Ship lap and cut nails

[John Crough]

Hi all Creekers,

I am installing a ship lap back to a reproduction ice box that I am making, having never done this I am using cut nails. My question is when using a cut cut nail (1 1/4" long) in 1/2" poplar to prevent spliting how does one install the nail? Should I install the narrow part of the nail with the grain, or the wide part across the grain? Do I use glue anywhere when installing a ship lap?:confused:

Lastly, does anyone out there know of some good reproduction hardware out there?

Thanks in advance for any input.

John

[glenn bradley]

Van Dyke's (http://www.vandykes.com/search?sSearch=ice+box&x=0&y=0) is one good source for repro hardware. I use cut nails but only as details. I generally cut them down to 3/8" or so, drill a hole 1/64" smaller than the largest dimension, add a drop of glue and tap them in. But, perhaps someone who actually uses them as a mechanical fastener can chime in with a real answer to your question. :o

[lowell holmes]

IIRC, Christopher Schwarz said something about grinding a nail set to match the the head of the nail and the nail shold be aligned long side with the grain of the wood.

[Bill Edwards(2)]

This Old House, showed a floor being replaced in an historic concert hall.

They wanted it to be original, so they were using cut nails.

But their attitude was "Split(s) Happens".

[Cody Colston]

I was re-reading "The Best of Fine Woodworking...Hand Tool Skills" from 2008 last night. There is an article by Mike Dunbar where he builds a Colonial Cupboard using nothing but hand tools. He used ship-lap boards on the back and 4d cut nails to secure them, aligning the narrow nail head with the grain. Since the cupboard was a reproduction piece and the cut nails were period correct, I assume the way they were aligned was also. No glue was used on the ship-lap back.

Both Horton Brasses and Ball & Ball are also good sources for reproduction hardware.

[Jeremy Brant]

Cut nails are tough to install without splits. You can predrill them and that will help. Any nails that are not round should be installed with the long portion of the nail parallel to the grain to minimize splitting. This even applies to brad and finishing nails as when installing door and window trim molding with a nail gun. If you can go down to a smaller nail you would be better off too. Cut nails hold much better than round wire nails, and you can get away with less penetration into the base material.

[John Crough]

Hi everyone,
Thanks for all your input! Looks like the concensuss is in agreement that I should pre-drill and install the nails with the grain. I don't think I will have splitting issues with the bottom of the boards since the nail rail on the bottom of the cabinet is an inch and a half wide whereas the top nail rail is 3/4". Thank you for the recommendations on hardware, as it is difficult to find authentic reproduction latch hardware for ice boxes. The ice box I am modeling this one after uses and internal spring type mechanism for its latch, and I have only seen them a few times on ebay. The latches they are using now look more like the old style kitchen cabinet latches and not Ice box latches. So I am still looking!

Thanks again,
John