Removing nails

[mhorowit]

Wasn't there a picture lately showing a tool for removing the small nails? Think it looked like a screwdriver with a fork in it. How do you get enough slack to force the tool under the nail head? - Mike

[Vasey fan]

Re: Removing nails

I just pulled all 420 or so out of my stock wings about a month ago.

I used a cheapo Stanley screwdriver, ground thinner, to get under the flange & pull it up slightly to unseat the nail, then got under the head of the nail with a small pair of flush cut dykes to remove.

It's a lot of fun. About 9 hours per wing of fun.

[mulwyk]

Re: Removing nails

Mike:
I work a putty knife under there until the nail head is a 16th inch or so above the surface, then grab its f----ing little head with a wire cutter (dykes, sorry girls), don't squeeze the tools handles or it'll pop the head off the nail, instead rock it back and down and it'll lever that little sucker out...unless it's badly rusted then it just breaks off. I'd say 5 to 10 percent never do come out they just break off flush. And if you have the wood frameing around the cabin there must be at least 1000 nails per plane. Fun, fun, fun.

Bob

[Len Petterson]

Re: Removing nails

Did they originaly use use steel nails?
Do you replace them with cement coated brass nails?
Maybe if you take an old pair off cutters or byy a sheap pair,
and file off the cutting edge they won't cut as many nails.
Len

[mhorowit]

Re: Removing nails

Did they originaly use use steel nails?
Do you replace them with cement coated brass nails?
Maybe if you take an old pair off cutters or byy a sheap pair,
and file off the cutting edge they won't cut as many nails.
Len

Len - you need that thin edge to get under the head.
- Mike

[mhorowit]

Re: Removing nails

Mike:
I work a putty knife under there ...Bob

So there will be a little gouging of the wood - Mike

[Vasey fan]

Re: Removing nails

So there will be a little gouging of the wood - Mike

Not if you took a grinder to the corners of the putty knife.

I actually ended up with more gouges from the burr around the nail holes on the back side of the rib flanges. Don't think I caused any with the skinny screwdriver trick. In my case the gouging was a moot point, as my old spars were split & dry rotted at the butt ends.

[VictorBravo]

Re: Removing nails

If you use a thin blade like a steel ruler with a slot cut in it, slide it between the spar and rib, you can pry up the rib off of the spar a tiny little bit, which pulls the nails out of the wood a tiny bit. Then you can press the rib back against the wood, and have the nail head raised enough to get a tool under the nail head. This adds a little bit of work, but you can eliminate any damage to the spar. Just round the edges of the steel ruler so it won't cut into the varnish when you slide it in. round off the corners, then also round off and taper the thickness of the edge.

[Robert Lees]

Re: Removing nails

Like this, Mike?

[mhorowit]

Re: Removing nails

I knew I'd seen it.
Where was it? It was posted in the last month right?- Mike

[Robert Lees]

Re: Removing nails

It's from my website...right-click the picture & view properties.

Rob

[rdwater]

Re: Removing nails

I used a tool like Robert showed to remove the nails from teh rear spar that's coming out of my lest wing. Its a Stanley from Home Depot Aerospace (HDA). I've looked for a new spar, called 4 places (Wag Aero ["they're $575 but not in stock due to either waiting on parts or waiting on FAA approval to build, don't know which"], Spruce ["we sell wood"], Univair ["don't carry part"], Factory [it was Friday and I got stuck in the phone loop and finally left a message for Harry - the only name I new there], and then Forrest [who told me it was easy to make myself]. That's the plan...thanks Forrest!

So a few questions for the experts:

Do we use the brass nails with glue?

Are the 1/16th inch plywood scarfs 90 degree or 45 degree bias mahogany or birch? Does it matter?

What glue should I use for the plywood scarfs?

What are the original through-wood hole sizes for attaching the compression members, aileron brackets?

What is the purpose of the small wire between the two spars out at the wing tip and is it available - yup, I twisted off the end of it trying to get the nut off.

Can an IA sign off on the rebuild? Is that how you get it into the log books?

Thanks all, and Happy Memorial Day! Bob