I have a bunch of nails sticking through the porch roof. I want to paint the porch ceiling blue. Grant (seeyou) advised the nails be cut. I’ve used a dremel with a cut off disc, thought something else would make it go quicker. Something like a bolt cutter but smaller like a tile nipper, any thoughts?
Thanks
Kevin
PS These nails were driven through the skip sheathing that was for the, now removed, cedar shingles, no function whatsoever.
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Replies
Vise grips work great! Get the nose in tight and pivot at the point where the nail pokes through the wood. Pivot no more than 20 degrees to avoid damage to the wood.
and they just snap off?
Yes they do! Try it! Just takes a little pivoting to snap off the nails.
I've used a MultiMaster (with a metal E blade), but it's likely no faster than the Dremel.
I have seen midget bolt cutters somewhere -- like maybe Northern Tool.
You're not going to get them completely flush unless you grind them off woth a cutoff disk.
Like your dremel, but bigger.
A 4" or 4 1/2" grinder with a skinny blade.
I wear ear plugs when I spend a lot of time with the grinder
Will Rogers
Edited 10/2/2009 8:55 pm by popawheelie
Get a pair of "dykes" or linesman pliers and give the nails a squeeze flush with the face of the sheathing. After you've stressed the metal, grab them by the end and snap them off. Then take take a nail set and sink them slightly and spackle the hole so rust doesn't show up after you paint.
Or you can do the same with the Dremel. Just make a slight cut in the side and use pliers to break them off.
copper p0rn
Only if you don't like your dykes or linesman pliers. A good way to dull the cutters so bad that they won't cut anymore. Even Klein's say "copper only". Borrow a pair from a coworker that you don't like.
I've got a pair of bull nose pliers that I've been cutting nails with for years. I think they're ChannelLock brand
I use old resharpend horse hoof nippers. Longer handles , more leverage and less ladder.
Nip, tap it with the side, dab of oil primer or squirt from a spray can.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations
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Congrats! Not lineman's.
Your killing me Grant!
I want this to take less time:)
Got most of the paint off the house, I'll post pics soon. You guy decide what week you want? I'll be there the first week in August, all else is available.
If he set the nails wouldn't he just be pushing them up out of the sheathing? I think he means he wants to cut off nails that are sticking through the sheathing underside, is that your understanding too?Wouldn't all this work on the nails weaken their bond in the sheathing too?I think I would leave them alone and just apply some sheathing on the underside to cover the nails or just paint over them and leave it at that, depending on how finished you really want it.
Read a little further.
You should have been here two weeks ago, when the discussion was going on. There is another roof over the one in question, so no problem with tapping the nails up a bit.
As I stood before the gates I realized that I never want to be as certain about anything as were the people who built this place. --Rabbi Sheila Peltz, on her visit to Auschwitz
Oh, I see.
Nails snap off better than flush with vice grips or an old pair of linemans ar whatever...it's what I've always done to 16d nails...works well, but wiil take some time. less than dremel-ing all of them thoughNo Coffee No Workee!
<<dremel-ing>> Somehow that term doesn't seam manly enough for "FineHomebuilding". I'm going to have to ask you to go over to JLC for two weeks.
every time I read that I figured...
just go to a manicurist and be done with it...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
"Some days it's just not worth chewing through the restraints"
You know, I think that is the only task
they don't claim a Dremel can do.
but it does...
does the dogs nails too....
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
"Some days it's just not worth chewing through the restraints"
This would be my first thought. Whatever you use wear safety goggles. Working with nails overhead has all the necessary ingredients for a bad day...
OK - truth be told, my first thought is to have a finished ceiling. Bead board plywood in fir has has been my choice on a number of affordable houses. My painter says the correct color is SW "open air".
"Open air", I'll look it up.
I would concur with popawheelie; mini grinder with a cutoff wheel. I don't know how fussy you want to be about the finished surface, but I can't imagine snips leaving a flush cut. Maybe this won't bother you.
The grinder will take Five to ten seconds per nail, and once you get the hang of it, they'll be perfectly flush with the surface.
Wear hearing protection, eye protection, and keep a fire extinguisher handy.
