-fire lockout that ...
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