Nails
Nailing is a strong and easy method of fastening timber.
Types of Nails
Bullet Head Nail
General purpose nail with a small head
allowing head to be punched below
timber surface and then filled. Suitable
for framing, planking and cabinet work.
Flat Head Nail
Used for packing case construction and
for joining thin material where the larger
head prevents the nail from pulling
through
Panel Pins (Brads)
A thin nail with an inverted cone-shaped
head which enters the wood clearly.
Used for fine cabinetwork when nailing
thin materials together.
Clout
Has a large flat head and usually
galvanised. Used for fixing sheet metal
or soft material to timber.
Timbergrip Nail
Specially designed head allows for the
head to be driven below timber surface.
Screw thread adds extra holding power
in soft timber. Used for decking and
Pergolas.
There are numerous other types of nails for specific purposes which
include roofing nails, upholstery nails, escutcheon pins, V-nails and
collated nails for nail guns.
Ordering Nails
When ordering nails the following information should be stated:
• Type:- refers to the shape of the head or use
• Length:- may range from 12mm – 150mm
• Diameter:- refers to the diameter of the shank
• Metal:- steel (bright), brass etc
• Coating:- (if applicable) galvanised, zinc plated, florentine
• Quantity:- in kilograms – new blister packs sold by number
For more information
http://www.otter.com.au/nails_hints.php
Nailing
Length of Nail
When choosing the nail length take into
consideration the type of timber being used
(softwood or hardwood). In most applications
the plain shank nail should be 2-3 times
longer than the timber being held, always
nailing the lighter timber to the heavier. A
longer nail should be selected if nailing into
end grain.
Driving Nails
Nails should be driven with the
hammer until the head projects about
3mm above the surface and then
driven just below with a nail punch, so
that work may be planed and the hole
stopped up with putty or filler
Quite often nails bend while driving because the hammer glances off
the head of the nail. This may be prevented by removing all traces of
glue, oil or dirt from the face of the hammer by rubbing it on a piece of
fine abrasive paper.
Dovetail Nailing
Dovetail nailing grips both pieces of wood better
than hammering the nails straight into the work.
as the diagram shows, the nails are angled
towards each other and this makes it a little more
difficult for the two pieces of wood to be pulled
apart. A punch can then be used to tap the heads
of the nail slightly below the surface of the wood.
This is a typical use of nail in a school workshop.
Often panel pins are used in this way.
Skew Nailing
Skew nailing is used where the timber
thickness or position prevents normal
nailing methods from being used.
It is recommended to use a punch for
the last portion of nailing to avoid
damage to the timber.
Removing Nails
Use nail pincers or a claw hammer
Scrap should be used under the pincers or
claw hammer to prevent bruising and to
aid leverage.
Prevention of Splitting
When nailing near edges or ends, splitting be prevented by drilling a
hole of shank diameter.
Another trick is to blunt the end of the nail with the hammer before
driving.
When to pre-drill:
When nailing into dense hardwood (e.g. Red Gum) pre-drilling will be
required in order to avoid nails bending.
Use a drill approximately 2/3 the diameter of the nail, this allows for all
nails to be driven in plumb, maintains holding power and minimizes the
risk of bending nails which may cause unsightly marks on the timber.
Collated Nails
Various types of collated nails
are used in a range of portable
air nailers. The picture shows a
typical nailer whose magazine is
loaded with a strip of collated
nails. The slant magazine on this
model allows ease of nailing in
corners.
The nails for different types of nailers
may be collated and held together with
plastic strips, paper strips or wire ties.
Some nailers are designed with magazines that hold coils of collated
nails. Coils are usually either plastic collated or wire collated. Nail sizes
for the model shown range from 38mm to 65mm. Other coil nailers can
be loaded with nails up to 83 mm in length.