Nailed joinery is MUCH better than you think.

Are nails the work holding solution for your next project?
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[@andrewj5998]

I learned two interesting things about tapered square nails while visiting Colonial Williamsburg. First, in the 18th Century, all nails were hand forged and relatively valuable. If something was discarded or torn down, the wood would be burned as fuel, and the ashes would be sifted for nails, which could be reused. Second, square nails used to construct doors would be driven through the two pieces being joined and the protruding ends would be bent back and pounded into the back of the door. This was called clenching and made the door extremely strong by making it impossible for the nail to ever back out. It also rendered the nails unusable and gave rise to the phrase "dead as a door nail".

[@peybak]

Like you said, I read migrating farmers used to burn their dwellings and sift through the ashes to get the nails because they were so valuable.

[@tarbucktransom]

You can clinch wire nails too. Also in Britain apparently oval cross sectioned nails exist, and are pretty good for clinching.

[@maciejtrybilo]

Clenching/clinching is shown in a tool chest build in an excellent video by The English Woodworker.

[@tarbucktransom]

@@maciejtrybilo Giving a hearty recommend to Richard Maguire, The English Woodworker. Most of my style and the way I think about wood came from him.

[@gordonstewart8258]

Anyone familiar with wooden boat construction has seen clenching used with a rove (washer) to fasten planks to frames.

[@ragnkja]

Whenever nails were used in any kind of carpentry before industrially made drawn nails became common, there was a _very_ good reason to use it. After all, when you could go to the nearest coppice and quickly cut a dowel for free, expensive forged nails weren’t used willy-nilly.

[@SenselessUsername]

The naming system involving the price is also a giveaway that they're valueable, even fungible.

[@mikeking7470]

I read that as codpiece which made little sense.

[@ragnkja]

@@mikeking7470 A codpiece would be more directly useful for sewing than for carpentry or cabinetry, as it may serve as a pincushion.

[@Rowgue51]

It was less about the value and more about the scarcity of supply. They were valuable because the supply was so scarce, which is also why they weren't used very much. As you said anybody could cut their own dowels/mortises/tenons/dovetails, not just for free but more importantly quickly and easily with basic tools and materials readily available all around them. Forging nails was an incredibly labor intensive and time consuming undertaking in comparison. It just wasn't possible for smiths to supply enough nails for widespread common use.

[@ragnkja]

@@Rowgue51 Value of a thing was (and to some extent still is) closely linked to how much labour went into making it, and skilled labour was obviously worth more than what everyone could do with basic tools that most people owned.

[@trak3212]

I just finished turning handles for my drawblade, it was a first decent turning project that I have used the end product, none of my mates would really care so i thought I would share in this community where you will actually understand that importance

[@markirish7599]

Well done and best wishes from Ireland 🇮🇪

[@jlmfoy365]

Ain't it a great feeling 👏👏👍. Regards Jim UK.

[@janbernad4729]

Noice

[@RexKrueger]

I understand totally.

[@gnarthdarkanen7464]

Awesome! You'll remember that drawblade forever! ;o)

[@johnedwardtaylor]

Another advantage of nails is ease of repair. My great grandfather made a rolling cabinet out of thick wood using nails over a century ago. Recently a castor fell off. I was expecting a major job, but a few hits with a hammer and it came apart; I replaced it, and a few more hits and it came together again, and the repair was complete. My respect for nailed furniture soars.

[@SirDamned]

So, my daily habit of walking about talking shit about nails has finally caught up with me

[@Defekcija]

your days of talking shit about nails ARE OVER buddy! get outta 'ere

[@fridryx8464]

Furniture without nails last longer and can be reused

[@AnakinS86]

@@fridryx8464 why?

[@nicholasplamondon3991]

@@AnakinS86 One very simple reason is it's a lot easier to take apart and fix anything that's wrong. A much more complex reason is that as nails and other metal fasteners corrode overtime they damage the wood and can cause harm or an expedited case of rot. Now that doesn't mean that old furniture doesn't use glue, modern Titebond glue is stronger than nails and does move with the wood meaning that it doesn't break apart to the season change. There are some pieces of furniture that are 300 plus years old where the hide glue is just as strong as the day it was made.

[@teachingthecode4651]

You can still talk shit about wire nails.

[@gebhardt244]

Never thought about the Flexing. I knew that screws break.

