Pulling Nails
A day of pulling nails out of demolished lumber. After enough of them, a pattern: every rule for nails is also a rule for handling people.
- #notes
- #philosophy
- #craft
Volunteer demolition day. Pulling nails from a pile of old lumber. After enough of them, a feeling starts to settle — each line below is both craft, and a way of handling people.
Straighten it.
Tap it loose. Bring the head up.
When the head’s high enough, lever it out.
The ones that bite, the ones in your way — those go first.
Heads driven fairly deep, with no tip coming through the back — accept a little damage to the wood, and pry them carefully out. The ones driven so deep there’s no way to reach them, that also don’t threaten anyone — leave them. Let them become part of the system.
Early on, when you’re forcing entry, find the weak point and use technique. Once you have a handle, switch to leverage.
Use the right tool.
Old, rusted nails — handle them gently. They’ll snap off inside if you don’t.
Find the fulcrum. Find the hollow underneath. Only then will it come.