: Hi Ian

: Just an observation looking at your photo. It is easier to remove
: the staples without harming the wood if you staple something
: between them and the timber as you drive them.

: Nylon strapping (2 inch lengths) for instance works a charm. It can
: be gripped by pliers and pulled, pulling the staple with it.

: Etienne

Thanks for your reply - I've drooled over your build logs plenty of times!

I was at that stage a few months ago. After a bit of searching, I found what I think is the tool Nick describes in his book, and I found it very easy to use, and did not damage the staples at all. It was also good fortune that the staples happened to stop about 1mm proud, so they didn't dent the wood, and they left enough clearance to slide the tool underneath.

The remover looked like this image