[@bobbystanley8580]

Awesome video!!!!!!!!!! B

[@Nubbe999]

There are different types of screws made of different types of metal that flex more or less. An aluminium, brass or steel screw don't flex the same. And different alloys also flex more or less

[@kyronnewbury]

If my unhealthy addiction to Thomas Johnson has taught me anything. Master furniture builders have been using nails for hundreds of years to build some of the best furniture in history

[@supernoodles908]

"right tool for the job". I see wood, glue, nails, saws and all the stuff as tools. Sometimes it makes sense to nails, sometimes it doesn't. Use them when it makes sense

[@guyjones4936]

Rex, I know it sounds like a lot of work but it works. My dad used to take cut masonry mails, heat them in my grandad's forge and then hammered the heads to make them look forged. Then he let them air cool. You would be surprised how much they look like forged nails in the end and they soften up during the air cooling and you can even clinch them over without breaking.

[@josiahpeters4717]

Outstanding! I cut my teeth on woodworking growing up with scrap wood and nails.... aaaand yes I fell into the group of "nails in woodwork = useless" for the exact reason you pointed out, which carried on into adulthood. They had little hold and not to mention it always felt like it took the skill out. Like everything you made looked like a craft fair birdhouse. So thank you for opening my eyes to the right nails for the right job!

[@loulunetta425]

Hi Rex. Nice to see the revival of tried and true methods. Imagine the strength with glue. I grew up summers in Wareham MA and visited the Tremont Nail Factory where my carpenter Grandfather used to buy his cut nails. He used them primarily in boxes and cabinets. In addition to the penny rating, there are different gauges, types and head shapes designed for specific uses. I used a pyramidal head once in a wide board pine floor to simulate a colonial look. Thanks again.

[@DarthGarth99]

i was just scrolling youtube thinking about how much i despise nails, but you really turned me around

[@DrIngo1980]

I am still a homegrown DIY woodworking beginner, but I gotta say Rex, I learned so so so so much by simply watching any of your videos. You are an international treasure. And I say international, because I'm a German guy, breathing the metric system, and I'm living in modern Japan, but still I'm enjoying every inch and pound of information you throw my way. And this video about nails was a freaking eye-opener to me. So, thank you. Really, not sure what else to say than Thank you, Mr. Krueger. It has been and it always will be a pleasure to watch your videos. At least for me. 😊

[@bloodgain]

The Japanese woodworking tradition has some neat joints, sure, but what really impresses me is their timber-frame joinery. Building not just log cabins, but extremely complex structures that have stood for centuries using no fasteners is really impressive. The ways they pull it off are also just really damned clever!

[@igrim4777]

Wooden dowels and pins are fasteners just the same as metal screws and nails and many Japanese joints use them.

[@mikenottis6252]

Forged iron nails were used to make shipping trunks. I had to restore a trunk and could not find a source for clinch nails and so I made them from horse shoe nails that were iron and could be clinched without breaking. Clinch nails are used in some types of boat building but they need to have very little carbon content. Modern nails are made of steel.

[@namAehT]

You can get much more flexible screws now, they're often sold as Framing Screws and they are tempered back further than a normal screw to allow much more flex.

[@brianmcguire5005]

I saved a blanket chest from the trash about a year ago. It had been paint and repaint about five times but I could see hand cut dovetails because I could see the layout lines for the depth. And signs. But anyways I went to take it about and it wouldn’t. They had used cut nails and drove three of them into each side having dovetails. Pretty interesting. After scraping paint and planing the whole chest was made of walnut and olive wood. I have used it many times. Thanks for the video!! My guess is the nails made it so that they could let the glue dry without clamps. It was a shaker design probably not true “shaker” still beautiful. Wish I could post pics on here lol

[@amazonianm8876]

Some years ago I was at the Victoria and Albert museum in London UK (Home of decorative arts in the UK) and I was looking at a piece of French ormolu furniture. I was able to get up quite close to it and was amazed to see that the ormolu was fixed with small nails! Regards from Redruth Arnold

[@zcanann]

I had to do a double take -- somehow this ended up in my video recommendations. You taught one of my classes at university in ~2013! This looks like an awesome side hustle. I make video games now, but some days I want to quit my job and build furniture too.

[@TomsLife9]

what was the class?

[@Ryan_Thompson]

Nailed it! Great video Rex. I'm definitely guilty of turning my nose up at nails for my fine woodworking projects. This will help.

[@RexKrueger]

I'm glad! I used to feel the same way.

