Your video saved me today! I have a very small, foldable stool from the 1930s; it is made of some extremely hard wood -I don't know which- and was manufactured in the now disappeared Yugoslavia. One of the parts had broken and I wanted to replace and fix it but the super tiny -headless- nails holding it were almost impossible to pull out and I didn't want to damage it more. Oh! It was also very glued together with what I assume to be hide glue -given its age. Your video was a groundbreaker for me! I followed your instructions and was able to remove the mini nails. As for the glue, I very gently and lightly soaked it with white vinegar and about one minute later, the glue gave way. Now I just have to finish the restoration work. Thank you, sooooo much, it was brilliant!!!! 🌷🤗
Oh wow, what a great story. I'm glad you were able to work though those challenges and have success with your project. Thank you for sharing that. Scott
Thanks for this video. I have six chairs to take down and reglue and met up with nails at each of the joints from a previous repair. I was stumped till your video; after your video I went and bought some mini pliers and cutters and went back at it with confidence and joy
Dude!!!! You completely described WHY brad nails are hard to get out clean. And then you proceeded to tell us how to recover it clean you are a GOD. Thank you for this video. You saved me a lot of time!!
Great video. I'm taking off 40 year old paneling. Those tiny finishing nails near the frame of the door and other tight place brought me here. Never too old to learn at 77. Thank you.
I'm an upholsterer and do my own furniture frame repair. Years ago, I would contract out all frame and refinishing repair. Eventually there were no more people to do this in my area, so I had to learn this additional trade. I have successfully repaired many pieces over the last 30 years, but know there might be a better way to do something, so appreciate your efforts in making these videos. On fully upholstered pieces, I'm not concerned about cosmetics, but structural integrity. On exposed wood pieces, I need to tread more carefully. Hopefully, your videos will prevent some from nailing their furniture when repairing. Certainly will make both our jobs much easier!
Too bad a lot of old furniture repairmen haven't watched your videos. They nail up the joints, making it difficult to do a proper glue job. Thanks for the great video. I was stuggling with some nails and you provided me with just the right information.
Thank you SO much. I’m doing my first ever project with wood and I looked this up because I nailed a pivotal piece backwards! I thought my project was doomed. Thanks again!
Another concise video Scott. Thanks for sharing. A hot soldering iron held on the head of the nail (or screw) makes it expand and loosen itself after it's cooled again. Particularly good with screws.
I learned that trick from an old popular mechanics magazine ( the magazine was from 1957). When you apply the soldering iron to a stubborn rusted nail or screw, the resin of the wood kind of bubbles around the head. I pulled them out while still hot. It worked like a charm for me for the last 45 years !
Thanks for the tips. I pulled several dozen brad nails and save very old walnut pieces from from my childhood furniture. The wood will be used to make a gift for my wife.
I've had success using a plug cutting drill bit (as small as I can manage around the nail). This allows me to grab the nail, but also makes a more uniform hole that is easier to plug after. Thanks for the video though. I find it very relaxing to watch.
@@FixingFurniture 6mm. I have this set. It's not the best, but it's cheap. Amaoma Wood Plug Cutter Set Plug Cutters for Wood Set Wood Plug Tenon Drill Bit Cutter 6mm 10mm 13mm 16mm Taper Claw Type Wood Plug Cutter Carbon Steel Drill Woodworking Tool Set 8 Pieces www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07QFNV269/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_RBRiEbXHHJV8G
I have had good luck sharpening a spring steel “roll pin” and using it the same way you use a plug cutter. Got that from Larry over at Lost Mountain Woodworks
Hey Scott on the plug cutter ( I have used realy small copper tubing )file your teeth on the tubing with a triangle file an chuck it in a egg beaters hand crank drill you can go slow as you want
Real good stuff. One thing I've found useful is to grind the nippers or diagonal cutters so that the edge is right at the surface meeting the wood, rather than the way they come with a ">
Not sure if someone's already mentioned it here, but you could file a small groove into the diagonal cutter (it would look like a hole when the diagonal cutter is closed) to keep your diagonal cutter from pushing back or sliding off the nail when trying to grip it. Just make sure the groove isn't bigger than the diameter of the nail or nail head haha
I just finished doing this on an antique rocker - with finish nails in a couple joints. Exactly what I was just thinking, because cutters cut the head off one nail. A little V notch at the end would grip better and avoid cutting the head off.
Super helpful video. Had about 50 copper nails to pull around a door, where old metal weatherstripping was attached. Nail heads were basically flush. Ended up using a small angled side cutter used for electronics to grab the nail head and lever it up. Resulted in minimal damage - much less than if I had drilled holes around it which was my plan B.
