I feel like I saw a battery powered tool that was specific for snipping nail heads when taking metal sheets off. The wood barn is coming down and I would like to get all the tin off first.

I don't need to necessarily pull the nails, unless that's easier.

Is this a thing or is my brain creating a memory from nothing?

We have three barns and likely an old farm house that'll be coming down in the next year or so, so if they make a tool that saves me having to pry, it'll be worth the purchase.

Big bolt cutters might be faster and safer than a sawzall or rotary tool.

Push tin in away from head and snip.

Oscillating tool?

This may be similar to what you're looking for. Appears to pull the nail to me, I've never personally used one.

https://www.amazon.com/Apex-Tool-Group-56-Puller/dp/B00002N7SD/ref=lp_553310_1_9/189-2349227-7357065?s=power-hand-tools&=undefined&ie=UTF8&qid=1393031765&sr=1-9&th=1&psc=1

I read on another website that a spud bar would work well. Pry them off with good leverage from the backside.

Interested to hear what works best for you.

Cut the nail heads of with an angle grinder and pop the sheets off. This is more for fast and taking metal to scrap. If you're looking to only have nail holes this isn't the route you want to take obviously.

Use a flat tip shovel to lever the sheets off and remove the nails on the ground.

I knew a group that would use hoof nippers to cut the nail heads off. I have never personally tried it before.

I have one and it works well. The slide hammer lets you put the jaws around the nail head even it's embedded in wood. It would probably dent the tin in the process. If the head was sticking up, it would grab it easily but the "foot" would probably dent the tin when you applied pressure to pull the nail.

If I was taking it to the scrap, this is exactly what we would do.

But the metal is in great shape for reusing elsewhere (blinds, sheds, inside deco, etc).

A good powerwash would get any soot off it i would think. I guess you would have to worry about it deforming if stuff collapses on it though.

If cutting them is too much work, a nail setter + a hammer would likely work. Just punch them through the tin deeper into the wood.
https://a.co/d/eKavOLk

Did this when I was a kid. You can use a FLAT nail/pry bar. Hit it once with a hammer to get it under the nail head, then pry nail completely out, or just pry enough to nip the nail head off with end-nippers or bolt cutters.

It'll leave a small mark (shiny spot on tin), but not much, especially if you just using the tin for sheds/deer stands. You can put a wood shim under the pry bar (to "roll" the nail out without scratching the tin, if that's a worry)..

fburgtx said:

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Did this when I was a kid. You can use a FLAT nail/pry bar. Hit it once with a hammer to get it under the nail head, then pry nail completely out, or just pry enough to nip the nail head off with end-nippers or bolt cutters.

It'll leave a small mark (shiny spot on tin), but not much, especially if you just using the tin for sheds/deer stands. You can put a wood shim under the pry bar (to "roll" the nail out without scratching the tin, if that's a worry)..

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Salvaged an old barn for the tin and wood a few years ago. I started with the flat pry bar from under the tin and pry to get the nail head up. Then, if the nail didn't just pop completely out, I'd use a crowbar or pry bar from the top side to remove the nail. I got to where I could pull most this way without damaging the tin enough that it mattered to me. First few pieces are slow, but you eventually get a system down and can start moving along pretty quick. Hardest part was figuring out where you can safely sit as you dismantle the thing.

https://www.amazon.com/Diamond-N10-10-Inch-Cutting-Nipper/dp/B00002N7PG

I have done this before and used a set of nippers like these. I was salvaging old corrugated tin, not R panel, and I found using these to snip the heads off did less damage than prying them out with a nail bar (that dented the tin around the nail hole)

This is exactly what I was referring to. Thanks for posting the link. I just might purchase.

I hope it works for you. Like I said, I was trying to deform the tin as little as possible and this was the ticket in my application. For the record, I didn't buy this particular set - I was gifted a pair from a friend who saw what I was doing and those were older that everyone on this thread's age added together. I hope you can find a quality set like those were.

My uncle and I used one of these to cut lead head nails to take a corrugated roof down. Worked well. Not expensive. Hardly hurt the tin.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/RYOBI-ONE-18V-Cordless-Bolt-Cutters-Tool-Only-P592/301913879

A new toy!

It really makes short order cutting 20' cattle panels. About 10x faster than bolt cutters!

Was gonna ask how fast it closed. Seems like it's fairly fast.