I have a couple joist hangers I need to replace, but I wish to avoid damaging the ledger or the joists as much as possible.
Can anyone recommend a tool for this? I have a cat’s paw and another demo bar, but I fear they would be to destructive to the material. Are there other tools that are handy for this type of task, or should I just use what I have & try to be extra careful?
Thanks
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Replies
Nippers.
Don't leave home without them.
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Nippers are definitly needed. Also, one you start getting a nail out with a cats paw, use the hammer on the underside to pound the nail up and out instead of leveraging it and bending the nail into the wood. I like the cats paw with just the 90 degree paw and the padded handle. I use a small flat nail puller to get them started without digging too deep into the wood.
Rebuilding my home in Cypress, CA
Also a CRX fanatic!
Thanks guys
My personal favorite for finish or framing is Channellock's concrete nippers. The cutters grap closer to the surface than their other nippers so it's easy to grap most ticos by the head and pull them enough to get a second bite under the head. A little careful sharpening makes them even better at this.
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I've had one of these in my belt for about six years now and find it to be just the ticket for jobs like that:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0000224VN/sr=1-1/qid=1132091827/ref=sr_1_1/002-2954922-8848035?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance
Seems we all do things different .
I do a bunch of redos on older work. The first thing I would think about is the sawsall with a metal cutting blade or two in long lengths from 9 to 12 inches. Reach in behind the bracket and zip those nails. Probably wouldnt hurt to have your tool and a grinder with a cutting disk thats bowel shaped so that it will cut flush, but luck would run out at the top with the disk. Make it easiar though getting rid of most of the nails. I really like the grinder when it works because its kinda lazy.
Tim
Yer right Tim, and I'd probably do the same with a sawzall. I guess I was just thinking he was looking for a good nail puller for joist hanger nails... but that really wasn't the question, huh?
Whoops. You know, I have a grinder, but rarely use it for much other than knocking the rust off something with a wire brush. I should really think of using it for more things like you've described.
You know what's funny about power tools? They all pretty much do the same thing. A motor that spins something really fast. That's about it. Different variations, angles, bit and blade choices, but still basically the same concept that we buy over and over again. I'm not sure what this has to do with the OP's question.... guess I'm rambling.
I've used a 4" angle grinder to grind the heads off nails a time or 2.
Not the answer to every problem, but it sometimes works in a pinch.
Soultrain, a cat's paw is by far the easiest and fastest way. If the area is tight, I use the straight side of the nail puller. I use an exhumer like Diesel posted.
I probably use my cat's paw slightly differntly than most. Quite often, I simply drive the nails (spikes) completely out in three blows with the hammer. I never stop and pry them out. I used to whack them out in two blows, but I cant find a nail puller that will take this abuse anymore. I've broken nail puller in less than an hour, several times. The exhumer has managed to withstand my abuse. The one problem that I have with the exhumer is that it tends to shear the heads off, rather than dragging the nail out when I whack it that hard. I have to baby then out with the first hit, then whack them clean out in the next two.
blue
For situations like that I use a small cat's paw and also use the broad end of a Hyde flat bar under the head of the cat's paw so that the prying force is not directly against the wood. The Hyde bar spreads it out and you don't get a dent in the wood. You can do it with barely a mark on the hanger if you're careful.
http://doityourself.com/store/6470678.htm