Pro Handyman Blog

Every so often when working on a carpentry project, a nail will either break off or bend. I prefer to use a nail gun over a hammer, but strange things can happen with those too. If you find yourself with a nail situation, here are a few ideas.

If the nail is bent over, you can pull it out with the claw end of the hammer, or you can use a pry bar. Place something underneath the hammer or pry bar to protect the surface you are working on; a scrap piece of wood works well for this. Get some leverage on the bar and pull. The nail should come out, but sometimes the head will break off.

If the head breaks off, you can still try to get leverage with the hammer or pry bar, but instead of pulling back, push the handle to the side. This will sometimes bend the nail shank and sometimes pull it out.

If you have just a stub sticking out of the wood, you can try a cat’s claw. This actually digs into the wood and will damage the surface, so only use it as a last resort.

Sometimes you don’t need to remove the broken nail at all. Instead, try hitting it below the surface of the wood you are working on. Use a nail set and hammer it just below the surface. Then you can fill the divot flush with the surrounding surface.