Thanks! I was hoping for a more elegant way to remove the nails/brads without damage, but it is what it is. Your demonstration has been valuable, and now I will proceed knowing that I will have to do some damage repair when I have completed disassembly!
Wow! It took 2 seconds to put those brad nails IN(bap, bapbapbap), and 20 min. to take them out! Actually, 2 h---o----u----r----s to get them out if you dont have all the right tools! I know, Ive done it!!
Very helpful! I have a chair in which the glides have come off, leaving the nail heads, which scratch the floor. This should enable me to remove them.😊
Thanks for another excellent video. I have found determining the angle the nail was driven in makes extraction much easier. Using older pliers with dull edges helps avoid accidentally clipping brads off. I look forward to your video on removing broken or stripped screws
Thanks for your tips on pulling nails. I laughed at your comment about a video for extracting screws because when I broke one on a custom commission last week and extracted the screw, I thought... maybe I should make a video on this :)
If the screw head is stripped but still exposed, I remove my bit and fasten my drill to the screw itself, then reverse, does the trick. Now stripped screws driven all the way in wood or metal would be amazing.
I was going to resort to have someone come in and cut the wood to remove some wood cabinet valance, which most likely would have caused noticeable damage to adjacent cabinets. I didn't want to destroy the original cabinets as they are hard wood. This probably saved me from causing irreversible damage - thank you for showing your methods!
Very helpful and informative. You must have some patience to do this every day. I love how you're using your Grandfather's tool 👌. Thanks for sharing x
Thank you for this video! I'm having to remove some very old shelving and wooden boards that was used to support it and of course it used finisher nails. I thought about taking a crowbar to it but I didn't want to damage the wall, so this saved my bacon! Thanks!
The best thing I have found for finish nails is a pair of old dental pliers. They will grab around the nail instead of just flat pliers or wire cutters. I have several pairs.
Goodmorning: I have to remove staple gun staples from my Canvas. I was so lost on how to do it..!! This video is exactly what I needed. It was such a helpful tutorial. Thanks guys.
I was wishing there was a drill bit that could just drill straight through the nails :D here I go... It's gonna be a slow process! Thank you for the video sir
Vamplier and Engineering brand pliers are excellent for their ability to pull out nails like this, with little showing above the surface, and to unscrew old screws with stripped heads. Both brands are made in the same factory in Japan, but the Vamplier tools cost more and have more bells and whistles. Be sure to get the size that is comfortable in your hands; Japanese hand tools tend to fit smaller hands, but you have the option to get larger versions if you need them. Amazon in the USA sells both brands; the same may be true in Canada, but I haven't checked.
Thanks for "awl" the tips! 😁 I'm trying to restore some beautiful old Baumann "bistro" chairs I scored for cheap, and those finishing nails are driving me crazy. Hopefully some of your tips will help out!
Thank you for helping me understand the process. I am looking forward to my next "buried" finishing nail! I also picked up some of your recommended tools.
@@FixingFurniture I also saw your Beginner Woodworking Tips for Renovations video . Your slide with "knowledge + experience = skill" is a lesson for life! Your presentation and instruction are top notch. Great job!
Thank you again. I am pulling nails from cypress siding because I am dealing with termites in a studio. Looking for ways to remove nails rather than trying to drive the nails through the board into the studs…usually leaving a mess! Btw:Your link to the micro diagonal cutters doesn’t work. Ordered the six inch Irwin…
Thank you so much for this video. I wasted an hour trying to hammer some nails backwards out of a chair I'm trying to restore...tried this and they came out in 2 minutes. You're a saint!
I would like your advice. I had to remove a oak banister rail on a landing because I had to replace a damaged shoe rail. I had to cut the two 10D finish nails that attached the banister which was notched, to the side of the Newel Post. I used your technique of drilling 2 small holes immediately adjacent the nails and removed the nails with a pair of diagonal pliers and a pair of vice grips. I now have re-nail the banister to the newel post and it looks like I will probably need to nail it in about the same are. I am thinking of applying glue to bamboo wooden skewers and driving them into the nail holes (which are separated by 1/4 inch) in the newel post so the new nails will be tight. Do you have any thoughts on this?
I think I can visualize what you're asking. If you have to re-nail something in the same spot, I'd recommend using nails with a larger diameter. You can cut off the length and sharpen the point if needed. Does that help? Scott
So I have learned nails are the bane of my existance as I buy second hand furniture to customize/ redo. This was helpful, still debating whether I am going to try to get these tiny brads out since I am only trying to take them out to be able to paint the piece and I know it would be better for me to take it apart first so that later if I want to remove one of the dividing shelves or what not it would be easier..... I don't think I will ever put an nail in a piece every again unless there is no other option. If I were to take out the brads (they are super tiny ones) and used the drill method, how do I repair it? using a wood filler or putty? or is there a better way?