[@NMranchhand]

Oh, that was awful! 🤦🏼‍♂️

[@Canalcoholic]

Greetings from the Black Country in the English Midlands. This used to be a heavily industrialised region where the sky was black by day (soot) and red by night (the glow of furnaces). Nail making was a traditional job for women and children, while the men made things like chains and anchors.

[@noelnicholls1894]

Some of the last were in Bromsgrove. Dad took over some homes (they had a smithy behind their houses) when a friend of my grandfather died in 1930 or so. From the account books I found recently they closed in the 1930’s-1940’s. A few remaining bags of the nails that my dad still had in the back of the garage were donated to the local museum.

[@jimbo2629]

Go to Avoncroft museum for nail making when Covid is over.

[@noelnicholls1894]

@@jimbo2629 I’m in Texas now, but have seen Avoncroft on visits back in the 1980’s. See the Talley Ho blog and in one episode he made a piece of furniture for his girlfriend with no fasteners, just pegs. All the best, have fond memories of the area

[@andri041]

When I saw the title, I thought "O no, not another hobbiest talking about nails." But after watching, I was pleasantly surprised. You pointed out some great points and used for nails that are still common today. All of your information was correct and explained in an easy manner for people (Layman) to understand. Personally, I would have also mentioned the use of nails in upholsterery, wooden roof, making, wood sidings (for houses, cabins...) and some other areas. But It general great video, keep up the good work.

[@paulmaryon9088]

Brilliant thanks Rex, as a restorer I come across nailed furniture often, and my can those nails hold fast! Thanks for posting love your channel, UK greetings, stay safe

[@Victoria-jo3wr]

Such good information, thank you! I had just felt a little stab of shame buying nails last night to attach a drawer bottom and now I realize how silly that was. I'm excited to try cut nails next time!

[@em0_tion]

I love this style of "rant"-inspired informational video. 👌

[@ChuckUnderFire]

You need to send one of those Mitten boxes to Burnie Sanders.

[@OldDunollieman]

Send one to Trump with the mittens then he wont be able to grab women by the you know what.

[@jimcarter4929]

Have to make bigger.

[@1959Berre]

Bernie Sanders has mitten boxes, plenty of them!

[@nohmehari947]

@@OldDunollieman gonna need a full body gimp suit to stop Biden touching kids

[@-Devy-]

@@nohmehari947 Aww you couldn't stand someone poking fun at your boyfriend?

[@thorforsell1300]

[cries in metric]

[@knutzzl]

[hands over a 304,8x304,8mm handkerchief]

[@ardenthebibliophile]

1/8 inch is 3.175mm. Quick rule of thumb would be 1penny/3mm

[@Gisburne2000]

@@ardenthebibliophile None of the nails I've ever bought have mentioned the old penny system. Length in mm and weight in g, that's it.

[@SenselessUsername]

@@Gisburne2000 I think that's for wire nails, not for these cut nails? I'm going by my local shops though.

[@duudsuufd]

​@@ccox7198 Of course the weight of one nail is not important. But if the weight is written on the box then you can control that you got what you have paid for. No one is ever going to count the nails in a box if there are 500 pieces in it. And you can compare the prices with other brands. It's also helpul if you have to make an inventory at the end of the year to get an idea how much you have used. Say there is 200 gr left of a 1 kg box, that means you have used 4/5 of the number of nails that were in the box. Same for metric or imperial system.

[@galiliuri4316]

I have never thought that one day I would watch an 11 minutes video about nails just because youtube recommended it... What am I doing with my life

[@Incandescentiron]

The other thing I like about cut nails is the blunt end. The blunt end tends to crush the wood fibers rather than splitting them apart. Wire nails, with their wedge shaped points, are more likely to split the wood. I have purposely blunted wire nails if I'm using them in wood prone to splitting. This trick has always worked.

[@EternityForest]

I would go absolutely insane doing fine woodworking! Low end stuff has all kinds of tricks like exact constraint design, so you don't need anything but screws and a tolerance for a "not quite solid" feeling, and you can make stuff super durable without much real skill. But real fine woodworking doesn't leave and room to hide anything, and it's a pretty amazing art form that must take a ton of patience.