Scott.
Edited 10/2/2009 10:22 pm by Scott
ramp up...
right angle grinder and a cut off wheel...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
Do it right: shaped explosives.
As I stood before the gates I realized that I never want to be as certain about anything as were the people who built this place. --Rabbi Sheila Peltz, on her visit to Auschwitz
Knipex brand tools are the best I own. I also have a high leverage diagonal cutter that says PIANO on it. Ordinary nails will not affect these pliers. I suppose they would cut hardened ones too, but I'm not going to find out the hard way.
Those look really nice. The company web sit says they have over a thousand different pliers.
I've always whacked those off with my improved power saw. I use the same blade that I frame with. If i'm not too aggressive, I can use that same blade for the rest of the house.
I can't believe nobody's got the right answer yet!!!pound 'em back up!yeesh !!Do I gotta explain EVERYTHING?.
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"After the laws of Physics, everything else is opinion" -Neil deGrasse Tyson
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If Pasta and Antipasta meet is it the end of the Universe???
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according to statistical analysis, "for some time now, bears apparently have been going to the bathroom in the woods."
I like what Jeff just posted. If you can get a hold of a pair of those I think that would be the way to go. If you want the ceiling smooth what I would do is to grab the nail and pull it down as far as you can, then nip it and drive it back into the wood just a bit so you can apply a filler, preferably oil base like linseed glaze, then prime with an oil base stain killer. Those little buggers are going to rust otherwise.
If you don't care about the ceiling being perfect then a 4" grinder with a metal cutting wheel is the way to go (not a grinding wheel). Once you build the rhythm each nail will take 2-3 seconds. But use oil primer.
I've run into the same and similar situations several times.
If a completely flush surface is the goal, go straight to the grinder. If you aren't careful, the existing surface may be damaged by a slipped wheel or an unsteady hand.
If having the nail be a bit pround (1/16"ish), then those end nippers mentioned, with solid long handles for leverage, is less likely to damage or mar the existing surface.
Good luck
I could join the chorus and make all manner of suggestions, but one question remains:
What are the nails doing up there in the first place? Ah, holding the shingles on. I've always wondered why roofers used such (comparatively) long nails. Which leads to the next point: when they re-roof, you get new nails in your roof.
I'll have to say: make a finished ceiling. I suggest using some form of T&G or Ship-lap boards; I've seen ceilings made with sheet goods, and the seams are always an eyesore.
The nails serve no function at all now, and the roofer, seeyou, who installled a copper roof that should last a century, advised him to cut them off.Read the first post.
What are the nails doing up there in the first place? Ah, holding the shingles on. I've always wondered why roofers used such (comparatively) long nails. Which leads to the next point: when they re-roof, you get new nails in your roof.
The house has had numerous cedar roofs on it over the years. The original split sheathing is visible from below on the porch. As the cedar roofs were replaced, some of the nails were driven vs being pulled. At some point, the porch was over sheathed with plywood, trapping the old protruding nails. The house now has a copper roof on it and hopefully re-roofing will not be an issue for quite some time. copper p0rn
Klein does indeed make side cutters that will do nails, screws, bolts, ferrous wire, etc..
http://www.service.kleintools.com/CGI-BIN/LANSAWEB?WEBEVENT+R011058767AE7C2005038085+PRD+ENG
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Sorry about missing that in the first post. Silly me!
I'd go with the end nippers idea - deform the nails (if they don't cut right through easily), then grab the ehd and wiggle to break. Chances are the nippers will cut right through. While my nippers are conventional, I really like the Knipex model another pictured here.
Klein (and some others) do make pliers that are intended to cut steel (2000 and Journeyman series), but you'll likley not be able to position your hand well.
Then, unless perfection is your goal, just paint over the nubs. If you need perfection, well, now's a good time to learn a light touch with an angle grinder.
Actually, if you need perfection, probably better to cut panels of finish grade plywood to fasten in place.
As I stood before the gates I realized that I never want to be as certain about anything as were the people who built this place. --Rabbi Sheila Peltz, on her visit to Auschwitz
zactly what I was thinking... sorta,
stuff a layer of foam in there to hold the finish ply off equally and then add the finish ply with cove moulding around the perimeters to hide the variations at the edges.