For painted furniture, you can use any wood putty to fill the voids. If the holes are larger, epoxy putty works better as it won't shrink. I hope that helps. Scott
A 'friend' helped me out over the past weekend by 'stabilizing' my 100 year old chair set with a similar onset of brad nails. He was on the third chair before I realized he had found my brad nailer and was happily popping each chair with 40 to 50 each.... So far, it's taken me 12 hours to remove the brads, take each chair apart, and reglue ONLY 2 of the chairs. Remember, when you "think" someone knows how to do something, it doesn't necessarily mean, they do ...
Excellent video, thank you. I'm struggling with a chair repair that someone had previously repaired by shooting it full of 18ga brad nails. What a mess.
Thank you for this video! I'm having to replace the casters of an antique chair; the metal thing which holds the stem is nailed into the wood and there is no way to pick it up and remove it Do you have any suggestion or made any video related to this question?
Hello Scott. I am attempting to remove the nail from scenario 2:50 till 3:36 If i use a drill bit for the holes what would i use to fill or repair them? Would it be wood filler or JB Weld Epoxy?
Glad you like them! Our goal is to help people learn the skills to repair furniture, so we love to hear comments like yours. Thanks for subscribing! Scott
Wonderful! I've been looking for a solution for how to take out the broken glides from the legs of the chair I'm restoring. I think this might just do the trick! Now, how do I repair or what do i do with the holes that were made by the drill? Epoxy?
@@FixingFurniture Thank you though I'm hoping it doesn't come to that. Do you think hammering in another glide adjacent to it would work on the lag of a chair?
@@paulamercado6629 Oh, I think I understand what you're trying do to - replace the glide that was previously nailed into the end of the chair legs with new glides. Epoxy would work for that. I hope I understood your question. Scott
Your drilling trick just saved a precious piece of trim. Thanks so much. Follow-up question: The existing yellow glue looks great. OK to yellow glue over it? (Pretty sure I know the answer...)
Glad it helped. For existing yellow glue, it needs to be removed as new yellow glue (PVA glue) won't stick to the old glue. You need to clean off all the old glue so you have bare wood on both surfaces before you glue and clamp the parts together. Cheers. Scott
Going to attempt to repair a wood dining room chair, but once we get the finishing nails out and successfully reattach each mortise to the tenon, do we need to replace the finishing nails? This table and chair set was given to my sister by her late husband and only ONE chair is broken! I dare NOT damage it so, any guidance you provide is GREATLY appreciated! Thanks in advance!
No, don't replace the nails. Nails don't belong in the joints of chairs as they keep loose joints together, which causes more wear on the wood - not good. Any loose joint should be re-glued, so if it's loose, take it apart and glue it. Scott
@@FixingFurniture Thanks for getting back to me; that makes total sense. Luckily, a woodworker friend is going to fix it for me at no charge so, I'll avoid making things worse! lol....
@@FixingFurniture Oh goodness! I'm JUST seeing your response! :-( Thanks for the advice. No worries though; a friend who is a woodworker is repairing it for us. Whew! :-)
Thanks for these tips and tricks. My question is how to get the nails out when they are driven in at 90 degree angle to the join and on a part that is visible?
Unfortunately, when the nail is on a visible surface, you have to do the same thing. You're damaging the visible surface, which will have to be repaired. There isn't another way to physically do this. Scott
being a woman I have not so much strenght so to take the nails off, I heat them with the bit of my solder. As it retracts, the iron is quicker than the wood. then your " hole " is bigger and easier to take the nail away.
The other problem with brad nails is that they have a coating on them that melts as the friction of being driven in occurs. This then bonds with the wood making extraction more difficult.
Pin nails are even worse for the plastic bonding which makes them next to impossible to pull. I’ve found that using the edge of a file to cut them off flush with the surface and leaving the pin still in the wood works best. I’ve caused more damage than it’s worth trying to extract those little @&%,!.
This is the makers equivalent to watching people pop pimples. The only difference is, if we're watching this, odds are we're tearing our hair out over how much work it is to take out something as simple as a brad nail
Hello I need help! Removed wood spindles and it looks like the top of spindle had a Brad/finishing nail in it at the top inside the 1/2" drilled hole. How can I get these nails out? What tool? I can reach some of them and I can't grip them well with nose player. What is a good tool to cut the nail flush inside 1/2" hole or to get nail out? The hole is 1/2" by 1.5", most nails are about 1/2"-3/4" inside the hole. Any help would be appreciated. (I've got about a 100 to check for and do😱)
Awesome video as usual but I have to say I’ve never heard them called diagonal cutter... I’ve heard side cuts or wire cutters (though I don’t think that’s a good term for them) but I’ve always heard and called them dykes
Good job, I have a hardwood batton driven through to particle board with a brad machine nailer but I am wondering if there are other ways to undercut the 2 materials particle board and hardwood batton which are nailed together.
