In progress construction works there is a need not only to build any structure, ensuring its reliable fastening, but also to disassemble the building. In the latter case, you will need to quickly remove the fasteners - ordinary nails. You can do this with improvised tools, but it is better to use a more convenient device - a nail puller.
Purpose and design features
A nail puller is used to extract nails from wooden, plastic and other structures. There are many varieties of this device, but in general case it is a handle, at the end of which there is a curved wedge made of durable metal.
The wedge ends with a slot, i.e. has a split tip. This groove captures the nail head and then removes it.
With a stronger fastening of the nail in the surface of the workpiece or other construction object, the tool handle acts as a lever. Loaders often use a nail puller as an assistant to lift heavy loads, and carpenters use it to dismantle wooden structures.
This tool belongs to the manual category, although there are also models of an electric nail puller. You need to choose taking into account your financial capabilities, the range of planned work and the required ergonomics in use.
Hammer with nail puller function
This universal type a tool that can be used not only to extract nails, but also to drive them. Therefore, the nail hammer has two different ends on the working nozzle:
- rounded head of a classic hammer;
- a pointed part with a slot to perform the functions of a nail puller.
The metal part of the hammer is made of high-strength steel. Many models are equipped with a rubberized handle. It is a compact and mobile tool. Thanks to the short handle, it is easy to carry and have always at hand.
However, on the other hand, this feature does not allow you to fully use the tool as a lever. In addition, the working slot does not always allow you to get under the hat, and the wooden handle is less durable compared to full-fledged crowbar-type nail pullers.
In professional models of a hammer with a nail puller function, the design is one-piece forged, always with a rubber handle. High-quality rubber helps to effectively dampen vibration.
crowbar nail puller
In the classic version, the extraction device is a solid steel rod with flattened ends turned in different directions. The nail extraction slot can be at both ends.
But the nail puller mount is especially popular, the second wedge of which is flattened and looks like a blade. This end can destroy structures, lift floorboards, disassemble fastened boards.
Crowbar nail puller can be 400-1500 mm long. Reinforcement is used for manufacturing, as well as a round or hexagonal rod having a diameter of 10-25 mm. With an increase in the length of the tool, its thickness and strength increase, but the weight also increases.
How to choose an instrument
There are many designs and modifications of the device, which is clearly seen in the photo of the nail puller. When choosing, you need to pay attention to the following parameters:
A flat tip that must be strong and sharp. It is made from high quality material, while other parts can be made from less durable materials. The presence of a special protective paintwork or anti-corrosion coating on it is welcome.
The length of the tool depends on the type of work performed and their complexity. To disassemble large structures, furniture, doors, a tool with a longer handle up to 1-1.5 m is required. But for minor manipulations, for example with drawers, you can limit yourself to using short nail pullers 30-50 cm.
Weight of the nailer. Heavier tools will require less effort from you when dismantling or removing nails. A nail puller reinforced with a more durable material allows you to disassemble even large structures without the risk of damaging the tool. But the work will be tedious.
You need to select the weight for yourself, so that with a minimum of effort and fatigue, you can effectively do the job. The optimal weight is 1 kg.
Making tools at home
It is not necessary to spend money on the purchase of equipment. You can manage on your own. To learn how to make a nail puller with your own hands, we recommend that you study our simple instructions:
Pick up wire from steel of different diameters. For small nails, you can take a not very thick wire, and for thicker ones, a reinforcing bar is also suitable.
In the process of processing the tip, one part of the wire should be flattened on the anvil with a hammer. Reinforcement can be cut right angle. A hacksaw makes a small slot for nails.
The edges are processed with a file and various defects are removed.
The nozzle is bent. First, a bend is made on the thicker part of the nozzle before the beginning of the thin section. And then a bend is made at the flattened end. Harden the workpiece if possible.
The nozzle should be processed with a file, and then polished. The nozzle is attached to the selected handle.
The nail puller helps facilitate many demolition jobs. Right choice tool will allow you to carry out manipulations quickly and efficiently. At the same time, you need to remember about the ergonomics of the tool, ease of use.
Photo of a nail puller
The device of a nail puller is very simple and elementary, but at the same time, it is very useful and invaluable in the construction industry. So, with the help of this device, you can pull out or tear out nails or any other construction, fasteners. The design of the nail puller is used in several tools - it can be a nail hammer, a separate nail puller tool, pliers with a nail puller function, and so on. Also, a very useful and common is a crowbar nail puller, which we will consider in this article. You will find out what this tool is like, which one is better to pay attention to and buy a crowbar nail puller. About all this, in our article.
