Nail Gun From Bizarro World
By Dan Kitchen
These days it seems everyone has a nail gun, no matter how few nails they need to drive — even someone who’s never hefted a hammer can pick up a nailer/compressor package for the simplest of projects. But when it comes to getting nails out of lumber, we all seem to resort to the same simple tools: wrecking bars, cat’s paws, FUBARs, and brute force. Now the Nail Kicker gives you a way to reclaim lumber, without relying on just hand tools.
The Nail Kicker, basically a nail gun without the nails, uses compressed air to drive a shaft onto the nail tip to push it out the way it came. Pull the trigger, and the tool will drive the nail up to an 1-1/2″ out of the lumber. Keep pulling the trigger until the tip is flush with the board — then pull the nail out the other side, like you would normally.
The Nail Kicker’s small barrel keeps the tool on the nail tip, and it can handle nail sizes up to a standard 16d. The tool operates on the same connections and pressures that your standard nailer runs off, and it can speed up the task of removing nails.
It’s targeted to trades that rely on reclaiming lumber — you can only get the tool from Reconnx, the manufacturer, for $265.
Nail Kicker [Reconnx]
March 18th, 2008 at 1:03 pm
I want one that hits the nail hard enough that the nail shoots completely out of the board. Watch your toes!
March 18th, 2008 at 1:16 pm
Seems that you could do the same thing with a palm nailer.
March 18th, 2008 at 2:37 pm
Joe:
The palm nailers (Bostitch) that we have just drive a nail (that’s proud of the surface) flush - not nuch deeper. This gizmo seems more like the end on a percussion hammer or air chisel.
March 18th, 2008 at 3:10 pm
Joe:
With this piece you have a sleeve that goes over the nail. You are now hitting the bottom of the nail not the top to you want a narrow sleeve so it can’t fall off the nail, or allow it to bend.
March 19th, 2008 at 5:44 am
I used a palm nailer for just that purpose last night. Was just a cheapo grizzly one too. Worked just fine. Seems like jsut a palm nailer with a slightly longer barrel, and a trigger… that costs 3 times as much.
Fred: This too only claims to drive a nail flush as well.
March 19th, 2008 at 8:16 am
Jim
Thanks
I guess you still have to lever the nail out of the wood for final clean-up.
Maybe this tool will appeal to recycle yards like the ones they have in Austin Texas.