Hi there. Thank you so much for sharing this. I wanted to do a make-over on my vintage secretary desk but then discovered that the back of the desk is stuck with these brad nails of which I had no clue how to get out. After seeing your video I still have one question: how do you fix the holes you drilled to get the brad nails out and make that damage look pretty again?
Hopefully you figured out a solution in these past couple of years. I use round toothpicks, glue of course, the right color stain and a small paintbrush. And then overcoat with a matching clear finish.
Your video saved me today! I have a very small, foldable stool from the 1930s; it is made of some extremely hard wood -I don't know which- and was manufactured in the now disappeared Yugoslavia. One of the parts had broken and I wanted to replace and fix it but the super tiny -headless- nails holding it were almost impossible to pull out and I didn't want to damage it more. Oh! It was also very glued together with what I assume to be hide glue -given its age. Your video was a groundbreaker for me! I followed your instructions and was able to remove the mini nails. As for the glue, I very gently and lightly soaked it with white vinegar and about one minute later, the glue gave way. Now I just have to finish the restoration work. Thank you, sooooo much, it was brilliant!!!! 🌷🤗
Oh wow, what a great story. I'm glad you were able to work though those challenges and have success with your project. Thank you for sharing that. Scott
@@FixingFurniture thank YOU!!! My little stool would have become history, had it not been for your great videos! Stay safe, happy, and kind🌷
Thanks for this video. I have six chairs to take down and reglue and met up with nails at each of the joints from a previous repair. I was stumped till your video; after your video I went and bought some mini pliers and cutters and went back at it with confidence and joy
Thank you very much!! Extracting those nails will be easier.
Glad to hear that will help you out! Cheers. Scott
Dude!!!! You completely described WHY brad nails are hard to get out clean. And then you proceeded to tell us how to recover it clean you are a GOD. Thank you for this video. You saved me a lot of time!!
You made my day! So happy to hear this video helped you out. Scott
Great video. I'm taking off 40 year old paneling. Those tiny finishing nails near the frame of the door and other tight place brought me here. Never too old to learn at 77. Thank you.
I'm an upholsterer and do my own furniture frame repair. Years ago, I would contract out all frame and refinishing repair. Eventually there were no more people to do this in my area, so I had to learn this additional trade. I have successfully repaired many pieces over the last 30 years, but know there might be a better way to do something, so appreciate your efforts in making these videos. On fully upholstered pieces, I'm not concerned about cosmetics, but structural integrity. On exposed wood pieces, I need to tread more carefully. Hopefully, your videos will prevent some from nailing their furniture when repairing. Certainly will make both our jobs much easier!
Too bad a lot of old furniture repairmen haven't watched your videos. They nail up the joints, making it difficult to do a proper glue job. Thanks for the great video. I was stuggling with some nails and you provided me with just the right information.
Glad that it was helpful for you! Scott
I recently purchased old furniture and was looking for tutorials on nail removal, your video was very helpful, Thanks from Chennai- India.
Glad it was helpful! Scott
Thank you SO much. I’m doing my first ever project with wood and I looked this up because I nailed a pivotal piece backwards! I thought my project was doomed. Thanks again!
Another concise video Scott. Thanks for sharing.
A hot soldering iron held on the head of the nail (or screw) makes it expand and loosen itself after it's cooled again. Particularly good with screws.
That sounds like a cool trick. I'm going to try that out the next time I have some metal stuck in wood. Thanks! Scott
Graham Orm Great idea!
I learned that trick from an old popular mechanics magazine ( the magazine was from 1957). When you apply the soldering iron to a stubborn rusted nail or screw, the resin of the wood kind of bubbles around the head. I pulled them out while still hot. It worked like a charm for me for the last 45 years !
Amazing to find actual real content is still being made for UA-cam. Thanks for sharing
You're welcome. Happy to help others understand our craft. Scott
Thanks for the tips. I pulled several dozen brad nails and save very old walnut pieces from from my childhood furniture. The wood will be used to make a gift for my wife.
That sounds very cool. I love that! So happy this video helped. Scott
I've had success using a plug cutting drill bit (as small as I can manage around the nail). This allows me to grab the nail, but also makes a more uniform hole that is easier to plug after. Thanks for the video though. I find it very relaxing to watch.