The device and use of a crowbar nail puller
The tool is usually a small and curved wedge made of metal, which is divided in two by a small groove. This groove, in turn, is necessary in order to capture, hold and tear out nails, screws and self-tapping screws, those parts that are driven into a wooden or any other surface. Due to the fact that the crowbar nail puller, as a rule, has a long arm, you can remove absolutely any nail or other fastener.
A crowbar nail puller is used almost everywhere where there is a need to extract nails. Most often, these are carpentry and roofing, construction and locksmith work, and so on, including household solutions tasks. Moreover, a crowbar-nail puller can be used not for its intended purpose. So, for example, it can be used when dismantling building structures, for dismantling wood products and frames, and so on.
Assortment of crowbars
To date, there are several varieties of tools of this kind on sale. So, the price of a nail puller will directly depend on what type of tool you choose. It can be an ordinary nail puller, which consists of a small handle, as well as a working part that has L-shape, and which is a broken blade for safely removing nails from the surface. This design will allow you to pick up and pull out nail heads from surfaces with the least possible effort.
A nail crowbar is a tool with a small wedge on one side. This wedge can be used as a dismantling tool various designs(either raising floorboards or breaking off wooden planks). On the other hand, the tool has a forked blade with which you can pull nails.
And, of course, the classic crowbar nail puller, which is a fairly heavy all-metal rod that is pointed at one end. It is used in various cases - for chiselling ice or frozen soil, as well as any rocky soil, and so on. Among such tools, the most famous are the Gross nail crowbar, as well as Juco and TOPEX. At the same time, you can stop at any other model of the tool, knowing what you need to consider when buying.
In order to buy a nail puller, you need to know a few basic things. First of all, it is the material of the tool. Crowbar nail puller can be made of high-strength, tool steel. But, the most durable and high-quality model of a nail puller is considered to be a tool made of titanium. However, titanium nail crowbars are expensive, so tools are most often sold from tool steel. So, this material is quite stable under mechanical impact on it, it is practically not prone to deformation, even with strong impacts and impact on it. Here, pay attention to the presence of a paintwork or anti-corrosion coating of the instrument, which further prevents the formation of corrosion, rust, etc. on it.
Tool length is also an important parameter. In the case when you have to open small wooden boxes, or you know in advance that you will work in a limited space, you should pay attention to short crowbars. So, a 600 mm crowbar, or one having a length of 300-400 mm, will be quite sufficient. This is enough to make enough effort. However, if you need to use scrap to open wooden floors, windows, door frames or any other structures, it is best to use long models of nail pullers with a length of 1m to 1.3m. This will allow you to work comfortably, and not bend too low while working.
And, of course, the weight of the tool - the heavier the scrap, the greater the destructive effect it will have on the material. Therefore, if you know for sure that you will have to exert tremendous force to dismantle a particular structure, you can safely stop at heavy crowbars-nail pullers. If you need accurate work with boards, boxes, etc., you should choose lightweight models of this tool.
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To drive in a nail, no special experience is required, every developer can cope with this task, another thing is to correctly pull out a hammered nail. If the hat is flush with the surface, then it is recommended to know some of the subtleties of this work. And a lot depends on pulling out nails on which tool you choose. It is best to use a titanium nail puller for this purpose, which will handle the nails best.
Purpose of the nail puller
There were times when wooden nails were used everywhere, for this they first drilled holes in the boards that fit the diameter, and after that they connected the structural details in a similar simple way. Such nails were called pins. However, the pin could not be pulled out. And today these products have been replaced with metal fasteners that have wide caps. In the manufacture of wood products, it often becomes necessary to pull out improperly hammered nails.
They are easy to pick up with a puller - a special tool with a flattened end, where there is a wedge-shaped slot, which is convenient for gripping a nail. After hooking, you also need to pull out the fastener, which is tightly compressed by the fibers of the tree or wedged in the concrete panel, so a forged nail puller should be used. The leverage helps, so all nail pullers are made quite long, and near the toe there is a bend that acts as a support. The material is also of great importance, so tools for pulling nails are often made hardened.
Claw hammers perform the functions of an ordinary carpenter's hammer or act as a nail puller. Such a tool will help to hammer in a nail, and easily remove an unnecessary one if it is installed incorrectly. Today there are similar hammers with different handles: wooden, metal, rubberized, fiberglass.
Thus, the purpose of a manual nail puller is to pull out nails. And the scope of its use is quite large. With it, you can gently and easily pull the nail out of the floor or baseboard. Regardless of the description of the nail puller, it is used when dismantling various buildings, wooden structures, boxes and containers. The nail puller is indispensable tool for loaders, carpenters, other technical workers and private developers at home.
