Need some help removing nails from oak

It is in general better to push the nail through if feasible. You can sometimes take a nail set and hit them from the front side enough to get them to protrude out the back. Then take nail pullers and have out them.
Good luck. (Sometimes you gotta dig).

-- -John "Do I have to keep typing a smiley? Just assume it's a joke." www.flickr.com/photos/gizmodyne

pull them out from the backside

-- http://www.woodsongsfurniture.com

Pulling them from the back is the way to go if they will pull out. I have had far more success with finishing nails than I have brads. A good portion of the time that I have tried to remove brads they simply break off about 1/16” proud of the surface and then I either end up digging (and digging some more) or getting frustrated with the entire thing and cutting off the material with the offending nails in it. I can always find a use for offcuts.

-- With God's help all things are possible- even woodworking. Woodworking is not just a hobby, it is an (expletive deleted) expensive hobby.

Pull them straight through Use pliers and a wood block to keep from marking up the wood.

-- What happens in the workshop stays in the workshop. No wait that doesn't sound right. Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †

You might try drilling a 1/16 bit next to the brad and then pull it out. Some may come out, but you will most likely break most of the nails off before pulling them out. They very thin and weak. John

-- Oldworld, Fair Oaks, Ca

I’ve also found that with these easily bent nails, to cut them off leaving maybe 1/8” sticking out. Now when you tap it with a hammer, it’s less likely to bend and the nail head will pop out the other side. Take your time whatever you do. Carbide saw blades pretty much eat these things up, but planer blades don’t.

Pulling the nail thru like the other guys have suggested works great as well and won’t leave your top surface marred as much.

-- Bob Vila would be so proud of you!

Thanks guys.. I really appreciate all the input. I’ll try some of your suggestions today to see what I can come up with. I may be able to just pull them on through, but am kinda worried that it may just break off. I’ll try that though..

Thanks again!

-- Jamie, Kentucky

If the heads of the nails are out far enough, you can try heating the nails with a torch. As they heat up they will expand, enlarging the hole a bit. When they cool, the nail shrinks back but the hole doesn’t. It works for screws, and it might work here.

-- Sam

I don’t know what some of the terminology you are using means, but I’m assuming that these nails are very thin and protrude significatly through the back (hence the bending). I had some luck nailing them out from the back by doing the following. I got a small pair of vise grips and really clamped them on the protruding piece of the nail (leaving about a 2 mm gap between where I clamped and the board). Then I could tap on the vice grips instead of the point of the nail. this would let me be sure the nail would be forced stright out. Just an idea.

Ditto on the vise grips. Best method I have found and I use it frequently.

Go

-- Go http://ncwoodworker.net/pp/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=730

What a lucky deal! You’ll be glad you salvaged it! And I agree with Gofor (and the others) – vise grips is the way to go. We tore down an old building up the street, brought it home and began the chore of removing all the nails, screws, etc. Apparently the previous owner worked at the local lumber yard and over the years, if there was a “stray piece” of wood, he would bring it home and tack it onto his barn. The result: a very eclectic, multi-thickness, variety-of-wood barn, put together with whatever nails and screws he had lying around. He used sinkers ALL over it, and sometimes on very thin wood. Too comical. But our efforts paid off, as we now we have a huge pile of great lumber to use on …???? We tried a number of things as mentioned by the others in here (tho, not the torch!), but the best idea we found is to use a good pair of vise grips to pull and twist them from the back / worse side. And like Karson suggested, be sure to use the wood block on either side of the nail if you need to pound it out from the front. Good luck!

-- Currently-from-Grand-Rapids-but-looking-to-move-to-beautiful-Traverse-City ... :)

Pull them through the backside using a nail nippers. You can buy a nail nipper at nearly any hardware store (not a toe nail nipper). Sometimes they are called hoof nippers or racetrack nippers. To prevent maring as you apply leverage to the nipper use a piece of 1/4” scrap hardboard under the nipper. They’ll come out fairly easily. It takes a little practice so you don’t clip them off, but one you get it you’ll move right along.

-- Rich, Madison WI