That sounds like a cool idea. What size plug cutter do you use? Scott
@@FixingFurniture 6mm. I have this set. It's not the best, but it's cheap. Amaoma Wood Plug Cutter Set Plug Cutters for Wood Set Wood Plug Tenon Drill Bit Cutter 6mm 10mm 13mm 16mm Taper Claw Type Wood Plug Cutter Carbon Steel Drill Woodworking Tool Set 8 Pieces www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07QFNV269/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_RBRiEbXHHJV8G
I have had good luck sharpening a spring steel “roll pin” and using it the same way you use a plug cutter. Got that from Larry over at Lost Mountain Woodworks
Hey Scott on the plug cutter ( I have used realy small copper tubing )file your teeth on the tubing with a triangle file an chuck it in a egg beaters hand crank drill you can go slow as you want
Using the drill for this application was new to me. I normally use a small chisel or gouge to make some room around the nail head.
Same. I think a Dremel with a drill bit would be easier to control, though.
Just what the doctor ordered. Great video amd now I can pull out some pesky finishing nails. Yay
That's great! Glad to hear this video was helpful for you. Scott
Real good stuff. One thing I've found useful is to grind the nippers or diagonal cutters so that the edge is right at the surface meeting the wood, rather than the way they come with a ">
That's a really good idea Tim. I like it! Thanks for sharing this. Scott
Came here to say just that! I also grind the other side too so it will fit in smaller holes and usually do less damage
@@FixingFurniture I would love to see a video showing how this is done. I am new to all of this and this tip seems very useful.
Or use flush cut pliers sounds like the same thing
@@stupidsecuritykeyiforgot7499 Yeah. I've just done home made flush-cut pliers.
You're a life saver. Refinishing an antique office chair for daughter to take to college, and the mini wire cutters worked great, thanks.
Not sure if someone's already mentioned it here, but you could file a small groove into the diagonal cutter (it would look like a hole when the diagonal cutter is closed) to keep your diagonal cutter from pushing back or sliding off the nail when trying to grip it. Just make sure the groove isn't bigger than the diameter of the nail or nail head haha
I just finished doing this on an antique rocker - with finish nails in a couple joints. Exactly what I was just thinking, because cutters cut the head off one nail. A little V notch at the end would grip better and avoid cutting the head off.
Such a useful little video. Thank you! Will be looking at more of your stuff.
Glad it was helpful! Scott 🇨🇦
Super helpful video. Had about 50 copper nails to pull around a door, where old metal weatherstripping was attached. Nail heads were basically flush. Ended up using a small angled side cutter used for electronics to grab the nail head and lever it up. Resulted in minimal damage - much less than if I had drilled holes around it which was my plan B.
Farriers’s nail pullers and nippers are also great for this. The large nippers have a large head that will do minimal damage.
Thanks! I was hoping for a more elegant way to remove the nails/brads without damage, but it is what it is. Your demonstration has been valuable, and now I will proceed knowing that I will have to do some damage repair when I have completed disassembly!
Glad it was helpful! Scott
What's the best way to fix the damage afterwards on this type of repair?
@@skutsenkow Wood putty, sand, repaint/refinish.
@@ICUNA22 do you use just regular wood filler or something stronger like bondo or something?
Thanks for sharing. What a class!!!
Glad you enjoyed it! I hope you like the new video from today too! Scott
Wow! It took 2 seconds to put those brad nails IN(bap, bapbapbap), and 20 min. to take them out! Actually, 2 h---o----u----r----s to get them out if you dont have all the right tools! I know, Ive done it!!
Same here. I've decided to switch to finishing nails for my project instead.
Very helpful! I have a chair in which the glides have come off, leaving the nail heads, which scratch the floor. This should enable me to remove them.😊
Thanks for another excellent video. I have found determining the angle the nail was driven in makes extraction much easier. Using older pliers with dull edges helps avoid accidentally clipping brads off. I look forward to your video on removing broken or stripped screws
Thanks for your tips on pulling nails. I laughed at your comment about a video for extracting screws because when I broke one on a custom commission last week and extracted the screw, I thought... maybe I should make a video on this :)
If the screw head is stripped but still exposed, I remove my bit and fasten my drill to the screw itself, then reverse, does the trick. Now stripped screws driven all the way in wood or metal would be amazing.
I was going to resort to have someone come in and cut the wood to remove some wood cabinet valance, which most likely would have caused noticeable damage to adjacent cabinets. I didn't want to destroy the original cabinets as they are hard wood. This probably saved me from causing irreversible damage - thank you for showing your methods!
Thank you very much for sharing. Helped me out of a problem I had no idea how to do easly. Can't thank you enough for sharing.