[@nickpage7333]

Great post again Rex. Three words you need here; 'Oval brad nails' or 'lost head brads'. Holds like a cut nail, (or floor brad as we call them over here as that's what they where properly used for; oak flooring), can be driven below the finished surface and filled with minimal filler, when coupled with glue is virtually indestructible. No one in the UK built anything smaller than an battleship with cut nails after 1500. Anyone using drywall screws for anything other than drywall, should be locked in The Tower and the key tossed in the Thames.

[@PrippyMontyPoppyCock]

Used to do a lot of forging a few years ago, and every seesion I was about to call it a day I spent the leftover heat from the forge to make nails. Can never go wrong with homeforged nails because you throw away the bad ones before you get a chance to use them :D

[@Edheldui]

Thanks for this video. I'm an industrial design student and some of my teachers are obsessed against nails and screws in woodworking, they go on and on an on about how much better joinery is without them, it drives me nuts.

[@shaurus68]

Hi Rex, getting proper cut nails can be quite difficult in some countries. A way round this is to use the masonary nails which are easily available. You first need to aneal them before use and then they are just as good a a "proper" cut nail

[@MRichK]

Would a regular oven get hot enough to anneal them?

[@evilcanofdrpepper]

Yeah I was actually wondering about that! How hot do you need to get your nails? I'm sure if we knew the kind of metal that was used then someone could probably give the optimal time and temp but lets hear your experimental results! Also this is a good video that explores the process of making them with modern equipment and stock: kzbin.info/www/bejne/epicaHmJZq58abs

[@lornemiller3489]

Just make sure you get nails that arnt galvanised or coated with something nasty

[@Nurk0m0rath]

Fun fact: the "d" abbreviation actually comes from the latin coin called the denarius. This was the Roman equivalent to a penny and for some reason that abbreviation stuck for a millennium with the British penny.

[@evensgrey]

For light items, it would seem you would get the same benefits from using staples as heavier items get from cut nails.

[@jimschowe2770]

There are tapered drill bits that are usually used for pilot holes for screws that might work well with the cut nails.

[@derekmills1080]

(From the UK) Interesting old fashioned use of 'penny nails'. I've never heard of it over here. A useful tip a friend of mine gave me - he was a carpenter - to avoid round or oval wire nails splitting planks especially near the end grain, he used to have a small rectangle of mild steel in his toolbox. Using the steel as a small 'anvil', for each fresh nail he tapped the sharp point with his hammer to produce a flat end. The idea was the nail now punched some of the fibres out of the way, rather than separating them. The nail was less likely to split the wood. This was handy when fitting floorboards, shiplap or fencing palings.

[@hal4192]

I do this, except that when nailing near the end of a lath etc I turn the nail upside down and tap the point. This knocks the head of the nail below the surface - where the nail will be used- and helps to avoid splitting once the nail is turned over and driven in. UK here too.

[@derekmills1080]

@@hal4192 👍

[@clatechilders856]

Great video Rex. I would also like to see a video on screws, which ones to use, their features, and what's wrong with drywall screws. Thanks!

[@wyssmaster]

"I can try this with a drywall screw; we're not supposed to use these for woodwork" *Matthias Wandel wants to know your location*

[@RexKrueger]

Matthias and I can disagree. No one will get hurt.

[@jsn1252]

@@RexKrueger *Some kid in the future* "Grandpa, how did the carpenter wars start?"

[@johngaltline9933]

@@tcarney57 Yeah, it depends a lot on what, or how, they are used. drywall screws are just fine if you don't need any flex in the joint or are not worried about shear. We always used them in set building for plays and never had any issues, but then, we always over built anything load bearing and never depended on the screw to hold weight. The also work reall well to hold on trim that falls off with nails when you roll a set piece in to a wall, and you can't see the heads anyway from at least 30 feet away there the audience is.

[@philipphee8962]

You can also use square wooden nails, they work great

[@brianmurphy1000]

Ring shank nails are a good idea for extra hold applications.

[@hellomate639]

This is really helpful because on of my designs needs scale... and these nails will be the fastest way to do that.

[@onebackzach]

While most screws don't flex very well, I find GRK screws actually can survive bending multiple times. I've used trim headed GRK screws for outdoor furniture, and have been extremely happy with the results. That being said, cut nails definitely are a lot cooler and lend themselves to the aesthetic of traditional furniture making.

[@jimcarter4929]

I think you made it easier to understand than Chris did. Looking forward to chest build, so happens that is next on my list. Built turning saw using "Gramery" pins , blades and plans, love this saw , so much better than coping saw. Getting the curved strut ends squared and seated even was challenging , but fun never the less. Thirteen tooth bad seems for great all around use.

