Iam 31 now and tell my daughter iam going to be around till about 125 years old then we will recalculate 😅. Best of luck to you and my the best years be ahead of you
I’m a 25 year old carpenter apprentice in Canada. I have watched Scott go on about Burke bars on RUclips for years now and found one at a garage sale for $20. I jumped at it immediately. THANK. YOU. SCOTT. This bar is a machine. I love it. My whole crew loves it. I haven’t touched my roofing pry bar since. I love this channel so much, it has changed the way I approach and appreciate my job. “Aim for perfect, settle for excellence.” You said it, man. Cheers
I bought one shortly after the first time seeing one in use in this channel. Always in my truck and used often. The eastwig 16 inch 3 in 1 pro roofer is a mini burk bar with a catspaw that you can put in a flatbar sleeve hanging inboard of your gastner bag.
Your comment that really stood out for me is: "When you are working by yourself". My entire working career, I was always happier when I was working by myself. I guess I'm just not a person who needs to be part of a team. I've never needed to be entertained. Just love to do the work.
Started as a plumber at 16 started framing at 18 found you at 19 watched all your tips and tricks and productivity videos became a union fire sprinkler fitter at 24 and now at 25 I’m a union iron worker and here we are… still teaching me clever little tricks Thanks for teaching all the insider tips 🎉
Thank you for your videos. I'm a 38 year old contractor, I work 7 days a week and seldomly take a day off. Falling asleep to your voice is peaceful and reassuring that I'm doing whats right... Wake up and continue building the next day. Thank you.
Never even heard of a Burke Bar 'til I watched this channel, and the BB saved my keister in tearing apart a 25 year old deck that I was rebuilding, which was 32' x 16'. Used during the Covid fiasco when it was hard to find labor willing to even bid on the job...which I didn't want to do (I was 75 y.o. at the time)....it made the job so easy that I found myself laughing half the time, and it probably saved my wife the grotesque experience of having to give me mouth-to-mouth first aid!! Used it on several 'one-off' type situations, and it was better than having a second person to help. Also, depending on your neighborhood, it's not a bad thing to have sitting near the front door of your home! Great tool to make me feel like I had the strength of 2 or 3 men!
I was introduced to Andrew Camarata's RUclips channel when you made his Burke Bar. I just wanted to say thank you for introducing me to both the concept of burke bars and to Andrew's channel.
One thing with the flat bar: if you're using the hook/90° end and it's flexing when pulling the normal way, you can pull inline with the flat section (90° to normal) and it's much more Ridgid that way. Helps a lot with longer/cheaper bars.
I generally end up prying in this fashion the majority of time I use a flat bar. Mabey it's because I'm on ladders alot. Pulling down instead of pushing away feels safer I reckon.
I would say my glaziers bar sees the most use, and the burke bar is the most indispensable. Most of those levers have a workaround, but in my experience there is nothing else that will do the work of a burke bar. I owe you for bringing the existence of that tool to my attention. Thank you Scott..
I bought one new! I climbed above a 35 ft poured wall set and i heard Tink tink tink! me NEW bar went down to the bottom! I say it funny, but cost me 17 bucks! it is in the Arauco plant in Grayling Mich; its like some sort of monument! LOL!
I've been watching you since your first circular saw video 5+ years ago. I haven't seen you on my feed in a year or so and here you are. You haven't aged a day friend. I can't even explain to you how much I have learned from you over the years. 5 years ago I had no idea how to do anything. So many of your videos have helped me in home ownership and I thank you so much glad to see your videos on my feed again! I've got a lot of catching up to do.
I went 4x4ing with my friend(in his 4x4) a while back and we got a flat by running over a old railway dog. For some silly reason my mate didn’t have a jack. But he had an axe. I was so glad I had been shown how to improvise leverage by my my grandad. We chopped down a long tree, rolled over a big log, lifted up the corner of the car and changed the tyre.
A small "Lever Bar Scraper" should be in all tool bags. Indeed I keep a few around the house. Small, light, thin and useful for all kinds of situations when doing maintenance, paint prep work, furniture repair, etc. and so on. Tremendous leverage for levelling cabinets (lift corner, adjust screw foot) and so on. Or as a wedge to hold something spread while setting another part. (This is a smaller and thinner version of what you call a "flat bar" or "door bar"). Has a decent scraper on one end too.
agreed. When I got into finish carpentry and then cabinets, a glazing bar was my go to because it was thin, flat and wouldn't mar the surface of what I was prying on.
