Replies

1. 
   nikkiwood | Jun 19, 2005 07:30pm | #1

   I guess I can't understand why you couldn't pry the handrail off just enough to get a hacksaw blade in there to cut the nails.

   That would be way preferable to cutting away enough wood (from the face surface) to get even a needle nose vise grip around the head.

   ********************************************************
   "I tend to live in the past because most of my life is there."
   -- Herb Caen (1916-1997)

1. 
   henryh | Jun 20, 2005 04:53am | #4

   Unfortinately the finish carpenter has glued and nailed the ends of the handrail to the face of the starting newel and the top rosette. The newel is very rigid and won't give sufficently to work the nails. For good measure, each baluster has been glued into the handrail. Nothing is going to give.

1. 
   nikkiwood | Jun 20, 2005 06:09am | #7

   I guess I'm still confused. Why do you have to remove the nails -- if it is not your intention to remove the railing from the newell post?Usually, these are toe-nailed, and using a pin punch ( or even a nail set) to push them through is a good idea -- since you won't have to move the nail very far to free it from the newell post. I have a nail extrator that looks like a tiny hole saw on the end of a drill bit. The outside diameter is 3/8" , and the inside is hollow to allow the nail to pass through. The idea is to drill down enough to free the nail, pull the bit out, and fill the resulting hole with a 3/8" dowel or plug. I have used it maybe 3-4 times, and it actually works pretty slick. If the nail is long, the hard part is freeing the plug from the bottom of the hole. But at least you have a relatively clean hole at the entry point.********************************************************
   "I tend to live in the past because most of my life is there."
   -- Herb Caen (1916-1997)

2. 
   notDusty | Jun 20, 2005 12:54am | #2

                   Hello Henry ,

                                       There are many ways of doing the same thing , heres one other way I have used as a last ditch effort  when I can't get a hold of the nail or screw to pull out . I have one of those hand held multi tools with all the different tools stored in the handle that un screws. I use a very small gouge and circle around the nail as close as possible , until enough wood is removed and the nail is exposed enough to get a hold of with a pair of wire cutters or needle nose , place a thin piece of sheet metal or a scraper blade to pry against so as not to damage or dent the surrounding area. Then perhaps you can cut a matching face grain plug to fill the hole.

                           good   luck               dusty

3. 
   Dave45 | Jun 20, 2005 01:13am | #3

   Try to pry the handrail loose (maybe 1/4") then hit with a rubber hammer to drive it back into place.  This sometimes drives the nails partway out and you can get a grip on them.

4. 
   hammer1 | Jun 20, 2005 05:14am | #5

   Depending on the size of the nails, it is sometimes easiest to use a pin punch and drive them all the way through. I usually start the nail moving with a regular nailset, then switch to the pin punch. They are easy to break, so you need to take your time and line them up nicely before driving. If the situation will allow it, you could cut 3/4 off the end of the rail and fill it in with a rosette. This would work well on a wall. There are cases when it's best just to bite the bullet and remove the rail completely. This way you can pry out the piece and pull the nails. When trying to save something, you should pull the nails out the back with some ViceGrips. Driving them back out will often result in chipping out the face. Pulling can do the same.

   Beat it to fit / Paint it to match

5. 
   KeithNewton | Jun 20, 2005 05:40am | #6

   Henry, I don't know if you can get at enough of the nail with a micro-torch without scorching the wood. If you heat the nail enough, the wood around it will loose its grip, and they are many times easier to get out. A large soldering iron may work also, but I have never tried it.

6. 
   JohnWW | Jun 20, 2005 09:54pm | #8

   Do you need to actually remove the nails or do you simply want to hide them? 

   If the nails don't have to be removed, say to disassemble the railing, then the easiest thing to do is just drive them below the surface with a nail set and then patch the holes. 

   If you must remove the nails, take a small pair of needle nose Vise Grips and sharpen the tips of the jaws almost to a point.  Adjust the jaw opening to a gap just wide enough to reach around the nail head and by tapping the end of the tool's handle with a light hammer drive the tips into the wood on either side of the nail.  With the tips driven in, adjust the Grips to clamp onto the nail which should give you enough traction to pull out the nail. 

   You can usually find someplace to hook the jaws of the Grips with the claw of a hammer to get some upward force on the nail.  Rather than driving in the jaw tips you could use a narrow chisel to cut a small notch on either side of the nail head to gain access to the shank of the nail with the Grips.

   John W.