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Thread: Nailed It!

  1. #1
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    Nailed It!

    One of my habits (not going to debate whether it is good or bad) is to keep extras of many things. This has mostly been made stronger by living miles from the nearest retail establishment of any kind.

    A round trip to town is going to take up at least an hour or two, not to mention the cost of gas.

    One thing found to be very handy is a large nail. The last time an 80d (about 8"X5/16") was put in to a permanent use another one was purchased on the next shopping trip in to town. At that time there was also some large spikes at the Orange Borg. So a 12"X3/8" was also purchased.

    Recently at an estate sale a small bundle of five nails was purchased. That has added to my assortment of large nails/spikes:

    Big Nails.jpg

    The third one from the bottom was salvaged from a piece of lumber from an old barn. It is kept because it has a square shaft. Not sure how old that one might be.

    The largest nail/spike has been helpful in restoring a socket on a socket chisel that was mushroomed:

    Peening Mushroom.jpg

    Recently it has also helped with pulling large staples out of a fence post:

    Staple Wedge (Big Nail).jpg

    A new fence with a different orientation is going to be erected. This post has been an intersection for a few fences over the years. Getting a hold of the staples to pull them was a real challenge. Then it struck me. Drive a large wedge under the staples to lift them out enough to get a good grip with a pair of pliers. The end was first ground to a smoother point for this task.

    Life is easy.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  2. #2
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    A nail puller would do that easier. I actually gave one away because the foot/lever was not a hook that could hang from a nail. I learned that about caulking guns years ago.
    Bill D.

  3. #3
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    Im in full agreement about keeping spares. Having to go to the hardware store for one nut frustrates me. I’ve taken to buying frequently used fasteners by the box. Years ago, my brother gave me a microfilm cabinet and that has been a godsend. The drawers and dividers are perfect for boxes of fasteners. For oddball stuff, I use cheap plastic electrical boxes. Again, the divisions in the drawers are ideal.

  4. #4
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    I have a few of those large nails/spikes around here somewhere...they are misplaced at the moment since moving, but I suspect they are in a box in the shed. They are very handy for sure, for so many things.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  5. #5
    I always have spares.
    From early on, I would always buy a box of screws if I only needed a dozen or so. That's just one example but you get the point. Over the years I've built up a decent inventory of hardware that limits the amount of time I have to be in the fastener aisle at the store.
    I'm not as far out in the boonies as Jim but 8 miles is the closest hardware store and it's an old Ace Hardware and it's a small one.
    Those folks that make multiple trips to the BORG for one simple project do leave me scratching my head at times.
    Interesting use of what look like old tent pegs

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bill Dufour View Post
    A nail puller would do that easier. I actually gave one away because the foot/lever was not a hook that could hang from a nail. I learned that about caulking guns years ago.
    Bill D.
    Bill, I have and tried a nail puller on these. It might have worked if the staples were in horizontally. It was almost impossible to get any penetration to under the staple with any wire under the staple.

    The wedging with a nail and pulling with a pliers was much faster and less frustrating.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  7. #7
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    Jim,

    I have a special tool made for such tasks. For some reason it is called a screwdriver.
    Rick Potter

    DIY journeyman,
    FWW wannabe.
    AKA Village Idiot.

  8. #8
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    I always found these to be very good at pulling staples. Fence pliers.

    https://www.qcsupply.com/diamond-fen...5dd952d6407c6b

    https://www.amazon.com/Tools-VISE-GR...3419969&sr=8-2

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rick Potter View Post
    Jim,

    I have a special tool made for such tasks. For some reason it is called a screwdriver.
    I don't like messing up my screw drivers by using them as a prying tool. I was using an awl, but it didn't have enough of a shaft to wedge out the end or give it any prying strength.

    Quote Originally Posted by Ronald Blue View Post
    I always found these to be very good at pulling staples. Fence pliers.

    https://www.qcsupply.com/diamond-fen...5dd952d6407c6b

    https://www.amazon.com/Tools-VISE-GR...3419969&sr=8-2
    One of those was considered but didn't seem to have much usability after the fence work is done.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  10. #10
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    There are special fencing pliers available that are very helpful with that removal task...example:

    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  11. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by Ronald Blue View Post
    I always found these to be very good at pulling staples. Fence pliers.

    https://www.qcsupply.com/diamond-fen...5dd952d6407c6b

    https://www.amazon.com/Tools-VISE-GR...3419969&sr=8-2
    ...a pair in every saddle bag in TX. (Probably a couple other semi-notable states too.)

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Koepke View Post
    Bill, I have and tried a nail puller on these. It might have worked if the staples were in horizontally. It was almost impossible to get any penetration to under the staple with any wire under the staple.
    It is a fence post no need to be careful. just slam the hammer action in a few times to get deep into the wood and under the staple. I reccomend as deep below the wood surface as the wire diameter, or more.
    Bill D
    Last edited by Jim Becker; 05-24-2022 at 7:55 PM. Reason: Fixed quote tagging

  13. #13
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    I keep a supply of the 12” galvanized nails on hand. One great use is to hold stall mats in place. Put a large fender washer on some nails and drive them thru the mat and into the ground. This has kept 4x6 stall mats in place outside the stall entrances at my barn, even though the ground is sloped a little away from the barn. I do spread and tamp gravel before positioning the mats. These mats have been in place for maybe 10 years and get heavy use from donkeys, llamas, and sometimes horses.

    I also use big nails to mark key points on underground utilities - tie some marker tape to them and refresh as needed. Pound them in flush with the ground. If I can’t locate them visually the metal detector finds them quickly.

    JKJ

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bill Dufour View Post
    It is a fence post no need to be careful. just slam the hammer action in a few times to get deep into the wood and under the staple. I reccomend as deep below the wood surface as the wire diameter, or more.
    Bill D
    Tried that and there are a couple of problems:

    If there is a wire under the staple it doesn't work. Getting the wire out first is more work.

    The next problem is if the staple runs vertical on a round post, once the pincers are around the nail there isn't any place for the lever to push against.

    The fence pliers would have been the best manufactured solution. My nail saved me the cost of buying a new tool that wouldn't get much use in the future. This is my first major fence changing project, and hopefully the last, for me.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Koepke View Post
    ...
    The fence pliers would have been the best manufactured solution. My nail saved me the cost of buying a new tool that wouldn't get much use in the future. This is my first major fence changing project, and hopefully the last, for me.
    I recently had trouble removing some stapled barbed wire even with the fence pliers shown. (A neighbor stapled to trees about 3' over the line - maybe his eyesight isn't good.) For some, the pliers worked well, hammering in the point so it went under the wire. For the problem staples I made shallow horizontal saw cuts just above and below the staple. Then used a big pry bar to pop out a chunk of wood around the staple, giving enough room so get under and pry out the staple. The trees will survive.

    For me, the fence pliers worth having on hand, are useful for a variety of things.

    JKJ

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