@@thinktank8286 do a search for "Richard Tools 10 inch pry bar" . It's 10 inches long x 1.5 inches wide, painted red. Originally they were used by beekeepers but now are also used for a wide variety of things.
Agreed. We use them constantly in commercial/retail millwork installs. I actually like the ones they sell in the paint tools section of the orange store.
I used a 4 foot pry bar to move my entire floating laminate floor over enough to slide it under the door jamb so the transition strip would cover it. It moved the floor plus my 200+ lbs. while I was standing on it.
Great review of bar tools. It really is about using the right tool for the job. My father-in-law will be 83 just three days before Christmas this year. He absolutely amazes me with his abilities and work ethic. He is a "work smarter, not harder" sort of guy and three years ago moved out of a 20 acre farmsite with a 40 by 60 shop, with my mother-in-law, to a lot not much bigger than the 2500 square foot two-story house that was on it. I was the benefactor of much of his downsizing of tools and equipment. He still amazes me at the things that he WANTS to do but is smart enough to get his sons and I, who are 25 years his junior, to accomplish on his behalf. Kudos, Allen I. Steele I used to watch a DIY show (back when This Old House was about the only option) called Help Around The House which was hosted by a fellow named Henry Harrison. He demonstrated one of those slide-handled nail removers, and I knew immediately that I needed on. It took some time to find one, but what a fantastically designed and built vintage tool that is to have in one's collection.
I am not a carpenter, but an excavation guy. I’d like to add to this list a digging bar, also known as a Fresno bar. Imperative for underground utility work and so many other things. From prying up cut asphalt, sending gasket jointed pipe home, digging in hard ground, lifting manhole lids or storm crates, or repairing equipment. Everyone needs a good 5’ digging bar in their collection.
I am a crane operator by trade, the company I work for we do a lot of tilt wall precast, the brick layers use burke bars all day long to adjust the panels I think about this channel every time I see them pull the burke bats off the truck in the morning
I have been doing flooring for 33 years and one time we had to move a large fire safe. It was so heavy it bent the tongue of a stand up dolly. I came up with the idea to role it on wood broom handles.
Totally agree with the uses. I've touched all of those bars. The most recent is the Burke Bar and I'm not sure why it took so long to get my hands on one. Those I work with know it's in my truck; typically it's the first leverage tool they ask for. A back saver and helps make the hard labor jobs a little more enjoyable. Keep up the good work.
first ,i hope we all have 15 + yrs left to work. a few yrs back u recommended the burk bar and it has been the best investment ive made . im 76 and had to move a set of step, could not have done it without it. this summer i am going to move another set of steps. your videos are enjoyable and educational to watch, thanks again and god bless.
I love all of these, but would add a Richardson bar. It looks like a half size, much thinner, flatter door or wonder bar. The long side is pretty wide and sharp though. Great for pulling baseboard or other trim without damaging it. My tile setter uses one for popping tiles as well.
Great video but don't forget the Johnson bar for really big stuff. Basically a longer Burk bar with a pair of wheels acting as a fulcrum and makes it easy to move.
On a whim, I got a massive flathead screwdriver from Harbor Fright. I've never used it as a screwdriver, but it's a great lever or pick! The kids use it as a sword occasionally.
EXCELLENT presentation, Scott! AND, what most people don't know, is that the mechanical advantage is also an exact science. Children learn from the teeter-totter that they can play with dad on one side and them on the other if the distance from the fulcrum is correct. I taught this to my boys when they were still young. Papa weighed 250 and their combined weights totalled 125. My eldest was maybe 9 or 10 and he did the math that I had to be 3 ft from the fulcrum and they had to be 6 ft. 125 lbs x 6 ft = 250 lbs x 3 ft. Knowing how much the object you want to move weighs will tell you how long your pry bar needs to be (assuming you know your own weight). 2,000 lbs x .08 ft (1 inch) vs. 250 lbs x 5ft. My 2,500 ft lbs wins!
Stealth and guile beat youth and strength. I need to get me a Burke Bar and one of those die bars with the nice handle. I have a favorite Estwing door bar that is about 35 years old. The bar is not flat in the handle section; it is half-moon shaped so it is more rigid than most door bars. It is ground with a good long taper at both ends so it fits under work better than most current door bars. For finish demo and repair I find a lot of use for a 2 1/2 inch rigid scraper (used to burn off paint) ground on one side. I use it as a pry bar alone or using it under a door bar with a pair of large diagonal cutters or end nippers to pry out nails...It is fabulous for removing baseboard or molding from a wall without damaging either material.