In addition to the main function that the nail puller performs, its other functions are also known: pulling out nails using a flattened end with a slot, breaking asphalt, ice and frozen soil, lifting various objects, opening boxes and other surfaces fastened with nails using a pointed end. The solid profile, which is equipped with a nail puller, successfully allows you to dismantle building materials.
Nail puller design
The nail puller is a lever-wedge device manual type for pulling out nails driven into the material. The nail puller is produced in the form independent tool or a tool that is combined with tools such as a crowbar or a hammer, as in the photo of nail pullers.
A nail puller is a curved metal wedge, which is divided in two by a working groove, which is designed for the process of capturing and holding when pulling a nail by the “hat” from the material. The action of the nailer is based on the action of the wedge on the surface - the fastener and the material into which the fastener is hammered, and on the principle of leverage when pulling the nail. The principle of the lever has been used by man since ancient times, when it was necessary to break off a piece of stone, lift a heavy object, which required remarkable efforts.
This building tool at one end has a curved flattened platform with a slot that expands, and at the other there is a straight pointed stake. The second end is often simply flattened and pointed. Depending on the requirements for the tool, the nail puller can be different sizes. The price of nail pullers on the market also varies. The length of the nail pullers ranges from 320 - 1000 millimeters, and the weight is 0.6 - 4 kilograms. The choice of the size of this construction tool depends directly on the size of the nails with which it will work.
Most hammers that are equipped additional function pullers for nails, are equipped with a rubber handle, thanks to which they are clamped in the palm of your hand, like a glove. To increase the strength of nail pullers, heat treatment of high carbon steel is also used, which is a common tool material. There are also nail pullers with a wood handle and an iron tip. But it is not recommended to get carried away with a variety of form factors, the main thing in a tool for extracting nails is flat surface blades, which is brought under the hat, and the level of its strength.
Making a nail puller with your own hands
Any owner needs a good nail puller no less than a saw, a hammer or an ax. Therefore, it is useful to know how to make a nail puller at home. We suggest you make a set of three nail pullers that will help you pull out any nails and fasteners.
A nail puller for pulling out small nails is best made of steel with a high carbon content so that its working part can be hardened. To do this, take a steel wire 0.5 mm thick, then straighten it on the anvil and flatten the working end a little.
Make a shallow cut with a hacksaw along the axis, process the edges of the cut with a needle file. Bend the working part of the tool in a vise. It is customary to make a bend in two steps: first in a place where the workpiece is thicker, and then closer to the working end. Remove small dents from the vise with a file. Then sand the working part of the tool and, if possible, polish with a polishing paste.
It remains to harden with a future vacation. After this manipulation, grind the working part of the tool again and polish it. Attach the resulting workpiece to the handle. Do-it-yourself nail puller for small nails is ready!
Nail pullers for large and medium nails are usually made of reinforcing steel. Just remember that the working part does not need to be flattened. Preliminary carry out all rough processing on an emery wheel.
Handles are not required for such nail pullers. To pull out a long nail with an ordinary nail puller, you have to put various objects under its base, for example, a piece of board, which is not very convenient. Improve your nail puller by welding an additional part at a distance of 6 centimeters from the working one.
Using a homemade nail puller
Now you should learn how to properly use a homemade nail puller. Using this tool is quite simple. Depending on the diameter of the nail, you need to select the appropriate home-made nail puller from the kit and knock out the pre-wedge part of the tool with a hammer under the hat.
When the nail enters the slot of the working part, move the handle towards the wood - the nail will come out a little from the hole. Place a low block to support it. After that, the nail will come out a little more. Now you can grab onto his hat with pliers.
With damaged hats that cannot be unscrewed. Due to its shape and strength, it can also be used for dismantling wooden, plastic and other structures that can be separated as a result of the applied force.
How a nail puller works
The tool may have different shape, but regardless of the variety, it always has the same working part. It is a flat wedge, shaped like a spatula with a forked tip. The longitudinal slot on it has a special groove that allows you to capture the head of a nail or screw. Subsequently, the tool is used as a lever for pulling out the fastener.
Usually the tool is made of carbon steel. It has high hardness. Also on sale you can find cheaper nail pullers made of weak alloys, which are of little use for dismantling work. To identify low-quality tools, it is enough to scratch their working part using the tip of a nail. At good tool steel is hard, so scratches do not form. If a bad nail puller is tested, then a mark will appear on it directly in the metal, and not just on the paint.
Where are nailers used?
