Would this work - nail puller ?

[CompoSimmonite]

I need to change all the skirting boards in my house. The walls are dry lined so normal crowbar to remove the nails isn't an option. I'm thinking of adapting an old pair of pincers to they are scissor actions like this -

so a slide hammer could be attached.
Do people think this will work ?

Cheers.

Paul H

 

[I'm getting on a bit]

Easier to just punch them in

 

[Wendelspanswick]

I used one of these to de-nail thousands of M of maple flooring when I was young, nothing else got close to being as useful.
http://www.buckandhickman.com/find/keyword-is-PRYOR/product-is-010189

Not cheap but will last a lifetime (or 5000M of maple flooring!).

 

[CompoSimmonite]

Easier to just punch them in

The are blinking big nails (early 70's house) that would need lump hammer to make any difference

 

[CompoSimmonite]

I used one of these to de-nail thousands of M of maple flooring when I was young, nothing else got close to being as useful.
http://www.buckandhickman.com/find/keyword-is-PRYOR/product-is-010189

Not cheap but will last a lifetime (or 5000M of maple flooring!).

Unfortunately can't lever against anything so that type wouldn't work in my situation. I've tried using a big piece of ply under the lever to spead the load but all that does is more damaged elsewhere - the nails are that big and deep.
I know people might say simply cut them off flush but I don't want to go that route without trying to fully remove first.

 

[Wendelspanswick]

The easiest way is to pull them right through from the back rather than trying to dig them out from the front and damaging the face.
I thought the nail puller I used was made by Prior/Pryor but looking on the web it could be Priory in which case you can buy them for £30.

 

[Parm]

Punching them in is quite effective

 

[Wendelspanswick]

Are they Ovals or Cut Clasps?

 

[Wendelspanswick]

From what I gather so far, the skirting boards are off already but the nails remain. The wall is plasterboarded (stud or otherwise) and the nails go through the plasterboard into a more solid substrate.

Trying to lever the nails just mangles the plasterboard.

How am I doing so far?

I can offer this about your problem - good luck!

In which case you could buy a multitool with a flush cutting blade and slide the blade behind the skirting to cut the nails, never tried it but it's an idea.

 

[CompoSimmonite]

From what I gather so far, the skirting boards are off already but the nails remain. The wall is plasterboarded (stud or otherwise) and the nails go through the plasterboard into a more solid substrate.

Trying to lever the nails just mangles the plasterboard.

How am I doing so far?

I can offer this about your problem - good luck!

Yep - basically correct.
The outer walls are breeze block with oval nails that are the PIA to remove. I split timber to remove leaving nails in situ.
Internal walls are studded and builders used smaller wire nails that I can easily get out.

 

[MattF]

I'm guessing you'll likely end up snipping/snapping most of them off. If they're only into breeze block, a good wiggle or two with the pliers should work them loose?

 

[mike os]

or just bend them down & hammer beliw the surface...

 

[ukracer]

Why not grind them of if the skirting is missing already?

 

[Shedendman]

^^^^^^ ditto
Had this situ a 1000's times if you cant put them out without pulling half the brick/block work just either cut or knock them back in,your new skirting is going to cover what damage anyway,any bad holes just fill them.
This ground or upstairs?

 

[CompoSimmonite]

Thanks.

Common sense prevails
Reckon I'll just cut them off with Dremel.

 

[Bill Edwards]

Are they all mostly the same size? If so it would be a doddle to make a slide hammer with a piece of bent metal at the end with a simple slot in to go behind the nail head, try to make it so the hammer is in line with the nail if you can.
You could adapt a pair of mole grips to grip them to use a slide hammer, but depending on how tough they are to remove this might not be easy - though I guess you could grind the jaws of the grips to suit the nail if they weren't making good contact.

 

[the snooper]

Why can't you lever againsr the wall ? All you need is a board to spread the pressure so as not to damage the wall

 

[clift_d]

Why can't you lever againsr the wall ? All you need is a board to spread the pressure so as not to damage the wall

I thought the same. Surely the nails are where the studs are? Put a spreader board on the wall above the nail and use a pry bar to lever against the stud directly above the nail

 

[Bill Edwards]

He's tried that, post 5.

 

[the snooper]

He's tried that, post 5.

so it does