Also, I have another pry-bar that's a cats-paw on one end and a wide fairly thin curved lever for pulling finish nails - it's a Japanese tool and incredibly useful for not marring delicate molding and it's not as destructive against drywall. In addition, I use a beefier shingle ripper which is non-flexible iron, about 18" with L-foot on one end and angled thinner wedge-shaped end sort of like your blue-bar). This very good for popping heavier baseboard moldings in addition to ripping shingle nails under a course of shingles.
I have one of those slide hammer nail pullers, and everything you say is true. One caveat, though. It's custom made for pinching the skin on your hand!
I tell young people that come on the job site all the time "You'll learn the real uses of simple machines taught in school". We used to use an 8' oak mover's lever dolly to lift thousands of pounds and move them in the factory.
My favorite bars are the small restorer's catspaws with a thin flat end. Best thing for trim and mouldings. A little larger, I love the Tove bars. I haven't had much luck with my Crescent; maybe I have tried to use it on too large of nails? A plier like tool called the Extractor is often used. For small finish nails, an old pair of hand forged nippers that were my grandfathers work wonders. Looking forward to years more of videos, if I last as long as you do.
G'day, a young 26yrs here. Recently bought a felling lever with a cant hook (Arborist by trade). Used almost daily, being used as intended, felling lever, cant hook for rolling logs. But it sure comes in handy everywhere else. Amazing what leverage can do and how much less force and strain is put on your body. From mechanic to arborist I've already figured out undue stress on your body takes its toll, so doing my best to work smarter and harder without wearing me out. Cheers from Aus 🇦🇺🦘
Great video, on leverage and bars. Something to add is when prizing something , two levers work well to spread the load if you don't want damage, you can get a kind of ratcheting effect. Also sometimes the first bar will, just get something up enough to get the second under.
The slide hammer nail puller was one of the standard issue tools in the US ARMY Carpenter Toolset usually issued 1 each to a Company Headquarters and kept by the Supply Sergeant until needed. I suspect I've had to inventory that item more than I've seen one actually used for it's intended purpose.
I built my first digging bar from 1" pipe and a nice half of a leaf spring! Worked so well, I made several more, never got into production, though. Still have most of them, dug the prototype out of the ground a few years back, made with hefty rebar, I didn't like it much.
Burke bars are amazing. The tilt wall erector on my job, use them to shift the 90,000lb wall sections exactly where they want them before detaching from the crane and bracing them off. Four guys with two bars. It’s a sight to see.
I use a Deck Wrecker bar specifically built for removing wood decking. Has a fiberglass handle with large steel fangs that straddle the joist & it's 180° reversible for different situations.
Perhaps others have already noted, but I believe the quote “Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world." is attributed to Archimedes (287-212BC). He postdated Aristotle (384-322BC) by 35 or so years. Both great thinkers, no doubt!
Any bar is better than no bar ! I must have a dozen different types of bar. I always have one with me. Personally I like the flat bar that does not have a knuckle (vaughn bar) just a right angle. Most liked by me is the little Japanese “Shark” bar, but only the genuine article, so thin and so tough that it will get in anywhere with a light tap, I often use mine to open a gap without damage to get a bigger bar in. I don’t own a burke bar ! I still like the old fashioned five and a half foot crow bar and a heavy one at that, the weight helps !!
I do mostly repair and refurbish work on mobile homes for a mortgage company. My most used pry tools are flat trim/moulding bars. The next for me would be the door bar. If you do allot of removing and replacing of trim work a set of flat trim bars is essential imho.
I did millwork for close to 20 years. We had a sliding nail puller like the one you showed. It was always a badge of shame to have to get it. I found one at a flea market a couple of months ago. It was $12.00. Nobody knew what it was. I snagged it. Not that I'd ever need it, but I might have a coworker that might. Great tool, especially for a set finish nail.
Good picks for sure, though instead of a simple flat bar I'd use a wonder bar. Stanley makes a great one. There's a rounded portion a half circle used for leverage and the flat of the bar is of set around 25-30 degrees really good for getting more leverage on a wide area if you can't get something like a J bar in it
Cats paw has a dedicated spot in my tool belt forever. I never saw a burke bar around here, but it looks like just the thing I needed last summer to move big heavy farm machines and the grain dryer around. My go to bar for decades has been a very simple flat bar, about 18" long with a hex handle (sorta like a big cold chisel). The hex end you hit with a hammer driving the flat end into the work. It can get under shingles, hold doors, pull nails, tiles, trim and baseboard with minimal damage, and every thing else I have thrown at it. I wish I could show a picture here. The idea is to be smarter than the heavy thing, not stronger (unless you are stronger), but at 70yr/145 lb smarter is def the way to go.
