NAIL PULLERS – The Dimpler – feedback?
toolbear
| Posted in Tools for Home Building on
NAIL PULLERS – The Dimpler – feedback?
Folks,
Finally saw my first Stilletto titanium dimpler at Ganahl’s.
Interesting idea. It has what is basically an arc punch on the side of the puller. You whack that down over the offending nail, pushing the wood down, then deftly remove the nail with a minimum of fuss – or so the story goes.
However, $50 is a tad steep for a nail puller. Mine ran $9-15. Don’t know how TI will hold up to being beaten on. I sharpen my steel ones regularly.
Any Early Adopters out there with some feedback?
Replies
Haven't seen the Ti Version, but I'm curious as to how you're sharpening our steel nail pullers. I've butchered one up already, so a little advice would be greatly appreciated.
Jeremy
A quick way is to grind the non-notched side flat again. If ya grind too much the slot gets wider and also won't have enuf meat to stay in shape. Dress the points as well, and with a thin cutoff wheel just kiss the bevels, I mean just barely.
SAFTEY TIP!!!!...if the " HIT ME" surface starts to mushroom ( not that kind Andy) grind it away, the chips can fly and take out a chunk of nearby skin.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations.
Grinding pullers
I grind the edges of the strike back to remove any mushrooming and give the surface a light pass to knock down some of the rough spots.
In use the formerly sharp points tend to dull and thicken. Some I have seen look like butter knives with marvelous mushroom heads.
The flat bottom of the puller is touched up and the sides radiused all to get the sharp points back.
On occasion I will take a really small file and dress the edges of the groove back to sharp.
Guys we reviewed the dimpler in the last issue of FHB - check Tools and Materials...issue 166"If God didn't want me to wear this Led Zeppelin shirt everyday he wouldn't have made them rock out so hard"
wow! grinding cats paws! It never occured to me that I could do that, thanks for the tip guys!
I personally don't wear out my catspaws!
Mr T
I can't afford to be affordable anymore
well with your new high power position your tools are mostly decrotive now aren't they?
Not really If you read my positon contract VERRY carefully, you will find, somewhere in the middle of page 2, perform carpentry tasks(or some shid)
Oh yeah and I have to do it PROFITABLY, and cats-paws are not profitable.
Mr T
I can't afford to be affordable anymore
"Guys we reviewed the dimpler in the last issue of FHB - check Tools and Materials...issue 166"
Indeed, and a very nice photo. Caused a rush of ToolLust in the ToolBear. Went and hunted around the house to find 166 and reread it.
Now what is needed is the input of some grizzled old framer who bought one and found his life transformed <g>.
Remember the debates when titanium hammers began to move into the market? The consensus of the Forumistas that owned them was that they really worked and they were not going back to steel. So I bought one. They were right.
(BTW - Kudos to Taunton and FHB. You folks run a great forum and magazine. FHV is to be found in den, LR, office and loo (back issues - for research and reflection.)
When are you going to do a photo spread on bags - used photogenic ones and what guys find they need to carry? Turn out your bags! I have pix of Carry the Carpenter and his Oxy leathers with duct tape. We haven't had Bag Wars in quite a while.
JT,
As to grinding the catspaw it doesn't much to make a great difference on the shelf model. I use a dremmel with a 409 disk for the fine points - a strap grinder to polish and shape the outside.
This puller has a much more aggressive bite and will tear up the wood if you do not dimple the area around the nail head first. Even then, an estwing nail puller does a cleaner job. The Ti puller definitely is easier to work with, however. I posted a pic of one I broke about a month ago, if you feel like searching for the thread. Ti is light and strong but definitely not unbreakable.
"This puller has a much more aggressive bite and will tear up the wood if you do not dimple the area around the nail head first. Even then, an estwing nail puller does a cleaner job. The Ti puller definitely is easier to work with, however. I posted a pic of one I broke about a month ago, if you feel like searching for the thread. Ti is light and strong but definitely not unbreakable. "
Les Barrett Quality Construction
Hope they replaced it at no cost. Have not seen the Estwing. Mine are all Vaughans in three sizes. Saw the Bonsai at HD. Avoid. Very blunt nose. Like using a 1x2.
Bottom line: Is a TI puller with dimpler worth the $50?
Wonder if I could get one welded on a $13 Vaughan? Hummm. I'm going to write my welder friend."Never met a man who couldn't teach me something."
Anon.
I don't plan to buy another one.Les Barrett Quality Construction
"Old ways are good ways."
(Which, of course, is why they are old ways.)
I will talk to my welder about something in steel. I don't think Ti is the material for this application. Too soft. Nice idea, though.The ToolBear
"Never met a man who couldn't teach me something." Anon.