That's wonderful to hear! I'm happy to hear his helped. Thanks for taking the time to post a comment. Scott
Very helpful and informative. You must have some patience to do this every day. I love how you're using your Grandfather's tool 👌. Thanks for sharing x
Glad it was helpful! Yes, patience is key. Cheers. Scott
Thank you for this video! I'm having to remove some very old shelving and wooden boards that was used to support it and of course it used finisher nails. I thought about taking a crowbar to it but I didn't want to damage the wall, so this saved my bacon! Thanks!
Glad it was helpful Rachel! Scott
The best thing I have found for finish nails is a pair of old dental pliers. They will grab around the nail instead of just flat pliers or wire cutters. I have several pairs.
Goodmorning: I have to remove staple gun staples from my Canvas. I was so lost on how to do it..!! This video is exactly what I needed. It was such a helpful tutorial. Thanks guys.
Restoring some old dutch furniture at the moment, this was very helpful! That's from Amsterdam.
Glad it was helpful! Bedankt (I'm 1/2 Dutch). Scott
I was wishing there was a drill bit that could just drill straight through the nails :D here I go... It's gonna be a slow process! Thank you for the video sir
Vamplier and Engineering brand pliers are excellent for their ability to pull out nails like this, with little showing above the surface, and to unscrew old screws with stripped heads. Both brands are made in the same factory in Japan, but the Vamplier tools cost more and have more bells and whistles. Be sure to get the size that is comfortable in your hands; Japanese hand tools tend to fit smaller hands, but you have the option to get larger versions if you need them. Amazon in the USA sells both brands; the same may be true in Canada, but I haven't checked.
Nice tips. Remove some nails can be a nightmare! Thanks Scott.
You got that right! Thanks for your comment Alex. Scott
That guy didn’t use a nail gun for those brads he used a nail assault rifle lol
Thanks for "awl" the tips! 😁 I'm trying to restore some beautiful old Baumann "bistro" chairs I scored for cheap, and those finishing nails are driving me crazy. Hopefully some of your tips will help out!
Exactly what I needed to know today! Very helpful, thanks so much!!
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for sharing that. Scott
Great video . . . I also like to use needle nose vice grips. Happy New Year!
Thanks. That's a good tool suggestion Rod. Happy New Year to you too! Scott
Excellent advice thank you. Just one question, once the nails are out how would you fill and clean the messy holes again?
I am wondering the same.
Thank you for helping me understand the process. I am looking forward to my next "buried" finishing nail! I also picked up some of your recommended tools.
That's great! I love to hear that our videos are helping you! Scott
@@FixingFurniture I also saw your Beginner Woodworking Tips for Renovations video . Your slide with "knowledge + experience = skill" is a lesson for life! Your presentation and instruction are top notch. Great job!
thanks for the video , i were able to remove 24 big nails from a side reel from my bed to rearrange it for my mattress
Nice work! I'm happy to hear this helped you out. Scott
For full time restoration work may be your need grinding custom grip on couple wire cutters/pliers.
Great point! I should spend some time at the grinder! Thanks. Scott
Why would someone be that destructive to a chair!!!? Great Job!
Love the format and style. Thank you and keep doing whatever you're doing!
Thank you again. I am pulling nails from cypress siding because I am dealing with termites in a studio. Looking for ways to remove nails rather than trying to drive the nails through the board into the studs…usually leaving a mess! Btw:Your link to the micro diagonal cutters doesn’t work. Ordered the six inch Irwin…
Really good tips here. FYI the medical clamp is called a “Spencer Wells” 🇬🇧
I didn't know that term. Thank you - I'm a bit smarter now! Scott 🇨🇦
Thank you so much for this video. I wasted an hour trying to hammer some nails backwards out of a chair I'm trying to restore...tried this and they came out in 2 minutes. You're a saint!
Wow, that's great it worked so quickly for you! Glad you found it helpful. Scott
Excellent video and thanks
Glad you enjoyed it. Scott
I would like your advice. I had to remove a oak banister rail on a landing because I had to replace a damaged shoe rail. I had to cut the two 10D finish nails that attached the banister which was notched, to the side of the Newel Post. I used your technique of drilling 2 small holes immediately adjacent the nails and removed the nails with a pair of diagonal pliers and a pair of vice grips. I now have re-nail the banister to the newel post and it looks like I will probably need to nail it in about the same are. I am thinking of applying glue to bamboo wooden skewers and driving them into the nail holes (which are separated by 1/4 inch) in the newel post so the new nails will be tight. Do you have any thoughts on this?