You can afford a firemans Halligan or Pro Bar and might enjoy one of the custom tools like the wedges and or sledge hammer with mating bracket. The design of the Halligan, Pro Bar etc is amazingly versatile which is why the pros prefer them to most plain bars. Needless to say they are FAST in the right hands (videos of bar use and breaching are worth a watch. I don't do enough demo in crippled retirement to buy new but may anyway for giggles.
I remember using a flat bar to scrap up black glue or something that was under carpet as a kid. It was on top of an actually decent wood floor that was sanded and stained and looks nice to this day.
Another great video. Not a pry bar but along the same spirit as the smaller nail pullers, I like a pair of front nippers for grabbing and pulling fasteners under certain circumstances. Keep up the good work brother!
As a Millwright I use prybars constantly. I noticed you didn't have any indexable-headed prybars on your list. you need a GEARWRENCH 29-48" Extendable indexing Pry Bar - 82248 on your truck. It will save your back when all else fails.
A 24” Gorilla w/ a hammer to beat on it is my go to, I have tried to convince others and it seems I’m the only one? I need to get out to the shop and build a Burke for sure! Had it on the list for over a year now….
In Indiana, the “gorilla bar” is often called a “wrecking bar.” The “dig out bar” is referred to around here as a “slide hammer nail puller” and they are the best thing in the world for pulling nails out of corrugated pole barn siding and roofing.
I've used up my 16 years.....now at 81, I think I'll go for another 19 to see what it's like at 100.
❤ love your attitude Sir!
Yesss. That's a nice round number!
LOVE IT!
Keep up the good work young man 👍
Iam 31 now and tell my daughter iam going to be around till about 125 years old then we will recalculate 😅. Best of luck to you and my the best years be ahead of you
If there's anything comforting about this video is that after 1:00, we know we have at least 16 more years of content to enjoy! :)
I’m a 25 year old carpenter apprentice in Canada. I have watched Scott go on about Burke bars on RUclips for years now and found one at a garage sale for $20. I jumped at it immediately. THANK. YOU. SCOTT. This bar is a machine. I love it. My whole crew loves it. I haven’t touched my roofing pry bar since. I love this channel so much, it has changed the way I approach and appreciate my job. “Aim for perfect, settle for excellence.” You said it, man. Cheers
I bought one shortly after the first time seeing one in use in this channel. Always in my truck and used often. The eastwig 16 inch 3 in 1 pro roofer is a mini burk bar with a catspaw that you can put in a flatbar sleeve hanging inboard of your gastner bag.
I'm a huge fan of Aristotle, too. But it was Archimedes who said "Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum, and I can move the world."
Agreed Scott. I’m 68 and leverage and hydraulic force are what enable me to continue to farm, heat with wood and maintain my home and equipment.
Your comment that really stood out for me is: "When you are working by yourself". My entire working career, I was always happier when I was working by myself. I guess I'm just not a person who needs to be part of a team. I've never needed to be entertained. Just love to do the work.
Respect the hell out of that James!
Thank you for the wealth of good-natured knowledge you've shared over the years.
Wow very generous!
Started as a plumber at 16 started framing at 18 found you at 19 watched all your tips and tricks and productivity videos became a union fire sprinkler fitter at 24 and now at 25 I’m a union iron worker and here we are…
still teaching me clever little tricks
Thanks for teaching all the insider tips 🎉
Our country needs more workers, not sitters. Good on you.
Thank you for your videos. I'm a 38 year old contractor, I work 7 days a week and seldomly take a day off. Falling asleep to your voice is peaceful and reassuring that I'm doing whats right... Wake up and continue building the next day. Thank you.
What a natural teacher you are.
He really is!
Never even heard of a Burke Bar 'til I watched this channel, and the BB saved my keister in tearing apart a 25 year old deck that I was rebuilding, which was 32' x 16'. Used during the Covid fiasco when it was hard to find labor willing to even bid on the job...which I didn't want to do (I was 75 y.o. at the time)....it made the job so easy that I found myself laughing half the time, and it probably saved my wife the grotesque experience of having to give me mouth-to-mouth first aid!! Used it on several 'one-off' type situations, and it was better than having a second person to help. Also, depending on your neighborhood, it's not a bad thing to have sitting near the front door of your home! Great tool to make me feel like I had the strength of 2 or 3 men!
