I was inspired by Brad's nail puller and came up with this unique design.
It was a rainy morning in March, and I decided to keep dry by hanging out at the local Farm & Fleet store. I like to go there to think...or as I'm sure some of the salespeople refer to as, Loitering!
So there I was, repeatedly going back and forth between the hardware aisle, the farm implement aisle, and the plumbing aisle, trying to conceive a working theory and hopefully build a pole barn stel nail puller completely from scratch.
The jury is in...and the verdict is... I think I did it!
Here are some pics of the raw materials:
http://i453.photobucket.com/albums/qq254/crwtimberframe/Z%20misc/P3132333.jpghttp://i453.photobucket.com/albums/qq254/crwtimberframe/Z%20misc/P3132335.jpgThey include:
1- 1 1/4" x 24" galv pipe
1- 5/8" steel rod
3- 5/8" washers
1- 3/4" grade 5 nut
1- spring
1- bolt hook
2- 1/4"x 1 3/4" Bolts w/ nuts
1- flat headed I-beam nail puller
1- 1 1/4"x 8" hitch pin
And this is what I came up with.
http://i453.photobucket.com/albums/qq254/crwtimberframe/Z%20misc/P3152344.jpghttp://i453.photobucket.com/albums/qq254/crwtimberframe/Z%20misc/P3152345.jpghttp://i453.photobucket.com/albums/qq254/crwtimberframe/Z%20misc/P3152347.jpghttp://i453.photobucket.com/albums/qq254/crwtimberframe/Z%20misc/P3152349.jpghttp://i453.photobucket.com/albums/qq254/crwtimberframe/Z%20misc/P3152350.jpgThere is a doubled up washer (2) that are welded onto the end of the pipe that the rod slides through, and as you pull back on the outer pipe, the nut welded onto the back end of the rod, which is inside the pipe slams into the washers at the tip of the pipe causing the cats paw to pull straght out on the head of the nail. The spring inside retracts the rod with the cats paw on it.
The hitch pin is inside the back end of the pipe for mass and inertia, and is locked in place with a bolt through the pin. The retracting spring is connected to the back end of the rod and to another bolt that sits just ahead of the hitch pin. WHEW! Clear as mud, right?
Any way, it seems to work...and just in time to help pull apart a large portion of an older pole barn that this winter's snow load collapsed.
Rooster