I think I can visualize what you're asking. If you have to re-nail something in the same spot, I'd recommend using nails with a larger diameter. You can cut off the length and sharpen the point if needed. Does that help? Scott
@@FixingFurniture It does; Thank you
So I have learned nails are the bane of my existance as I buy second hand furniture to customize/ redo. This was helpful, still debating whether I am going to try to get these tiny brads out since I am only trying to take them out to be able to paint the piece and I know it would be better for me to take it apart first so that later if I want to remove one of the dividing shelves or what not it would be easier..... I don't think I will ever put an nail in a piece every again unless there is no other option.
If I were to take out the brads (they are super tiny ones) and used the drill method, how do I repair it? using a wood filler or putty? or is there a better way?
For painted furniture, you can use any wood putty to fill the voids. If the holes are larger, epoxy putty works better as it won't shrink. I hope that helps. Scott
Very useful videos. Thank you for sharing.
Glad it was helpful! Scott
A 'friend' helped me out over the past weekend by 'stabilizing' my 100 year old chair set with a similar onset of brad nails. He was on the third chair before I realized he had found my brad nailer and was happily popping each chair with 40 to 50 each.... So far, it's taken me 12 hours to remove the brads, take each chair apart, and reglue ONLY 2 of the chairs. Remember, when you "think" someone knows how to do something, it doesn't necessarily mean, they do ...
Excellent video, thank you. I'm struggling with a chair repair that someone had previously repaired by shooting it full of 18ga brad nails. What a mess.
I hate it when that happens. It's so destructive. Good luck with your repair! Scott
Fred Palmer This often happens with Brad nails because it is so easy to drive them in with the pneumatic nailer that people tend to go a little crazy.
Another a** saved… 🙏🙌. Thank you sooo much.
Glad it helped! Scott
Thank you so much for details that is more important than over all work done. It really was very helpful. thanks again!!!
Glad it was helpful!
Fantastic video with some great tips thank you.
You're welcome. Thank you for posting your comment! Scott
Thank you for this video! I'm having to replace the casters of an antique chair; the metal thing which holds the stem is nailed into the wood and there is no way to pick it up and remove it Do you have any suggestion or made any video related to this question?
FYI the link for the diagonal cutter no longer works. Thanks for the excellent video.
Learned something new today! Thanks!
Cool. Thanks for sharing that. I love to hear when people are learning from our videos. Scott
Hello Scott. I am attempting to remove the nail from scenario 2:50 till 3:36 If i use a drill bit for the holes what would i use to fill or repair them? Would it be wood filler or JB Weld Epoxy?
Did you ever find an answer to your question?
Thnx Man this is reallllllly helpful
Glad to hear that. Cheers. Scott
Great tips. Thanks for making these videos. They have been much help to a beggining woodworker.
Glad you like them! Our goal is to help people learn the skills to repair furniture, so we love to hear comments like yours. Thanks for subscribing! Scott
Thank you! So helpful.
I'd also add to this video the option of sawing off the back of the nails with a hack saw
Excellent explanation and demonstration. It was very professional and very helpful. Subscribed.
Awesome, thank you!
Unfortunately, the link to those mini diagonal cutters is no longer valid. Do you have an updated link for them?
Wonderful! I've been looking for a solution for how to take out the broken glides from the legs of the chair I'm restoring. I think this might just do the trick! Now, how do I repair or what do i do with the holes that were made by the drill? Epoxy?
Wax filler sticks are the easiest way to fill a cosmetic hole. If it were structural, I would use epoxy putty. I hope that helps. Scott
@@FixingFurniture Thank you though I'm hoping it doesn't come to that. Do you think hammering in another glide adjacent to it would work on the lag of a chair?
@@paulamercado6629 Oh, I think I understand what you're trying do to - replace the glide that was previously nailed into the end of the chair legs with new glides. Epoxy would work for that. I hope I understood your question. Scott
Thanx
You're welcome! Scott
Very informative. I'm from Australia by the way. I really enjoyed your videos
Awesome! Thank you! Scott 🇨🇦
My mom used finishing nails on vintage vynal covers😍😍 guess they’ll never get a case again
How do you fix the drill holes after the extraction?
wood putty and wood touch-up markers are what he used in his broken chair leg video which also had bad gaps and empty nail holes.
This was so helpful. Thank you!
That's great! Thank you for sharing your feedback. Scott
The link for the micro diagonal cutter is not working,
Thanks for letting me know Chris. The link has been fixed. Here it is amzn.to/3uHJAAz
Hi - How do you nail everything back in considering the damage done to take the nails out ? Thanks.
1:06
Thank you
Your drilling trick just saved a precious piece of trim. Thanks so much. Follow-up question: The existing yellow glue looks great. OK to yellow glue over it? (Pretty sure I know the answer...)
Glad it helped. For existing yellow glue, it needs to be removed as new yellow glue (PVA glue) won't stick to the old glue. You need to clean off all the old glue so you have bare wood on both surfaces before you glue and clamp the parts together. Cheers. Scott
@@FixingFurniture I did it... while whining like a baby. Much appreciated!