Driving those nails back up could make an interesting pattern in the copper <G>
There's plywood between them and the copper.copper p0rn
"I've always wondered why roofers used such (comparatively) long nails."
I use too long nails when hand nailing to avoid mashing my fingers when setting them with the first tap. 1" nails are fine with most shingles but murder on your hands.
Thank you for pointing out something obvious - that I had missed!
Edited 10/17/2009 9:20 pm ET by renosteinke
He's lyin'. The roofers use the long nails because they know sooner or later some poor slob is going to have to crawl around up in the attic and they get their jollies from imagining the poor SOB getting impaled on the things.
As I stood before the gates I realized that I never want to be as certain about anything as were the people who built this place. --Rabbi Sheila Peltz, on her visit to Auschwitz
It's true. I can not get anywhere near an attic without tearing huge strips off my scalp.
I had to cut the nails protruding through the roof deck of 4000 sq. ft worth of roof.
(Roofers failed to follow the specs).
We purchased the end trimmers/nippers or "horshoe nail trimmers" and then had a local machine shop re grind the cutters so that they actually cut flush instead of leaving a 1/16" of nail protruding. Job actually went quickly once we got the system down.
Squeeze hard, release, tap the unwanted end sideways and it broke off.
Major PITA factor doing that job, made for some strong forearms though.
Use endcutters like the ones Matt linked.
I have at least four different sizes of them in my arsenal, and can cut a 20 penny nail fairly easily.
And, as others have noted, the nippers will leave just a bit of a nub. If that's critical, then you'll need to use a grinder of some sort.
I won't be laughing at the lies when I'm gone,
And I can't question how or when or why when I'm gone;
I can't live proud enough to die when I'm gone,
So I guess I'll have to do it while I'm here. (Phil Ochs)
Well...I do have one other idea. Go get some blue styrofoam, shove it up onto the nails with the smooth side down. It's all nailed and blue in one easy step????
Try a pair of 12" end nippers like what the Farrier uses on horses. If you use a cut off wheel on a air power or electric grinder you will do it faster and with a lot less fatigue. Watch the sparks! Bolt cutters will work but leave a stub.
I actually did this four or five years ago. I bought a set (three) of those magic disks that they used to sell on TV for $19.95. I haven't seen them on TV in a long time but they did have them at my local Home Depot for $14 including a mandrel.
I used a fairly high speed corded Milwaukee drill chucked the mandrel in, used the edge of the disk to cut through the nail and the face to grind any small protrusions flush.
It was pretty slick. I did go through six disks but I was actually surprised that one of those "AS SEEN ON TV" products worked as well as it did.
Thanks everybody.
You really don't want to use a grinding wheel - it will spew metal shavings everywhere, they will stick to your paint and will create rusty spots on the paint surface.
they will stick to your paint and will create rusty spots on the paint surface.
It'll look like bug poop. Should show up about the same time it take to cultvate a good crop oc spider, moths, etc.
I think this is what you want:
http://www.biketoolsetc.com/index.cgi?id=120253626337&d=single&c=Tools&sc=Wheel-and-Rim&tc=Spoke-End-Nippers&item_id=HZ-C216
Of course, it's out of stock.
After nipping close - use a nail set to move them slightly up then patch (no grinding!!!)
http://forums.taunton.com/tp-breaktime/messages?msg=125113.6
I hope's he's been done with this project for quite some time now. Maybe he'll chime in and let us know.
copper p0rn
Edited 10/19/2009 8:36 am ET by seeyou
With all the rain we've been having, the porch ceiling may be all he's been able to paint.
Haven't even started. I'm sure I should be on meds for OCD, damm that heat gun. Pics soon.
Holy smokes, 59 posts on cutting off nails. I hadn't looked in on this one, because I thought you were going on about Obama's birth certificate or something.Probably safe to say there is no quick way. Nippers, angle grinder, vice grips, dremel, nail set--all a hard way to serve the Lord IMO.
yeah, i was surprised at the interest in this thread. sometimes they take on a life of their own.