The need to pull out nails may be required in various circumstances. Such a tool is used by people of dozens of professions. First of all, it is necessary for builders, as well as for finishers who perform repair work. It is convenient to tear off old floorboards with a nail puller, tear off wall lining, dismantle the roof from slate. The need for it arises during disassembly wooden fences. Nail pullers are much more compact than crowbars, so they can be used for accurate demolition brickwork. Thanks to a flat spatula, it is convenient to push them under the brick, and using a lever to tear it off the wall.
Also, the tool is used by loaders and couriers involved in the delivery of goods in the crate. Due to its increased strength, this device can be fully used for striking during dismantling. Of course, a hammer makes everything much more convenient, but when the latter is not at hand, it is quite possible to get by with a nail puller.
Varieties of nail pullers
This is a highly demanded tool, for which there are no analogues in the performance of certain types of dismantling work, therefore dozens of well-known trademarks. Each of them strive to improve the design, making it more convenient for performing certain tasks. In this regard, there are several very successful varieties of this tool that are used everywhere. Conventionally, they can be divided into ordinary nail pullers and those combined with other types of tools.
Ordinary
Such a tool is intended solely for tearing nails. He has small size up to 40 cm. At its end, an ordinary handle with an overlay is provided, similar to that found on hammers. This is a relatively light nail puller, allowing you to work mainly with fasteners. He is quite capable of tearing off floorboards or dismantling wooden boxes. Purely nail pullers are not very popular, since for a similar cost you can purchase a more advanced tool that can perform at least one more additional function.
There are also more compact devices designed to work with small nails, which are usually used in furniture assembly, as well as knocking together small boxes. They have the size of an ordinary large one, with the exception that they are equipped with a slotted spatula at the end. With the help of such a device, fasteners can be removed, creating minimal damage to the surface from which they break out. This tool is also suitable for dismantling push pins that are firmly embedded in wood. They can also rip off the clips holding the internal plastic elements car interior.
Combined
Such a nail puller combines one or more additional tools:
- Ticks.
- Mount.
Nail pullers compatible with crowbar have dimensions up to 150 cm. At their second end there is a flat blade or a pointed wedge. It is a versatile construction and demolition tool and the easiest to work with because it has a large leverage, which reduces the load when pulling out nails. With a similar device, it is good to dismantle floorboards, benches, wooden buildings, as well as roof battens. In addition, the tool can be used as an ordinary scrap. Its forked blade is quite large, therefore it is not able to capture small carnations with a small diameter cap. It will not work if it is necessary to carefully disassemble small structures, the components of which must be kept intact, preventing the appearance of dents in the wood.
Enjoy great popularity hammers, they have a nail puller on the opposite side of the striker. They have a small leverage, so pulling out fasteners with such a device is quite difficult. At the same time, such structures also have advantages. First of all, they are compact and able to fit in a toolbox. Hammers can quite cope with tearing out small nails, but for long ones their leverage is too short. The bulk of the load falls on the hammer handle, which is usually made of wood. Overdone and pressing too hard, it is quite possible to break it. If you plan to make great efforts, then it is better to choose an all-metal hammer with a nail puller. Such a tool may well survive a large load, and besides this, it will not be damaged if the handle is lengthened. metal pipe to increase leverage. Typically, these hammers are used when they need to be used to drive nails. If one of them is bent, then it can be immediately removed to score the other.
Nail pullers-chisels
A highly specialized tool designed for beekeepers. It is used for processing and cleaning old frames. With its help, small carnations are removed, and the planks of the frame are cleaned from the old foundation with a chisel. Also on sale are reinforced chisels, which, in addition to performing the current two functions, also work like a hammer. This makes them versatile for repairing bee frames and more serious tasks. It is worth noting that such nail puller although it is a chisel, it is not sharp enough to carry out woodcarving, like carpentry counterparts.
Meet ticks, which themselves are used to extract nails. At the same time, on one of their handles there is a flat spatula with a slot for studs, copying the shape of a nail puller. Such a device cannot cope with large fasteners, but it is quite useful for disassembling small wooden boxes, which are usually used for the transport of vegetables and fruits.
Nail pullers deserve special attention mounts. This is an almost universal dismantling tool that allows you to perform a large list of works. Typically, these devices are 4 in 1. They can be used as a nail puller, pry bar, hammer and tool for bending metal rods. Often this device costs much more than all other varieties. However, it cannot compete with the power of a crowbar nail puller.
How to use a nail puller
Often, when using a nail puller, one has to deal with heavily hammered nails, the head of which is deepened into the surface. In this case, there is no way to get hooked. To solve this problem, it is necessary to keep auxiliary tools at hand. First of all, it is a hammer, or pliers.