I was introduced to Andrew Camarata's RUclips channel when you made his Burke Bar. I just wanted to say thank you for introducing me to both the concept of burke bars and to Andrew's channel.
One thing with the flat bar: if you're using the hook/90° end and it's flexing when pulling the normal way, you can pull inline with the flat section (90° to normal) and it's much more Ridgid that way. Helps a lot with longer/cheaper bars.
I generally end up prying in this fashion the majority of time I use a flat bar. Mabey it's because I'm on ladders alot. Pulling down instead of pushing away feels safer I reckon.
I would say my glaziers bar sees the most use, and the burke bar is the most indispensable. Most of those levers have a workaround, but in my experience there is nothing else that will do the work of a burke bar. I owe you for bringing the existence of that tool to my attention. Thank you Scott..
I bought one new! I climbed above a 35 ft poured wall set and i heard Tink tink tink! me NEW bar went down to the bottom! I say it funny, but cost me 17 bucks! it is in the Arauco plant in Grayling Mich; its like some sort of monument! LOL!
I've been watching you since your first circular saw video 5+ years ago. I haven't seen you on my feed in a year or so and here you are. You haven't aged a day friend. I can't even explain to you how much I have learned from you over the years. 5 years ago I had no idea how to do anything. So many of your videos have helped me in home ownership and I thank you so much glad to see your videos on my feed again! I've got a lot of catching up to do.
After watching you I finally found a mini burk bar with a 4 foot handle and it really handy. Thanks for the content.
I went 4x4ing with my friend(in his 4x4) a while back and we got a flat by running over a old railway dog. For some silly reason my mate didn’t have a jack. But he had an axe.
I was so glad I had been shown how to improvise leverage by my my grandad.
We chopped down a long tree, rolled over a big log, lifted up the corner of the car and changed the tyre.
A small "Lever Bar Scraper" should be in all tool bags. Indeed I keep a few around the house. Small, light, thin and useful for all kinds of situations when doing maintenance, paint prep work, furniture repair, etc. and so on. Tremendous leverage for levelling cabinets (lift corner, adjust screw foot) and so on. Or as a wedge to hold something spread while setting another part. (This is a smaller and thinner version of what you call a "flat bar" or "door bar"). Has a decent scraper on one end too.
This is definitely one of the most reviews I’ve seen of pry bars
I would add the bee keepers bar/ window glazier bar to your list. Excellent multipurpose small pry bar that fits in your tool bag.
agreed. When I got into finish carpentry and then cabinets, a glazing bar was my go to because it was thin, flat and wouldn't mar the surface of what I was prying on.
Would you have pictures of these tools? Tried a search for "bee keeper bar" came up with nothing.
@@thinktank8286 do a search for "Richard Tools 10 inch pry bar" . It's 10 inches long x 1.5 inches wide, painted red. Originally they were used by beekeepers but now are also used for a wide variety of things.
Agreed. We use them constantly in commercial/retail millwork installs. I actually like the ones they sell in the paint tools section of the orange store.
@@krenwregget7667 try searching hive tool.
I bought a Burke bar because of your videos, best tool ever, used almost daily!
last week I found your you tube video's, and now I'm watching a couple every day. I enjoy them verry much. Thank you. Greetings from Holland
I used a 4 foot pry bar to move my entire floating laminate floor over enough to slide it under the door jamb so the transition strip would cover it. It moved the floor plus my 200+ lbs. while I was standing on it.
Love what you call the "Dig out bar". Not only will it pull a finish nail...it will pull a broken off nail. No head required!
great video Scott. Your ability to communicate is a real gift to us, thank you.
Such a pro!
Great review of bar tools. It really is about using the right tool for the job.
My father-in-law will be 83 just three days before Christmas this year. He absolutely amazes me with his abilities and work ethic. He is a "work smarter, not harder" sort of guy and three years ago moved out of a 20 acre farmsite with a 40 by 60 shop, with my mother-in-law, to a lot not much bigger than the 2500 square foot two-story house that was on it. I was the benefactor of much of his downsizing of tools and equipment. He still amazes me at the things that he WANTS to do but is smart enough to get his sons and I, who are 25 years his junior, to accomplish on his behalf. Kudos, Allen I. Steele
I used to watch a DIY show (back when This Old House was about the only option) called Help Around The House which was hosted by a fellow named Henry Harrison. He demonstrated one of those slide-handled nail removers, and I knew immediately that I needed on. It took some time to find one, but what a fantastically designed and built vintage tool that is to have in one's collection.
