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Getting a metal street sign off of a brick wall?

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mike_e
Posts: 2419 - Karma: 3,066
There's a sign in my town that i would like to borrow... but i'm not sure how to go about taking it down. It's nailed in with what i think are flatheads, but there are washers between the head and the sign. I'm hoping i can just pry the nails out with a crowbar, or if that doesnt work, try to break them with a hammer since they're rusted. Anyone have any experience with this and know of a better way to go about doing it?
Aug 4 2012 5:19PM
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Willgum
Posts: 3254 - Karma: 3,066
Idk but you might be able to pry the actual sign off depending on how rusted out the nails are
Aug 4 2012 5:21PM
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Spinoza
Posts: 12763 - Karma: 3,846
I got lucky an found my lady friend's last name, and it wasn't screwed in so it came out easy. Crowbar should work for you though, a crowbar can do anything
Aug 4 2012 5:22PM
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cubber
Posts: 1933 - Karma: 638
Take a chisel and hammer, and tap the nails side to side. If they're blasted into the masonry, that should crumble the material enough to pull them out with a crowbar. Disclaimer don't do this its against the law. Insta-safe
Aug 4 2012 5:24PM
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VD.
Posts: 4054 - Karma: 4,565
"would like to borrow" - well since you put it like that ...
Aug 4 2012 5:27PM
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Laurent.
Posts: 10056 - Karma: 25,313
Either a flat wrecking bar or a wrecking chisel.



Make sure you have a high quality flat & wide wrecking bar. And i cannot stress the word "high quality" enough.

Method:
1. Insert it near a corner with the short end, pry slightly
2. Insert the long end in the slot you just created near the corner.
3. Slide it right down to the other corner.
4. Pull away from the wall from the now released edge.
5. ???????
6. Profit.



If you use a wrecking chisel use a bloody rubber hammer to avoid massive recoil blowing your wrists and to dampen the sound.

Method:
1. Hold the chisel near a corner.
2. Slam on it with the force of a thousand gods.
3. Repeat.
4. Pull away from the wall from the now released edge.


The tools of the trade:

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Aug 4 2012 6:10PM
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Shukovski
Posts: 470 - Karma: 433
How do you know this?

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Aug 4 2012 7:01PM
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KravtZ
Posts: 6637 - Karma: 2,629
idk how crowded the area you live in...i live up in the woods not much traffic at night....theres this real annoying sign at the back entrance to our neighborhood and we tried to pull it out with an expedition but it turns out theres a mega concrete thing in the ground. So we just hack sawed it off. If its not to crowded its real easy to saw it but pretty loud
Aug 4 2012 7:35PM
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Straightthuggin
Posts: 548 - Karma: 26
Lost it haha +K
Aug 4 2012 7:53PM
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Olimar
Posts: 3535 - Karma: 4,076
You should have just hit it with your car. Gather round, story time. Well, you may have heard of the pennstate Thon, a 48 hour event where they raise money for cancer by dancing and not sleeping or sitting down. And raping little kids. Well our school, like many others, has a "mini thon" which is a mere 12 hours, 8pm-8am. So I went to this, didn't sit down, didn't sleep and when it was over I felt fine. So I decided I would be able to drive home. Half way home I decided to get a little tired but decided I would manage to make it home safely. 3/4 of the way I started realizing I would close my eyes to what I thought was just a slow blink, open them and realize I have no recollection of the drink I did in that short amount of time. But I was almost home, I could make it. Kept going and about a minute later I woke up to what I later discovered was a mail box slamming on my hood and proceeded to watch me hit a "stop sign ahead" sign which I cut clean off. It shattered my windshield and flew over my car. So I called my mom, told her what happened, she came and got me and i threw the whole sign, pole and all, into the back of the car.
Aug 4 2012 10:40PM
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GratefulDead
Posts: 3554 - Karma: 84
That was a terrible story. That sign brutalized you/your car, this thread is about the opposite
Aug 4 2012 11:14PM
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Parks.
Posts: 5612 - Karma: 1,093
Get a crowbar, bitches love crowbars
Aug 4 2012 11:15PM
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Olimar
Posts: 3535 - Karma: 4,076
Well look on the bright side, I got a free sign out of it.
Aug 4 2012 11:24PM
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