If a structure is being dismantled, in which there is access to the reverse side, where the tip of the nail is located, then it is worth checking if it protrudes. If the pointed part sticks out, then it is necessary to hit it with a hammer, after which the hat will come out and you can pull it out. Sometimes fasteners with reverse side bent for increased reliability. In this case, it needs to be unbent. For this, pliers or tongs are useful. After leveling, hit the sharp side so that the hat comes out a little.
In the case of dismantling surfaces in which the tip does not protrude from the back, or there is no access to it, the work will have to be done more roughly. First you need to put the spatula of the nail puller against the hat, directing it at an angle of 30 degrees. With a hammer blow on the back of the nail puller, it must be driven into the surface until the cap is hooked. After that, the tool is used as a lever and pulls out the nail as usual. This is a fail-safe method, but spoils the boards, which is not always acceptable if you plan to use them in the future.
When the nail is driven with great force, the back of the nail puller cuts into the wood, leaving a deep dent there. The same occurs when dismantling the mount on slate roof. To avoid this effect, it is worth placing a small soft wooden plank under the stop of the tool. It will take on the deformation effect on itself, distributing the load over a larger area, so a dent will not appear.
Crowbar nailer is convenient fixture to remove nails from different designs. It greatly facilitates the dismantling work for the master. Helps to resolve the issue of removal of nails quickly and efficiently. In turn, this is an ergonomic tool, despite the fact that it belongs to the category manual fixture, there are also models of an electric nail puller
If you pay attention to the photo of the nail puller, you can understand that this tool is a curved wedge with a forked end, with the help of which the cap of the removed nail or other element is captured. It is made exclusively from high quality metal and has a long arm.
Scope of application
Despite the simple device, the use of the tool is necessary in the construction industry. It is used wherever the task is to extract objects from different surface, also it is very helpful for loaders to lift heavy loads. Carpenters, locksmiths, builders use it to solve everyday issues. Also, the nail puller can be used not for its intended purpose, but for the reconstruction of the premises, parsing is not desired structures, frames.
Varieties
In the classic version, the tool looks like a rod made of steel with cut ends, while they can be on both sides of the nail puller.
The length of a standard fixture is from four hundred to five hundred millimeters, the diameter is from ten to twenty-five millimeters. If the length of the product increases, then the strength, due to the thickness, also increases, although the weight is added.
One type of tool is a hammer with a nail puller function. It has a short handle which makes it easy to use. This is a very versatile type of fixture, since a nail puller can not only extract elements, but also hammer.
It has a design consisting of two different ends. On one working surface there is a round hammer head, and on the other a classic pointed part with a forked wedge.
The main part of the models has a non-slip rubberized handle. The only drawback is that the possibility of leverage of this device is limited.
The nail puller has gained particular popularity in the sales market among consumers. Its design has a second wedge resembling a flat blade.
With its help, you can dismantle wooden floors, raise building devices, remodel boards. At the same time, the other end perfectly performs the function of pulling out nails and other unnecessary elements.
To purchase the best nail puller, you need to determine what kind of work you need a tool for. In any case, before buying, pay attention to the following properties of the device:
First, the nail crowbar must be made of high strength metal such as tool steel, which is not prone to warping. Although the instrument best quality made from titanium. Of course, they are significantly overpriced.
It is desirable that the tip be covered with a special protective paintwork or anti-corrosion coating. This will make it as strong and durable as possible in use.
Secondly, the length of the tool matters. Give preference to those models that will be necessary for your work. So, for disassembling bulky structures, a device with a handle up to one and a half meters is required, and if necessary, small dismantling work, a short nail puller up to fifty centimeters long can be useful.
The force of its impact on the material will also depend on the weight of the tool. A heavy reinforced nail puller can destroy large structures, but the work will be tedious.
Making a fixture
You can not buy, but make a nail puller with your own hands. How to make a tool yourself, we will further consider step by step:
- 1 step. First, choose a wire made of steel right size depending on the diameter of the nails to be removed.
- 2 step. Next, process the tip of one part, flatten it with a hammer, then cut a slot for further removal of the elements.
- 3 step. If defects have formed, and notches, remove them with a needle file.
- 4 step. The next step is to bend both ends of the nozzle. Start with the thicker part of the instrument.
- 5 step. If possible, it is recommended to harden the fixture. Polish the product and attach to the handle.
So without much difficulty, you can independently make such a necessary thing as a crowbar nail puller.
Photo crowbar nail puller