Not Aristotle but Archimedes said "give me a lever big enough and a fulcrum to use it on and I will move the world"
I'll not fault the man for a little Archemedes screw up, there's Pliny of other good things in the video, I'd say he still hit a Homer.
Ha! Man knows his Greeks.
My thoughts exactly, Papa Smurf!
@@ricksanchez3176
"Pliny"? What is that?! You must mean "plenty".
WOW ...we have ancient history scholars and grammar teachers watching Escencial Craftsman Channel...they must be bored and had nothing else to do.
Something about listening to this video about bars is soothing
I’m a 69 yr old woman and I bought a Burke Bar because of your recommendation. Still haven’t used it but I have it just in case. Glad I bought it.
I am not a carpenter, but an excavation guy. I’d like to add to this list a digging bar, also known as a Fresno bar. Imperative for underground utility work and so many other things. From prying up cut asphalt, sending gasket jointed pipe home, digging in hard ground, lifting manhole lids or storm crates, or repairing equipment. Everyone needs a good 5’ digging bar in their collection.
I am a crane operator by trade, the company I work for we do a lot of tilt wall precast, the brick layers use burke bars all day long to adjust the panels I think about this channel every time I see them pull the burke bats off the truck in the morning
I have been doing flooring for 33 years and one time we had to move a large fire safe. It was so heavy it bent the tongue of a stand up dolly. I came up with the idea to role it on wood broom handles.
My sister lives in Mesa Arizona it was amazing to see your sons Apache storage place I been watching you for years
You're the reason I have a Burke bar. I saw you using it in another video. Thanks Scott!
Thanks for sharing your knowledge and keep your videos coming please, we really appreciate them.
Wow!... What a video... Thanks sir. The one of the door repair you show at beginning still my favorite.
Totally agree with the uses. I've touched all of those bars. The most recent is the Burke Bar and I'm not sure why it took so long to get my hands on one. Those I work with know it's in my truck; typically it's the first leverage tool they ask for. A back saver and helps make the hard labor jobs a little more enjoyable. Keep up the good work.
It's funny how something so simple is so essential...basically different versions of a lever. You covered lots of detailed uses. Great lesson.
Man, it might be a great day after all, starting with a video from E.C.!!
I have a burke bar in the uk because of you. It is a tool every man should have
Every time I'm watching your video is a pleasure! Thank you for the knowledge...
first ,i hope we all have 15 + yrs left to work. a few yrs back u recommended the burk bar and it has been the best investment ive made . im 76 and had to move a set of step, could not have done it without it. this summer i am going to move another set of steps. your videos are enjoyable and educational to watch, thanks again and god bless.
The Burke bar has saved loads of time for me hooking up trailers
I love all of these, but would add a Richardson bar. It looks like a half size, much thinner, flatter door or wonder bar. The long side is pretty wide and sharp though. Great for pulling baseboard or other trim without damaging it. My tile setter uses one for popping tiles as well.
Agree 100%! I use my Richard Tools pry bar more than my Wunderbar. Also known as a hive tool, because beekeepers use them.
Great video but don't forget the Johnson bar for really big stuff. Basically a longer Burk bar with a pair of wheels acting as a fulcrum and makes it easy to move.
Ah, I fondly reflect back on my first pry tool, the flat head screw driver 🙂
On a whim, I got a massive flathead screwdriver from Harbor Fright. I've never used it as a screwdriver, but it's a great lever or pick! The kids use it as a sword occasionally.
Love your channel and message. I believe it was Archimedes and not Aristotle that talked about leverage. Could be wrong though
EXCELLENT presentation, Scott! AND, what most people don't know, is that the mechanical advantage is also an exact science. Children learn from the teeter-totter that they can play with dad on one side and them on the other if the distance from the fulcrum is correct.
I taught this to my boys when they were still young. Papa weighed 250 and their combined weights totalled 125. My eldest was maybe 9 or 10 and he did the math that I had to be 3 ft from the fulcrum and they had to be 6 ft. 125 lbs x 6 ft = 250 lbs x 3 ft.
Knowing how much the object you want to move weighs will tell you how long your pry bar needs to be (assuming you know your own weight). 2,000 lbs x .08 ft (1 inch) vs. 250 lbs x 5ft. My 2,500 ft lbs wins!
I had forgotten about the 2x4 lift video, that was an awesome trick for using leverage.
Stealth and guile beat youth and strength. I need to get me a Burke Bar and one of those die bars with the nice handle.
