Nail setting problem

[John Hixon]

Help with ideas, please.

I have nearly finished the stair project. The treads are 15/16 red oak. I used liquid nails to fasten them to the plywood that is fastened to the stringers. I then used a few 16 ga finish nails to hold them down and in place until the glue sets.

Here's the problem. Just a couple of the nails (2 out of 100, from a pneumatic nailer) are a bit proud of the surface (Sticking up) about 1/16 inch. I don't think I dare try to pull them and I suck with a hammer. I am afraid that if I try to drive them in, they will just lay over and the problem is worse.

The treads are completely finished and I am afraid of messing it up.

Suggestions?

[mike holden]

John,
I have had good luck with a spring tool like "noxon". They are basically a spring with a head at each end. I used one with the nail set at one end. Basically, you hold the nail set against the nail, pull the other end back a ways and let go! You can drive the small nail gun nails into hard oak that way. I have found that nail gun nails are quite soft and bend easily, so I understand your concern.
Woodcraft and Rockler both carry these tools.
Mike

[Jason Roehl]

Luck?!? Spring tools are AWESOME!! Amazon carries them, too:

http://www.amazon.com/SpringTools-32R12-1-32-Inch-Combination-Nail/dp/B000FK3W0U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1216853758&sr=1-1

As a painter, these have been a God-send for taking care of all the pneumatic nails that the carpenters are too lazy to set themselves (around here, if a guy has a pneumatic trim nailer in his hand, he's suddenly a "carpenter" :rolleyes: ).

You just have to learn to keep the tip of the tool on the nail head the whole time pulling the spring and releasing, but it's not terribly difficult. I think they work many times better than a standard hammer and nail set.

[Jim Becker]

How kewel is that tool? {click!}

(Amazon Prime is dangerous... LOL ...)

[harry strasil]

try one of those spring center punches, put end on head and push, bang its done.

[Matt Ocel]

Spring sets are awesome.
You can get them at Rockler and Woodcraft.

[Glenn Howard]

If they're just 16 gauge finish nails, you might even want to consider taking a dremel with a cutting blade to it and just trim them off flush. I find this set up to be ideal for just the type of situation you've described. It's small enough to allow you to be precise.

[Richard M. Wolfe]

Of the pneumatic nails I've tried pulling, I get maybe one out of twenty. They're soft, glue coated and blunt tipped to break through wood fibers instead of wedging into the wood like individual nails, which all work against you. The best bet is setting them, and regardless the type set used what will probably happen is just wadding them up, but it will at least get them below the level of the wood so you can putty them.

[Jason Roehl]

Richard, you really need to try the Spring Tools nailset, then. I used to absolutely maul pneumatic nails at times with the standard hammer and nail set, but the Spring Tools version does drive them home because it's much easier to get the tool in-line with the nail.

As for pulling nails, I use the Shark Corp nail puller--you can use a hammer with it to tap it onto the nail, cutting into the shank, so you don't even have to have a head on the nail to pull it:

http://www.amazon.com/Shark-Corp-21-2016-Hardened-Pullers/dp/B0000224UU/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1216910250&sr=8-1

[Steve Clardy]

I just use the old standard nail set and a hammer.

[Lee Schierer]

I'm with Steve, a standard nail set (not a punch) was made for this job. The only other thing would be to pull the nail using one of these: http://www.channellock.com/acb/stores/1/images/357.jpg Grip the head without cutting it and rock back on the curved part of the jaw. It will pull the nail without damaging the surface. If you happen to cut the head off, it will be that much easier to set what is left with a nail set.

[Dennis Lopeman]

I have a spring tool and actually didn't like it... maybe I wasn't using it right... or wasn't strong enough!? :)

I sometimes would pull it, but pull it off the nail, but was too late because I would have let it release and would end up putting holes all around the nail that I was trying to countersink!!!

Someone mentioned something about a spring release trigger... that might be better... but I think I would have more control the good ol fashion way.

[Steve Clardy]

I'm with Steve, a standard nail set (not a punch) was made for this job. The only other thing would be to pull the nail using one of these: http://www.channellock.com/acb/stores/1/images/357.jpg Grip the head without cutting it and rock back on the curved part of the jaw. It will pull the nail without damaging the surface. If you happen to cut the head off, it will be that much easier to set what is left with a nail set.


I use the same type of cutters.


I have a spring tool and actually didn't like it... maybe I wasn't using it right... or wasn't strong enough!? :)

I sometimes would pull it, but pull it off the nail, but was too late because I would have let it release and would end up putting holes all around the nail that I was trying to countersink!!!

Someone mentioned something about a spring release trigger... that might be better... but I think I would have more control the good ol fashion way.

I've seen those spring thingies at the woodshows. I wasn't impressed.
Several of their demonstrator tools, the springs were stretched out from use.

[Frank Drew]

John

I've never used the spring-loaded nail setters others have mentioned, but if your nails are really only up by 1/16" do as Steve and Lee have recommended, hit them with a hammer and use a nail set to drive them below the surface. Done.

[Lee Schierer]

John

I've never used the spring-loaded nail setters others have mentioned, but if your nails are really only up by 1/16" do as Steve and Lee have recommended, hit them with a hammer and use a nail set to drive them below the surface. Done.
Not quite, put the proper size nail set on the head and hit the nail set to drive the nail below the surface. (Less chance of marring the surface) One whack should do it.

[Randy Cohen]

cut it off with a dremel as Glenn suggested above.

[Jason Roehl]

cut it off with a dremel as Glenn suggested above.

Nothing personal here, Randy, but since this has been suggested twice, I have to say, I think that is a not-so-good idea. The OP said the treads were already finished. I fail to see how one could cut the head off a nail without marring the finish, not to mention perfectly flush, meaning the remaining portion of the nail would have to be set anyway.

For those who haven't/couldn't use the Spring Tool: if you pull too hard on the tool, you'll pull the tip off the nail. Several short, quick strokes can do the job better than one large pull. Mine looks mangled after 18 months, too, but it still works just fine, and I almost never do damage with it compared to a hammer and nail set (can you say Swiss cheese?)

[John Hixon]

Thanks Guys, all things are being considered, the new info was the spring tool. That's something I'd never heard of and haven't found yet.