Great ideas thanks.
Going to attempt to repair a wood dining room chair, but once we get the finishing nails out and successfully reattach each mortise to the tenon, do we need to replace the finishing nails? This table and chair set was given to my sister by her late husband and only ONE chair is broken! I dare NOT damage it so, any guidance you provide is GREATLY appreciated! Thanks in advance!
No, don't replace the nails. Nails don't belong in the joints of chairs as they keep loose joints together, which causes more wear on the wood - not good. Any loose joint should be re-glued, so if it's loose, take it apart and glue it. Scott
@@FixingFurniture Thanks for getting back to me; that makes total sense. Luckily, a woodworker friend is going to fix it for me at no charge so, I'll avoid making things worse! lol....
@@FixingFurniture Oh goodness! I'm JUST seeing your response! :-( Thanks for the advice. No worries though; a friend who is a woodworker is repairing it for us. Whew! :-)
Thanks for these tips and tricks. My question is how to get the nails out when they are driven in at 90 degree angle to the join and on a part that is visible?
Unfortunately, when the nail is on a visible surface, you have to do the same thing. You're damaging the visible surface, which will have to be repaired. There isn't another way to physically do this. Scott
Thanks Scott. I appreciate the feedback.
Thanks for the helpful video!
You're welcome. Happy to help. Scott
Thank you!
Thank you
You're welcome
I have nothing to say really, but I appreciate your content, and wish to help with the yt-algorithms.
that was so helpful
Glad to hear that. Thank you. Scott
Could you repost the link for the micro diagonal cutters because the current can’t be found. Thanks!
being a woman I have not so much strenght so to take the nails off, I heat them with the bit of my solder. As it retracts, the iron is quicker than the wood. then your " hole " is bigger and easier to take the nail away.
So helpful, thank you thank you!!!!
You're so welcome!
The other problem with brad nails is that they have a coating on them that melts as the friction of being driven in occurs. This then bonds with the wood making extraction more difficult.
I've only seen that on larger nails, but it does make them harder to pull out. Thanks for sharing that. Scott
Pin nails are even worse for the plastic bonding which makes them next to impossible to pull. I’ve found that using the edge of a file to cut them off flush with the surface and leaving the pin still in the wood works best. I’ve caused more damage than it’s worth trying to extract those little @&%,!.
This is the makers equivalent to watching people pop pimples. The only difference is, if we're watching this, odds are we're tearing our hair out over how much work it is to take out something as simple as a brad nail
Hello I need help! Removed wood spindles and it looks like the top of spindle had a Brad/finishing nail in it at the top inside the 1/2" drilled hole. How can I get these nails out? What tool? I can reach some of them and I can't grip them well with nose player. What is a good tool to cut the nail flush inside 1/2" hole or to get nail out? The hole is 1/2" by 1.5", most nails are about 1/2"-3/4" inside the hole. Any help would be appreciated. (I've got about a 100 to check for and do😱)
I’d love to know how to remove nails in sliding drawer bottoms.
Thanks. This helped a lot
You're welcome. Glad to hear that. Scott
Really helpful
Awesome video as usual but I have to say I’ve never heard them called diagonal cutter... I’ve heard side cuts or wire cutters (though I don’t think that’s a good term for them) but I’ve always heard and called them dykes
Yeah, that's interesting how one tool can have so many names. I wonder if there are other tools like that?
"Dike" is short for Diaganol Cutter
E B holly crap, that makes total sense! So much so idk y it never dawned on me!
I have a chair that broke at the dowels. On both side of the joint. I’m puzzled as to what to do.
Here's a video showing how to remove the broken dowels ua-cam.com/video/Yk-1Th3jmlE/v-deo.html
Good job, I have a hardwood batton driven through to particle board with a brad machine nailer but I am wondering if there are other ways to undercut the 2 materials particle board and hardwood batton which are nailed together.
If you'd like some advice over Zoom, we offer 1-on-1 sessions. Here's the link for more info woodenitbenice.ca/collections/woodworking-advice-sessions
Hi there. Thank you so much for sharing this. I wanted to do a make-over on my vintage secretary desk but then discovered that the back of the desk is stuck with these brad nails of which I had no clue how to get out. After seeing your video I still have one question: how do you fix the holes you drilled to get the brad nails out and make that damage look pretty again?
Hopefully you figured out a solution in these past couple of years. I use round toothpicks, glue of course, the right color stain and a small paintbrush. And then overcoat with a matching clear finish.
Haha thanks for your reply man. i decided to replace the back board.
Thank you for the helpful tips