Removing interior trim

[farwesthoops]

Can any one suggest a safe way to remove interior trim nail and/or brads with minimal damage to the trim itself. A catspaw is to crude I am afraid. I am trying to save as much straight and curved trim as possible during a rebuilding project. Thanks all..

[HarryH]

and the size of the trim of course. Sometimes a stiff putty knife can be slid under, and the trim coaxed up. If nailed, the head will often stay up when the trim is pushed back down, allowing the nail to be pulled.

If thin enough sometimes the nail can be driven through the trim with a thin punch or nailset. And sometimes, you ruin the piece. The upside is may serve as a good pattern.

_Harry

[Peter Malcolm Jardine]

I have found a window glaziers bar to be useful. Home Depot should have one.... a very very slim prybar about 10 inches long.

Here is one by Richard, the one I have... excellent tool for the box for a variety of uses. ......01 inches at the one end.


http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid206/pc9b36758a8466813ffde2dc929900b37/eef4d853.jpg
(http://www.arichard.com/en/products_search.asp?CompleteList=)

[Jay Greer]

There is a screw removal tool on the market that will work for removing nail heads as well. Unscrew-ums are available from James Town Distributors and others. Aside from almost automaticaly removing damaged screws, they will take the head off a nail so that the shank can be driven through the trim piece.
JG

[Nicholas Carey]

Take a look at some of the Japanese pry bars like the ones below (the one on the right is 7 inches long). They work amazingly well.

http://japanwoodworker.com/dept.asp?dept_id=12911

http://japanwoodworker.com/assets/images/product/JapanWoodworker/thumbs/01.455A.jpg http://japanwoodworker.com/assets/images/product/JapanWoodworker/thumbs/01.456.20D.jpg

or some of these: http://www.sharkcorp.com/Sharkgrip/NailPullers.html

[maa. melee]

I find that pulling small bads and wire nails out from behind with nail-puller pliers. This way, the face of the trim won't experience any chip-out.

[John B]

As above , you want that really flat thin prybar, They're great.Once the trim is removed and if the nails stay in the trim side,you can clamp some vice grips on the nail and then use a wonder bar/pry bar under those to pull the nail head on through. You don't get the break out that way( backing the nail out).Either that or grind them off and leave the heads in.

[JimConlin]

Another of the many tools that might be useful is the flush-cut blade on a Fein Multimaster.

[farwesthoops]

Thanks to all for your help. Lots of ways to solve the problem now!!

[Canoeyawl]

Nail pulling pliers...
A good boat repairmans tool
http://www.vandykes.com/images/products/02224848-lg.jpg