I have a favorite Estwing door bar that is about 35 years old. The bar is not flat in the handle section; it is half-moon shaped so it is more rigid than most door bars. It is ground with a good long taper at both ends so it fits under work better than most current door bars. For finish demo and repair I find a lot of use for a 2 1/2 inch rigid scraper (used to burn off paint) ground on one side. I use it as a pry bar alone or using it under a door bar with a pair of large diagonal cutters or end nippers to pry out nails...It is fabulous for removing baseboard or molding from a wall without damaging either material.
Also, I have another pry-bar that's a cats-paw on one end and a wide fairly thin curved lever for pulling finish nails - it's a Japanese tool and incredibly useful for not marring delicate molding and it's not as destructive against drywall. In addition, I use a beefier shingle ripper which is non-flexible iron, about 18" with L-foot on one end and angled thinner wedge-shaped end sort of like your blue-bar). This very good for popping heavier baseboard moldings in addition to ripping shingle nails under a course of shingles.
I have all of these and use them often...the Burke is my favorite.
I have one of those slide hammer nail pullers, and everything you say is true. One caveat, though. It's custom made for pinching the skin on your hand!
The slide on mine always tends to find the webbing between fingers, while carrying...
Your right on with this if mostly over looked but if you know the time and effort you can save is amazing one got one bar more than me :)
I tell young people that come on the job site all the time "You'll learn the real uses of simple machines taught in school". We used to use an 8' oak mover's lever dolly to lift thousands of pounds and move them in the factory.
and leverage of thought you seem to have control of. great channel
My favorite bars are the small restorer's catspaws with a thin flat end. Best thing for trim and mouldings. A little larger, I love the Tove bars. I haven't had much luck with my Crescent; maybe I have tried to use it on too large of nails? A plier like tool called the Extractor is often used. For small finish nails, an old pair of hand forged nippers that were my grandfathers work wonders.
Looking forward to years more of videos, if I last as long as you do.
This is such an excellent video. Thank you for sharing your experience.
I once bought a slide hammer nail puller from an old Mainer who called it a Nail Outner.
G'day, a young 26yrs here. Recently bought a felling lever with a cant hook (Arborist by trade). Used almost daily, being used as intended, felling lever, cant hook for rolling logs. But it sure comes in handy everywhere else. Amazing what leverage can do and how much less force and strain is put on your body. From mechanic to arborist I've already figured out undue stress on your body takes its toll, so doing my best to work smarter and harder without wearing me out. Cheers from Aus 🇦🇺🦘
Great video, on leverage and bars. Something to add is when prizing something , two levers work well to spread the load if you don't want damage, you can get a kind of ratcheting effect. Also sometimes the first bar will, just get something up enough to get the second under.
I feel like this video was only made just to show off that Burke Bar,,,,and i approve!!
The slide hammer nail puller was one of the standard issue tools in the US ARMY Carpenter Toolset usually issued 1 each to a Company Headquarters and kept by the Supply Sergeant until needed. I suspect I've had to inventory that item more than I've seen one actually used for it's intended purpose.
The Johnson bar is also a great bar to have with the cape abilities of being able to lift and roll around very heavy objects.
Brilliant video as always
Awesome wisdom shared in this one! Work smart and carry a burke bar in the truck!!
I built my first digging bar from 1" pipe and a nice half of a leaf spring! Worked so well, I made several more, never got into production, though. Still have most of them, dug the prototype out of the ground a few years back, made with hefty rebar, I didn't like it much.
Thank you for another great video. I just turned 68 and intend on working till I’m at least 80.
Burke bars are amazing. The tilt wall erector on my job, use them to shift the 90,000lb wall sections exactly where they want them before detaching from the crane and bracing them off. Four guys with two bars. It’s a sight to see.
The voice of experience ... thank you !-)
Cats paw is my go to in so many scenarios. Amazing tool
I use a Deck Wrecker bar specifically built for removing wood decking. Has a fiberglass handle with large steel fangs that straddle the joist & it's 180° reversible for different situations.
Perhaps others have already noted, but I believe the quote “Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world." is attributed to Archimedes (287-212BC). He postdated Aristotle (384-322BC) by 35 or so years. Both great thinkers, no doubt!
Any bar is better than no bar ! I must have a dozen different types of bar. I always have one with me. Personally I like the flat bar that does not have a knuckle (vaughn bar) just a right angle. Most liked by me is the little Japanese “Shark” bar, but only the genuine article, so thin and so tough that it will get in anywhere with a light tap, I often use mine to open a gap without damage to get a bigger bar in. I don’t own a burke bar ! I still like the old fashioned five and a half foot crow bar and a heavy one at that, the weight helps !!
