A lot of people ask me how I can remove Pallet Nails from over 50 boards in less than an hour. I don’t cut the nails with a Sawzall or any other tool. My secret is a tool called the air punch. While the tool may not be within reach of everyone, it is good to know that it exists. For those that can afford the tool, it is important to know how to use it properly.
Setting up your workspace for an Air Punch and be able to Remove Pallet Nails easily!
I use a table with a hole and a 5-gallon bucket that I’ve filled with either snow or water. This catches the nails and prevents nails from bouncing around and doing damage. If you view the video, you will see a perfect example of a nail flying out just out of bad luck.
Use proper safety gear! You already know about gloves. I add mandatory eye protection. Again, you will see when that a nail flying out of the catch bucket can be dangerous, even if you’re careful!
The benefits of using an Air Punch will speed up pallet dismantling. You’ll be able to Remove Pallet Nails fast!
I can go through a decent pile of wood in just a few minutes. First, I separate the boards with a pallet dismantling tool. The air punch works with an internal hammer that moves inside a metal tube. You insert the nail from the other side (sharp side up) into the tube and press the trigger. The nail will come flying out in many cases. If not, simply use a hammer or a crowbar (or if you have strong fingers like me, your hand).
This will give you nice, clean pallet wood in no time. The boards will not have a mark on them other than the nail holes. After a careful inspection for old nails, you can use the boards in your table saw, planer, or jointer with confidence.
- Punch / Remove or Sink nails between 10-20 gauge sizes
- Easy to use
- A good quality product
- Punch / Remove or Sink nails between 2-4 mm (0.097''--0.157'') sizes
- Light Weight with Aluminum body gun body.
- Soft grip for comfort and control
- Punch / Remove or Sink nails between 2-3 mm (0.097''--0.120'') sizes
- Light Weight with Aluminum body gun body.
- Soft grip for comfort and control
And here are more techniques for dismantling pallets!
Read Video Tutorial: Remove Pallet Nails Efficiently Using An Air Punch by Karell on 1001 Pallets!