I'm working on creating a wedding sign from some pallets I've collected, and I've had quite the struggle pulling the planks apart! In the past, it took me over an hour to get a few boards loose because of all the nails holding them together. I'm definitely feeling it after trying to pry loose just three boards! Is there a more efficient method than sawing the spacers and banging away with a rubber mallet? Any tips would be appreciated!
3 Answers
I usually slice through the nails with a metal cutting blade on a reciprocating saw. I don’t bother with spacers much, just the planks. After slicing, I pop the nails out with a punch. It makes the whole process way quicker for me!
Honestly, I tried a lot of methods before, and now I just cut around each nail with a drill and hole saw. It’s a game changer—no risk of splitting the wood, and everything comes off clean. You could always just accept short boards and use a circular saw on either side of the nails too!
Thanks for the suggestion! Cutting around the nails sounds much easier than all the yanking.
A pallet breaker bar can save you a ton of hassle! It's designed to pull apart pallets without too much effort. Just get one and you’ll see how easy it is!
That sounds like a solid plan! Drilling out around the nails makes sense to avoid damage. I need to give that a try next time.