I do mostly repair and refurbish work on mobile homes for a mortgage company. My most used pry tools are flat trim/moulding bars. The next for me would be the door bar. If you do allot of removing and replacing of trim work a set of flat trim bars is essential imho.
I did millwork for close to 20 years. We had a sliding nail puller like the one you showed. It was always a badge of shame to have to get it. I found one at a flea market a couple of months ago. It was $12.00. Nobody knew what it was. I snagged it. Not that I'd ever need it, but I might have a coworker that might. Great tool, especially for a set finish nail.
Good picks for sure, though instead of a simple flat bar I'd use a wonder bar. Stanley makes a great one. There's a rounded portion a half circle used for leverage and the flat of the bar is of set around 25-30 degrees really good for getting more leverage on a wide area if you can't get something like a J bar in it
Cats paw has a dedicated spot in my tool belt forever. I never saw a burke bar around here, but it looks like just the thing I needed last summer to move big heavy farm machines and the grain dryer around. My go to bar for decades has been a very simple flat bar, about 18" long with a hex handle (sorta like a big cold chisel). The hex end you hit with a hammer driving the flat end into the work. It can get under shingles, hold doors, pull nails, tiles, trim and baseboard with minimal damage, and every thing else I have thrown at it. I wish I could show a picture here.
The idea is to be smarter than the heavy thing, not stronger (unless you are stronger), but at 70yr/145 lb smarter is def the way to go.
You can afford a firemans Halligan or Pro Bar and might enjoy one of the custom tools like the wedges and or sledge hammer with mating bracket. The design of the Halligan, Pro Bar etc is amazingly versatile which is why the pros prefer them to most plain bars. Needless to say they are FAST in the right hands (videos of bar use and breaching are worth a watch. I don't do enough demo in crippled retirement to buy new but may anyway for giggles.
I just bought a big pee vee for framing and have found so many uses for in a very short time, next investment will probably be a Burke bar!
I really need a Burke bar, none to be had in Africa so I will have to make it. Will a bit of leaf spring do for the working end?
I use a roofing scraper for flooring pull up. Luan comes out in almost one piece with the old floor. Osb or plywood subfloor is also possible.
I remember using a flat bar to scrap up black glue or something that was under carpet as a kid. It was on top of an actually decent wood floor that was sanded and stained and looks nice to this day.
Another great video. Not a pry bar but along the same spirit as the smaller nail pullers, I like a pair of front nippers for grabbing and pulling fasteners under certain circumstances. Keep up the good work brother!
Best advise ever.
And all this time I thought they were back scratches, lol. Thanks for all your videos!
I was somewhat amazed... but not really surprised that Andrew Camarata was able to break the Burke bar you sent him.
great tip i could have used a burke bar setting the concrete panels for a house im building.
What kinof house are you building?
I built my house tilt up
@@rd-ch1on thats cool i built mine tilt up with rocks embedded
Archimedes had the lever say-so, not Aristotle. Love the practicality of this knowledge, though Scott. Thank you!
I am an arborist but I have all these pry bars for all the reasons you mention ..
That was a good lesson.
As a Millwright I use prybars constantly. I noticed you didn't have any indexable-headed prybars on your list. you need a GEARWRENCH 29-48" Extendable indexing Pry Bar - 82248 on your truck. It will save your back when all else fails.
Agreed, I somewhat recently found these and they're awesome.
Bought mine 3 years ago. First job was lifting a car that fell off the jack for a road side flat repair.
I always keep a flat bar, cats paw and thanks to you a Burke bar in the truck at all times
One tip I learned with digging bars; they make getting tractor implements into position much, much easier.
Crescent still makes a 19' nail puller -56. For sale at Amazon for $30
Very helpful! Thanks for this!
A 24” Gorilla w/ a hammer to beat on it is my go to, I have tried to convince others and it seems I’m the only one? I need to get out to the shop and build a Burke for sure! Had it on the list for over a year now….
In Indiana, the “gorilla bar” is often called a “wrecking bar.” The “dig out bar” is referred to around here as a “slide hammer nail puller” and they are the best thing in the world for pulling nails out of corrugated pole barn siding and roofing.
My go to for mechanical advantage is and probably always will be a halligan bar
I use the smaller bars the most but my 48” crowbar is my go to hero bar. I have saved my self a lot of headache and heart ache having it in my truck.