I needed to remove some 1/2-in. plywood sheathing from a high gable. I couldn’t hammer it loose because of a nearby window, and yanking the nails from outside wasn’t an option that I relished. The safest method was to work from inside and cut the sheathing nails with my reciprocating saw. But the blade wouldn’t bend enough to go between the studs and the sheathing.
Casting about for a solution, I took the blade out of my hacksaw and checked to see if it would fit on my saw’s blade clamp. Sure enough, it did. After tapping the sheathing enough to loosen it, I inserted the blade between the stud and the sheathing and carefully cut through the nails on low speed. This trick will work well for removing siding without damaging it. Given the cost of good siding, you can pay for a reciprocating saw fast if you recycle.
Greg Thomas, Elkins, AR
