Is this a screw?

PGL

Hi folks

See photo. Can anyone tell me if this is some sort of screw or maybe a nail? Never seen anything like this before. Do I need a special drill bit or something along those lines to remove it? I need to remove a wall creeper frame to paint the wall.



Thanks!

Hoagy

It's an express nail.

the_pen_turner

That's an express nail. No way to remove it only force the timber off the wall. The nail will probably stil be in the wall
Cut that off.

Charlie19

PGL wrote: »

Hi folks

See photo. Can anyone tell me if this is some sort of screw or maybe a nail? Never seen anything like this before. Do I need a special drill bit or something along those lines to remove it? I need to remove a wall creeper frame to paint the wall.



Thanks!

It's an express nail. Tricky enough to remove.
Try a nail bar, it might pop out if the block is soft. They're nearly impossible to remove from concrete though.

PGL

Thanks for the feedback folks. Looks I might have to re-evaluate the need to remove the creeper frame.....

my3cents

OP if you grind the head off with a small angle grinder (you'll have to dig into the wood) so all that is left is the shaft you should be able to pull the wood off with a pry bar much more easily.

mikewest

my3cents wrote: »

OP if you grind the head off with a small angle grinder (you'll have to dig into the wood) so all that is left is the shaft you should be able to pull the wood off with a pry bar much more easily.

Can you drill it out? or is it designed to prevent drilling?

my3cents

mikewest wrote: »

Can you drill it out? or is it designed to prevent drilling?

A drill would probably slip out of the side of the nail? Its not a full circle https://www.goodwins.ie/products/id-2099.html?filter_set%5B0%5D=11%2C204& .

the_pen_turner

i have drilled around them with a hole saw. bit of pain
I don't think you could drill the actual nail. it is a c shape
your best bet is just to force it off and it will leave half decent hole. if you go gutting at it you will make a worse hole

PGL

my3cents wrote: »

OP if you grind the head off with a small angle grinder (you'll have to dig into the wood) so all that is left is the shaft you should be able to pull the wood off with a pry bar much more easily.

The problem is I was hoping to put the creeping frame back on the wall after i painted the wall. Sounds like there's no guarantee I'll get the express nails fully out so I can put new ones in after....

vicwatson

Sometimes a claw hammer can pull them out

fred funk }{

Express nails - best things ever invented!

studdlymurphy

Cut the head off and remove the timber. Then cut the mail off flush with wall. Then get smaller nails to go inside the current one. Fix new timber up using the smaller express nails.

Ie drive new smaller express nails into the centre of the old express nails

PGL

fred funk }{ wrote: »

Express nails - best things ever invented!

i'm sure they are normally, but not in my particular case!