[@johnwhitley2898]

Going to rethink this nails vs. screws debate! Lol! I'm guilty of using drywall/deck/sheet metal screws in casing, and pneumatic Brad's & staples where it's "pretty"....🙄. I watched the be chest episode (I'm doing this backwards...😆) And am now, born again to get out my box of wood hand tools and practice the art and craft again as I was taught. Cue up epic music at at anytime... Again, I appreciate your restarting the fire.

[@ermennda]

Some years ago an university developed modified wire nails for earthquake resistant construction. One of the drawbacks was that they held on so tight it was difficult for carpenters to correct mistakes. I wonder if they ever made it to commercialization. I think I read about them in Scientific American or Popular Mechanics.

[@Stelios.Posantzis]

Awesome video! When I first read the title, I immediately thought I'd be commenting on wedge shaped nails as used in traditional furniture but after having watched it, once again I'm left dumbfounded at the breadth and detail of information given. My only small comment is that wedge shaped/square nails can be found in old items of furniture and house fittings and people often restore these items (read: completely rebuild, hacking them trough blindly) without regard for these nails that get thrown out and replaced with wire nails/screws/modern glue in the process. What these people don't realize (or care about) is that a great part of the history (and value) of the "restored" piece is gone at the end of this process. Sometimes, esp. for large items such as door frames, windows, or even benches etc. these nails actually seem to be hand-made (forged perhaps?). Often there are other fixings also made that way such as hinges etc. It's probably getting a bit off-topic but it's sad to see these items get thrown away and discarded and the beauty they hold get lost.

[@TheMyndzs]

Nice knowlage. Extra funny information about nails measurmet units :D

[@GCaF]

Awesome Rex!! :) - bringing back the "old nail" to fine furniture :)

[@cuebj]

I was taught to call them brad nails or brads. Our 1935 built house in UK used them to fix softwood floorboards to hardwood joists. As you say, they allow movement of timbers and round nails would also tend to split joists. Having not used nails for decades, went back to them with pilot holes a year or two ago

[@joshroberts5540]

I watched a 12 minute video about nails. I have no regrets .

[@MichaelHeidweiller]

One of the advantages of being in the Netherlands, nails are sold at the big box stores in length by diameter in millimeters.

[@PieterSchreurs]

Ben ze nog niet tegen gekomen, waar?

[@MichaelHeidweiller]

@@PieterSchreurs weet niet of youtube links to staat, maar als je even Googled op 'Gamma spijkers' krijg je de pagina met alle spijkers.

[@jamestarbet9608]

So, this show that said 'not a single nail was used', were they using tens of thousands of dollars in machinery with the brand names very obviously showing to make a replica? It does take skill and artistry to make something without fasteners, and I guess people assume any unevolved primate with a hammer and box of home depot nails can bang something together.

[@BiosElement]

Exactly this. Any unevolved primate with a hammer and nails 'can' bang something together, but it's a clear sign of skill to be able to create something without fasteners. I don't think it's intended to imply nails are somehow bad, but to highlight the skill involved in not using common fasteners.

[@someoneelse5005]

Let's talk about being practical. If you can put something together with nails or cool joinery, I am game. If it breaks down for any reason, I don't care about the artistic value of it. And both 'cool joinery' and nails can get messed up as time goes, there are reasons both are used.

[@mattstalford9769]

Great video! Never thought about using nails like that (didn't even know about them). Looking forward to your next project using them.

[@charlesjackson5291]

You put out such good information & make it so approachable. Thank you

[@davidsalais3850]

I love the look of a nice nail pattern. I enjoy hand nailing too.

[@Defekcija]

thank you for simplifying nails and going into details.

[@coryulrich6489]

Never in my life has a screw broken under the strain of wood expansion and contraction. I hate how heavily implied this is. No quality fastener will do that.

[@nicholasplamondon3991]

Thank you I was thinking the same thing I use screws on a daily basis in a proper screw can hold a 600 + Pounds before hitting critical failure.

[@whitepickle1]

I would imagine its the wood breaking against an unflexing fastner, not the fastner breaking

[@coryulrich6489]

@@whitepickle1 In theory that sounds quite plausible, but it wasn't the wood he was smacking with a hammer, calling it brittle. I don't remember having seen that in real life but I totally wouldn't be surprised if it happens. As I'm typing this, some of the cracks I see form at the edge of a deck board for example might actually be from this. I always assume that it's from a non-pre-drilled installation with a fastener that doesn't do a great job of creating its own pilot hole.

