There are tools made specifically for working with slate. One of them is a slate ripper that allows you to reach up and cut nails to release shingles (About $40 on Amazon). You can then work up to remove shingles and replace them. Shingles should be nailed with copper or stainless nails for long life. I have also seen repairs done where an S shaped piece of wire was hooked over a shingle and turned up over to hold a repair shingle. I would suggest that non-corrosive wire would be best. But I think the question that you must ask yourself is: Are the nails reaching the end of their life or is this just an isolated problem? You may need to rip and relay the entire roof. Virginia slate should last a couple of lifetimes. Vermont Slate is pretty good too. Some other slates only last ~50 years. If you have broken or spalling slates, you may want to look in other directions. Slate is both a tough and fragile material. Walk on in carefully or you may do more damage than you repair. Good luck Cliff (VA) PS "Roofing" from Fine Homebuilding magazine has 3 chapters on slate roofs Link JLC (Journal of Light Contstuction) had an article on Repairing slate roofs in the December 2003 issue. It is available for $2.95 online Link JLC also has a book "The Slate Roof Bible" http://www.jlconline.com/cgi-bin/jlconline.storefront/43fbca74001bbc4c27177f00000105d4/Product/View/SB950
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