Page 2 of 3 FirstFirst 123 LastLast
Results 16 to 30 of 33

Thread: Rose Head Cut Nails

  1. #16
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    SoCal
    Posts
    22,492
    Blog Entries
    1
    I'll chime in. these aren't made to show but . . . if anyone ever looks . . .

    CoD back (4).jpg

    The design of the nails makes them grip very well for back slats.
    "A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg".


    – Samuel Butler

  2. #17
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    twomiles from the "peak of Ohio
    Posts
    12,120
    I seem to recall something about a square scratch awl, used as a pilot drill for the cut nails....

  3. #18
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Longview WA
    Posts
    27,347
    Blog Entries
    1
    Quote Originally Posted by Mike Manning View Post
    Jim,
    What is a board bench? Looks interesting.

    Mike
    A five board bench uses five boards; two leg boards + two apron boards + one top board = five boards.

    A six board bench has a board at the bottom of the aprons so there is a storage area under the hinged top board.

    My first exposure to this was a Charles Neil video on YouTube > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MX4fXbRNqqY

    Search 5 board bench on YouTube and you will find some shorter videos. Charles Neil is kind of enjoyable to watch.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  4. #19
    Quote Originally Posted by Daniel Culotta View Post
    This happened to pop up today on the FWW blog - has some pilot hole rules of thumb. https://www.finewoodworking.com/2020/09/30/on-nails

    Trying it out on a test piece still seems to be critical though.
    Daniel,

    Good link. Bottom line the best way to decide on size of pilot hole is to eyeball and test. I will usually start with a drill a thin red one smaller the the straightish part of the nail shaft.

    ken

  5. #20
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    central tx
    Posts
    589
    I just bought some Rivierre nails to use on a boarded book shelf. Looking forward to using nice looking nails a more frequently.

  6. #21
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    SoCal
    Posts
    22,492
    Blog Entries
    1
    Coincidentally FWW has an article on this right now: https://www.finewoodworking.com/2020/09/30/on-nails
    "A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg".


    – Samuel Butler

  7. #22
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Austin Texas
    Posts
    1,957
    The popular outfit that sells cut nails (forget the name) has lots of good info on using cut nails with directions on how to orient the nails. You definitely want to orient them correctly when using them. I drill test holes and make test nail drives in the same material that they will be used in before moving to the project piece. Things went better when I bit the bullet and slowed down enough to drill a larger pilot hole in the top material and then a slightly smaller hole in the bottom material (when nailing two pieces together). For those who have not tried them, cut nails' holding capacity is heads and shoulders above wire nails. Cut nails have sloping sides and wedge in tighter the deeper they go. Therein lies the problem as they say - that last hammer blow can cause the split as the last of the pilot hole diameter is challenged. With certain material or hardness or species or whatever, it can take a few test pilot hole drillings to come up with the correct formula for that project. I have used them in kiln-dried, hard material only and wonder if using them in softer, less-dried material (more "stretch" in the wood) might allow for a wider pilot hole range for successful use.
    David

  8. #23
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
    Location
    Lake Gaston, Henrico, NC
    Posts
    8,973
    I have reheaded some old ones, when needed in my work on old houses. I've never had luck with much of a wedge shape, so I cheat, and straighten out the sides some. The old wrought iron ones, with little carbon in them, is pretty easy to reshape when red hot. I just use a Mapp torch, anvil, and another piece of metal with a hole in it to hold the nail upright for shaping the head. I shape the head first, and then do what I need to on the shank. I have hundreds of pounds of saved, old wrought iron nails in various sizes.

    I have used Tremont nails before, but those don't really match the hand worked heads of wrought iron nails.

  9. #24
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Longview WA
    Posts
    27,347
    Blog Entries
    1
    My recollection is of reading somewhere in the 18th & 19th century when people were pulling up stakes and moving they often burned down their buildings to collect the nails to take with them.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  10. #25
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Austin Texas
    Posts
    1,957
    Yes, with the exception of the door nails. Those were clinched over when used to nail the door frame in place and were therefore deemed not usable or not desirable at any rate. "Deader than a doornail......."
    David

  11. #26
    Quote Originally Posted by David Eisenhauer View Post
    Yes, with the exception of the door nails. Those were clinched over when used to nail the door frame in place and were therefore deemed not usable or not desirable at any rate. "Deader than a doornail......."

    David,

    I am ashamed to admit I had never questioned that saying even though when growing up it was common. Thanks,

    ken

  12. #27
    Over the years I've saved old nails ,both cut and wrought. My understanding , from reading, is that the cut nails could
    not be bent because "the grain " went cross ways since the early machines would not cut with the grain going the other
    way. But I've always thought wrought nails could be bent. Never tried it because they are my "base ball card" equivalents.
    Also read that wrought nails were made for some years after advent of cut nails. But most of the printed sources always
    date wrought nails as being early, and giving a date range that doesn't include the over lap.

  13. #28
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Longview WA
    Posts
    27,347
    Blog Entries
    1
    While growing up, we would often salvage nails from boxes, pallets and wherever else we could to use. Kids didn't have much money to go buy lumber and nails to build a fort so we got it from where ever we could find it.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  14. #29
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
    Location
    Lake Gaston, Henrico, NC
    Posts
    8,973
    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Koepke View Post
    My recollection is of reading somewhere in the 18th & 19th century when people were pulling up stakes and moving they often burned down their buildings to collect the nails to take with them.

    jtk
    Some towns had ordinances against burning down buildings to get the nails.

  15. #30
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    The Sunny Southeast
    Posts
    646
    A friend made a small hatch cover for the opening of an outdoor masonry oven thinking it would be far enough from the flame not to ignite. Next day he discovered the hatch had not be far enough away and was searching thru the ashes to reclaim the nails.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •