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A
Very Brief History of Nails
Our first accounts of nails are from Egypt, where they
were used to hold upholstery and foil in place. What we
call Roman iron nails essentially became the pattern for
all nails from 3,000 BC to the 19th century. The Roman
nail is a square-shanked, handmade nail that tapers on
four edges to a point.
When nails became machine-made, beginning about 1800,
they were cut from a flat iron plate, which earned them
the name "cut nail". These nails, which
are still made, have |
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Here
you can see the difference between modern wire nails and
cut nails. The wire nails on the right have a round shank;
the cut nails are tapered on two edges.
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shanks of rectangular cross-section and taper on only
two edges. The other two edges are parallel.
These nails were replaced by modern wire nails, which are made
from round wire, are easier and faster to make and are far
less expensive than cut nails. Wire nails, however, don't have
the same holding power. Academic studies of the two forms show
that cut nails have somewhere between 65% and 135% more holding
power than wire nails. The additional holding power comes from
the wedging action of the tapered edges and the rough surface
finish of the nail.
Using
Cut Nails
If you decide to use cut nails in your furniture, you
need to learn to use them properly, as they require more
forethought than wire nails. First, you need to select
the right length.
Nails are measured in pennyweight, which is expressed
by "d". A 1"-long nail is a 2d nail. Every additional
pennyweight adds 1/4" to the length of the nail. A 4d
nail, for example, is 1-1/2" long. This system works up
to 10d nails (3"), which is about as long as a furniture-maker
would require.
How do you choose the correct pennyweight? Easily. Measure
the |
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To determine the ideal pennyweight to use, measure the thickness of the work you are fastening. Convert that to "eighths"—1/2" stock would be "four eighths". Use a pennyweight that matches that number—4d. If the nail emerges on the other side it should be clinched, or you should use a shorter nail.
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thickness of the board you are
fastening, convert that thickness to eighths—a
3/4"-thick board would be
six eighths—and then select the nail based on that thickness,
a 6d nail in
our example.
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