Jacking a Ledger Board out of place?

[Bill Stock]

I want to modify the old Workbench to give me more storage space. I originally built it with one shelf about 10" off the floor, but I'd like to make this the middle shelf and make the floor my bottom shelf. As you've guessed by now, this is a simple beast that's built out of 2x6s with a Ledger Board for the Top and a Ledger Board for the bottom shelf. Unfortunately the LBs are attached with 16d nails (AFAIR). Detaching the front of the shelf s/b simple enough, but getting at the bottom LB will be painful. So I was thinking I could put a jack under it and pull it away from the wall. I know this is highly unlikely to work, as it will either destroy the wall and/or the Ledger Board. I'd probably be better off just cutting it out and putting in a new shelf, but a guy can dream.

Your thoughts would be appreciated, but a fancy roll around WB is not in the cards for now. Although I think I'll give it an MDF top while I'm upgrading my space.

[pelligrini]

A jack might work, but the force is going to be perpendicular to the fasteners.

If it were me, I'd first try my wonderbar to move it a little then my crowbar. If it didn't move I'd probably leave it and loose the 1 1/2 of shelf depth and just let it stay on the wall.

[Bill Stock]

A jack might work, but the force is going to be perpendicular to the fasteners.

If it were me, I'd first try my wonderbar to move it a little then my crowbar. If it didn't move I'd probably leave it and loose the 1 1/2 of shelf depth and just let it stay on the wall.

Thanks,

Yeah, I suspect it will take a lot of force to budge it. I've got a 5' prybar I might try first, but that won't be easy either. The shelf is attached to the LB with joist hangers, so I can't quite picture your second thought. I gather you mean sawzall it across to get it out. But that would leave it to short to reach the front legs.

[pelligrini]

Maybe I'm not seeing the configuration correctly. I was thinking the 2x6 ledger was nailed to the back wall under your bench. A photo would help a lot.

I was thinking of just leaving it if it didn't budge and put a new ledger above it.

[cabinetman]

Thanks,

Yeah, I suspect it will take a lot of force to budge it. I've got a 5' prybar I might try first, but that won't be easy either. The shelf is attached to the LB with joist hangers, so I can't quite picture your second thought. I gather you mean sawzall it across to get it out. But that would leave it to short to reach the front legs.

Maybe if you are patient and with due diligence you can work out the fasteners. Get under the heads and wiggle and pull until they work loose. Kinda like how a dentist extracts a tooth.
.

[Mr__Bill]

If salvaging the board is not an issue, you could use a hole saw and drill around the nails. Then break out the hole and you can get a claw under it to remove. You could also just split the board along where the nails are and extract them after the board is gone or drive them the rest of the way in. Another way is to cut the heads off with a grinder or cutting wheel and pull the board off and then cut the nail flush with the wall.

If you decide to use the jack be sure to take lots of pictures, I would be interested to see how it works out.


another Bill

[phi1l]

I agree with Bill,

I doubt that 2x6 is worth the trouble, if you can't get the nails out individually.


There are nail pullers that will excavate in to wood to grab the nail head, that would be my first try. If that breaks off the nail head, I think I would just use a circular saw with depth set to just under the thickness of the LB then cut the LB around the nail & break off remaining wood around the nail, then use what ever you have handy to cut the nail off at the wall..

[crokett]

A picture would help as I am unclear why it would be painful to get at the bottom ledger. Just take the entire shelf off so you are left with 2 ledgers on the wall. IME this will save much more time than it costs you. What I would do is wedge a wrecking bar between the wall and the ledger, get a sawzall in and cut some of the nails. Then move the bar down and cut more nails. Rinse and repeat until the ledger comes free.

[Bill Stock]

OK, so I combined a few of your ideas. Applied the force in the direction of the nails, used the prybar (after I snapped the board) and next comes the nail removal from the Ledger Board.

I put the jack under the 2x6 covering Ledger Board and and started jacking (see attached), which was going well until I hit a weak spot in the board. If I'd been more patient, I would have used the pry bar sooner. The board split beyond repair, so I just used the pry bar to get the rest out. I now have easy access to the Ledger Board, so the hard part s/b done. I have not decided whether to replace the 2x6 or just replace them all with plywood. I'm leaning toward option 2.

I did try the jack on the Ledger Board after, as I was curious, but it would not budge it. I'm sure I could have broken the jack if I tried harder, since I've done it before taking out trees.

A few pics attached, just ignore the mess, it's not always this bad, ......

The pics seems to be in reverse order, but you can see the tools in the hall (we're in the middle of a floor rip-up), you can see the jack in action before the board snapped. Two pictures of the bottom front to show the space I'm losing. A pic of the ledger board and one of the top looking up from below. Also a minor booboo with the crowbar.