Help With Nail Removal

[Mike Deschler]

I have yet to learn that the deal you got is not necessarily the deal you thought you got, but someday I will...........

Anyway here goes, last Saturday I bought at a high school auction two wood working benches with 2 1/4" maple butcher block tops measuring 24x84". After getting them home and disassemblying them and spending a day getting 25 years of glue and who knows what else off the surfaces, I was at the point where I could level the tops which incidently isn't in too bad a shape after taking my belt sander and cleaning up the tops prior to leveling. Upon close examination, I noticed that there was perhaps upwards of a dozen shiney objects embedded in the surface at various points. Yes, nails they are now the 64 dollar question as to how do I get them out or do I just drive them in further and fill the holes and if so, with what? The nails are not very large as I assume they are brads probably from some brad nailers or small nail guns. I wanted to level the tops by planing them but right now, I'm dead in the water.

The alternate game plan is to use the reverse sides but they however are not the same quality as the current ones.

Ideas anyone?

[John VanDivier]

I don't think you have much of a choice, but I would just use a nail set and drive the nails down and fill the holes. If you just have to have the nails out I would try to use a small hole saw or chisel to relieve the area around the nail to access the head. Then grab the nail and pull it out. Then fill the void left by your excavation with whatever method/wood is appropriate. John

[Richard M. Wolfe]

I would think digging nails out would be a real chore and mar the wood much more than driving them in deep enough to surface over. As far as a material to use to fill the holes an epoxy should work well - just use a small thin object like a thin wood sliver to work any bubbles out
it should and and surface as well as the wood.

[Bob Vallaster]

I have had the same experience on two occasions.
Between them, I have seen embedded drill bits, knife blade tips, razor blades, staples and a variety of screws-n-nails. All the metal yielded to brute force removal. I recommend against sinking anything below the surface: you'll forget it, and it will be a land-mine at some point in the future (bench modification?, deep chisel cut?).
I used dykes, nipping pliers, needle-nose, pry bar, vise-grip....whatever it took to grip the offending piece. A 1/4" chisel or small carving gouge is helpful to excavate a relief around the object to be pulled.
The process is not gentle, and the top will look rough when you are done digging.
Fill your divots. If you're picky about appearance, cut plugs from like material, then drill/glue/sand flat. If your bench is a beater like mine, anything will do if it dries hard and lays flat---bondo, epoxy, wood filler. A belt sander makes quick work flatting the plugs/filler. Oil, wipe and let dry.
The reverse side (even with a few holes from its previous life) is going to look a whole lot better in retrospect.

BobV

[Derek Tuchscherer]

How about the use of a plug cutter? Cut a plug to include the material to be removed and then cut another plug to plug that hole with?

[Brian Tax]

Could you just drive them all the way through and pull them out the other side? I am not sure what you would use to do it, maybe a thin steel bar.

[Joe Vincent]

I'd remove them and try to remove as little wood as possible while doing so. I think you said they're probably brads. Hopefully some minor digging around them will reveal enough of the head so you can pull them out with needle nose pliers. Or drive them all the way through if you think that's possible. Then use plugs or, more specifically, how about using Miller Dowels of an appropriate diameter? You could choose a type of wood for the dowels either to conceal them as much as possible or maybe choose a neat contrast and highlight the repairs as a feature of the benches.

[John Schreiber]

What about one of these things? http://www.leevalley.com/images/item/woodworking/assorted/69k0201s4.jpg
from Lee Valley (http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=46447&cat=1,43456,43400&ap=1)? I've never used one, but I've never had the need. I've seen them at the big box too.

I'd vote for doing what ever it takes to get them out. You are going to find them at some point and be really ticked off.

[mark page]

My vote is to get them out of there. They will resurface again, especially if you do much assembly or "hammering" on the surface. Even wood expansion and contraction will eventually alter their position. Much like the phenomenon of deck construction nails raising themselves, only it will take much longer. DAMHIKT!!!

[Peter Quinn]

I'd just drive them in a 1/16" or so with a nail set, level the top and move on. Forget plugs, hole saws and fillers. The holes will remind you where the nails are next time you flatten the bench so you can drive them in further. This is after all a wood working bench I assume, and not a piece of furniture? I'd guess the punch holes won't interfere with the benches utility, might even give it that well used charm, save you lots of time developing the correct atmosphere!

Some of the best wood working I have seen is done not on show pieces but on benches that look like WWIII has just taken place.

[James Hart]

I've used this a few times and it performed as advertised every time. You only need to be able to barely grab the nail and the leverage is great.

http://www.nailextractor.com/

Jim

[John Eaton]

I have one of those Nail Extractors - great tool - actually met the inventor selling them at a local wood show. You still have the problem of getting access to the head for it to work. I think driving them in is the way to go, personally.

-- John

[James Hart]

John,

When I saw them demo the extractor, they were grabbing the point of a nail and pulling the head through a 2x4 from the other side. If you can get at just a tiny bit of the shank you'll be able to pull out some of them.

Jim

[Mike Deschler]

Thanks guys for all the great inputs. The reverse sides are looking better and better. I'm going to have a great work bench maybe not a show piece but one heck of a functional one with lots of good projects planned. BTW, there was also a Columbia wood vise attached to one of the benches and it was in a miserable and pathetic condition that no tool should be subjected to. Today, I refurbed it and it is working perfectly and even looks good. This is going to be a fun project.

[glenn bradley]

I would want them out. If they are not of a gauge that will allow them to be driven through and pulled from the other side, I would try this (http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=2354&filter=screw%20remove). I have made them by filing teeth into a steel tube but they only work a few times. I have no experience with the commercial ones but would expect they are better than shop made. You can fill the hole with a like material dowel that will almost disappear when you level the top with a router sled. If leveling by hand-plane, I would plug after, saw and sand flush. Tell us what you decide ;-)

[Frank Drew]

Mike,

If you can use the undersides of the bench tops, great; if not, I'm in the drive 'em in camp. With small-headed nails like brads you can easily drive them deep enough to never, ever be a problem.

"I recommend against sinking anything below the surface: you'll forget it, and it will be a land-mine at some point in the future (... deep chisel cut?)."

Work on your bench, not into it.

:D

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

I would consider flattening the tops with a router bridge and use a metal cutting end mill.

That way I'd not worry if I got 'em all and just cut them off even with the table top as it got flattened.

Then over the years of owning it - eventually - those nails would get hammered in and forgotten - again.

It was a school - they have children in 'em and kids will be kids.