# You should see the other guy . . .



## Wolffarmer (Jul 14, 2009)

Thanks for the review. Something I have not thought about using before, would look and work great in many things.

Randy


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## jumbojack (Mar 20, 2011)

I thought I was the only one that clocks himself in the dork pulling nails. good to know there are others. Thanks for the nail review.


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## 280305 (Sep 28, 2008)

You are right. A cut nail holds much stronger than a cylindrical nail. It makes sense when you imagine the way that it is slicing and bending the wood fibers.

We have found jars full of very old nails lying in and around our old house. I have cleaned up some and used them in a few pieces I have built. Since they are all different sizes, it is a challenge to find the right size bit for the pilot hole. My fear is always that after hammering a nail 3/4 of the way in, it will break, bend, or need to be removed because the pilot hole is too small. So far, so good. I have even gone as far as drilling with three different size bits to get the hole to approximate a cone shape.


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## hObOmOnk (Feb 6, 2007)

Here's a good source for square-cut nails made by Tremont: Lee Valley.


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## docholladay (Jan 9, 2010)

For those of you that may not already know, you can actually get cut nails (perhaps not this small) at most local home centers. They are listed as concrete nails. This type is hardened, but they can easily be tempered to remove the hardness. Simply spread them on a cookie sheet (make sure your wife is away from the house) and basically bake them for about an hour at 350-400 degrees. Then let them slowly cool down. If need be, repeat the process to soften them even more. The advantage of these nails is that they are really cheap.

Doc


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## BoxBuilder (Oct 30, 2009)

You can get these directly from Tremont. And BTW they sell a nicely done sample card which shows all the different nails they make for about $9.00. I have been using these for many years and agree with the comments about holding power. The finish nails they have are great also, especially for period pieces.


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## tierraverde (Dec 1, 2009)

Wow,
Thanks for the info.
I often admired antique pieces with cut nails. I never realized how well they held. I always use a pneumatic nail gun when building something but now I'm going to make my next piece using these.
The difference is I always try to hide nails, but cut nails are a thing of beauty that adds to the piece.
On the subject, does anyone know why a nail is labeled "6D" but is called a "6 penny" ?
Just wondering.


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