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I have been given a load of scrap pallets by the local builders yard and the kids have been having fun hitting them with crowbars to split them up... but some are connected with "gang-nails" or "connector plates" (http://www.gangnail.co.uk/index.php/pro ... tor-plates describes them). Brute force can crack the joint apart but leave the plates embedded in each bit of the wood.

I know I can burn the wood with them attached, but it seems rather a lot of ironmongery... does anyone know how to detach them? some of the longer timbers are in good nick and look re-usable too if we could only get rid of the gang-nails

get a pry bar underneath the plate and lever it out then use the timber carefully - dont ruin your saw. FWIW we call them knuckle plates over here :-)