Using nails

[Derek Cohen]

This wardrobe/armoire is only the second time I’ve used nails to attach a frame to a carcase. Interestingly, the other time was also a wardrobe. For years I have resorted to either biscuits or dowels. I hate biscuits (noisy, dusty machine .. yuk!) and dowels are finicky.

So the issues are, who else nails on frames and what spacing for the nails?

I used both nails and glue in attaching the frames for the doors. The nails are 8” apart over a frame of 42”.

Tools of the trade ..

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Furniture/Dovetail%20Cabinet/Nailing/Tools1.jpg

I use a Japanese hammer, which has a flat and a domed end. The flat side is for hammering to the edge of the surface of the wood, and then the domed end is use to tap it gently to the surface without marring the surrounding wood.

The frame was partly pre-drilled for the nails, mainly to prevent splitting and also to ensure that they went where I wanted them to go!

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Furniture/Dovetail%20Cabinet/Nailing/Drilling.jpg

The nails are the thinnest I felt I could use, approximately 1/32” diameter and 1 ¼” long. The frame is a little under ¾” thick.

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Furniture/Dovetail%20Cabinet/Nailing/Nails.jpg

Frankly, I am not sure if the nails are doing anything structural, or whether it is the glue that holds it all together. I need to know if this area must be beefed up.

A sequence of nailing (self explanatory)..

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Furniture/Dovetail%20Cabinet/Nailing/Nailingcombo1.jpg

The nail holes are filed with wax. I mixed up a colour that matched the darker figure.

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Furniture/Dovetail%20Cabinet/Nailing/Wax.jpg

How well does the wax disguise the holes? Here is a sequence of views …

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Furniture/Dovetail%20Cabinet/Nailing/Nailandwax1.jpg

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Furniture/Dovetail%20Cabinet/Nailing/Nailandwax2.jpg

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Furniture/Dovetail%20Cabinet/Nailing/Nailandwax3.jpg

And here is an update on the WIP: frames-and-doors and base attached .. Total height is 51" ... still to do is the drawer, handles and top.

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Furniture/Dovetail%20Cabinet/Carcase/Uprightwithbase1.jpg

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Mark Roderick]

Very nice, as always. My grandfather would have attached that frame with nails, no doubt about it. Personally I think biscuits are better and faster if you include the time to fill the nail holes with wax. But I definitely understand the objection to the noise.

[Jeff Willard]

Ever thought about using trennels (tree-nails)?

[Jim Koepke]

Looks pretty good.

Your nails seem fairly well hidden. I have seen various attempts with varying results. My favorite is to use a chisel or a blind nailer. You just can not do any sanding after blind nailing.

jim

[Bob Glenn]

Jim, Blind nailing? That's a new one on me. Also, how's the chisel involved? Thanks

[Bill Ruppel]

I have used this method, with success, on many projects. I usually add friction attached 45 degree glue blocks inside where the frame meets the side. These will not be seen when the door is opened.

[harry strasil]

I cut the head from one of the nails I am going to use and file the the protruding part of the nail point that sticks out a bit to pre bore (actually pre start) the holes for the nails, I usually use an archemedian drill or a small eggbeater to do this.

Blind nailing uses a rounded small chisel clamped in a mini plane to cut a small shaving that you can push up to drive the nail in, then you glue it back in place after, (Blind Nailing = unseen, hidden nails).

[Jim Koepke]

Jim, Blind nailing? That's a new one on me. Also, how's the chisel involved? Thanks

Harry answers this question well. If you are good with a chisel, you do not need the "mini-plane."

Lee Valley has one they sell as do others. Lee Valley calls it an "invisible Nailing Kit."

It looks and works like this:

137296

jim

[Dave Anderson NH]

Hi Derek,

When I do use nails on period furniture (primarily Queen Anne) I use cut nails which are about as close to period correct as can be found. I also predrill to prevent splitting and to get the nail to go where I want. Generally I countersink and then fill the hole with a mixture of hide glue and sawdust. This dyes quite nicely and is very close to the color and tone of the wood around it. My source is Tremont Nail, but I would suspect that shiping from Massachusetts to Australia would be excessive. Maybe Oz has a local source?

[Richard Magbanua]

Since both parts are long grain to each other, wouldn't it be sufficient to use only glue and clamps?

[george wilson]

Even 18th.C. harpsichords were nailed together in places. When I first came to Williamsburg in 1970,I had to copy the Kirkman harpsicord in the Governor's Palace. I also went to behind the scenes restoration shops at the Smithsonian,and spent several days each time examining harpsichords and other instruments.

They happened to have exactly the same model Kirkman under repair,with the bottom off. This enabled me to make accurate drawings of the interior features. There were nails inside the instrument very much like small headed 1 1/4" nails we have today. The heads even looked the same,not being rose headed in that small size,nor were they cut nails. I therefore also used nails in my reproduction.

Often too,bridges on harpsichord soundboards were frequently nailed from beneath to clamp the bridge while the glue dried.

Are you aware that "brads" originally came from "broads",or small broad headed nails?

When we made The Musical Instrument Maker" movie in 1974,I nailed the bridge in the spinet on with broads.

There are also places where nails were used on high class furniture in the period.