[@TheBlackstarrt]

Yeah, the thing with the Japanese furniture stuff is because they use no nails in a fancy and decorative way, not that they just use no nails. But it was a nice history lesson.

[@windhelmguard5295]

@@coryulrich6489 you know i wouldn't be buying it either if it weren't for the fact that the thing described in the video happened to my bed last week, four screws just gave up on me. it's probably not going to happen all the time or quickly, a screw might be able to take the flex a hand full of times, but eventually they'll just nope out on you.

[@DanUtley]

Maaaan I’ve always wanted to use cut nails! This was the video I needed to get some motivation and alleviate some fears. Thanks, Rex!

[@shexdensmore]

If I remember right, In feudal Japan, metal of any kind was a relatively scarce commodity. And because of the labor involved involved in smelting and refining iron ore into usable tools and weapons was so high. Nails were used sparingly. That's why Japanese joinery is so highly prized and admired. Plus their joinery ability to withstand hurricane's 🌀, earthquakes as well as all the other forces of nature, possibly minor Tsunamis as well. While American and European timber frame construction is very solid and well built. As far as I know, it's just too stiff. It doesn't have the concept of moving and flexing with a severe storm and earthquake in mind.

[@mfachnick]

excellent video as usual. Greetings from France

[@thenitpicker911]

Hello Rex, I could be wrong but I think the nail should go with the grain of the bottom board than the top board. when I look at the cross grain construction, the thing that keeps the 2 boards together is the nail grabbing to the bottom part. We can have a very strong connection between the top board and the nail but it doesn’t matter if the bottom part pops up

[@piccalillipit9211]

When I was a kid my father used to use old floorboards for making sheds out of. It was my job to hammer the cut nails out of them, straighten them and put them in a tin to be reused when building there shed. And if you ever wonder about the strength of cut nails - try pulling up 200 year old floorboards!!!

[@Halz0holic]

I, too, have a 50lb of railroad track scrap in my garage left over from my DIY train project. What a coincidence.

[@yobgodababua1862]

Another small benefit of cut nails is that they are less likely to split the wood they are hammered into because the cross-grain edge cuts some of the fibers instead of just trying to force them apart like wire nails.

[@josesalvador7747]

perfect explanation ! you nailed it

[@swhite8978]

I don't know about America, but sizes are confusing even in Europe For example, if I ask for an m8x10 screw, it's actually an 8mm wide and 10mm long screw, but sometimes you'll find a box that says M8x1.5. That 1.5 is actually the space between each spire of the thread expressed in millimeters, so people get confused. Heck, even a lot of hardware clerks don't know the difference.

[@kshatriya1414]

Would be fun to see project farm doing an in-depth test of these nails!

[@evilcanofdrpepper]

And what about trying to un-harden masonry nails with the right kind of heating. This is a video about hand making them too though: kzbin.info/www/bejne/epicaHmJZq58abs

[@Lagged2Death]

Old fashioned cut nails hold better in large part because they're almost universally used with pilot holes, as you demonstrate. But it turns out that the holding power of even humble, cheap wire nails is dramatically improved if they're used with pilot holes. The cut ends of the wood fibers in the pilot hole offer more friction and more contact area than can be obtained by driving the nail between the fibers in the usual way. And wire nails only require simple single-size pilot holes. This is something I learned from "Understanding Wood" by R. Bruce Hoadley, and I wish more people knew about it. I've experimented with wire nails and pilot holes in a couple of my own small projects and the improvement is obvious and undeniable.

[@janbernad4729]

You can kind of trick this. If you hit the point of the wire nail with a hammer and dull it a little before driving it into wood, instead of splitting the fibers of the wood it will tear through them which will partially solve this problem.

[@ruffryder13]

I like talking about those old school nails.

[@NMranchhand]

Fabulous, Rex, I really got a lot out of it. Not to be pedantic, but the penny-weight system doesn’t have anything to do with cost. Metals (part. Precious) are weighed in Troy ounces, There are 12 Troy ounces in a pound (like a British pound sterling), and 20 penny-weights to the ounce. Hence pennies, schillings, and pounds in old Brit. money. 20 pennies to the schilling and 12 shillings to a pound. 240 pennies in a British pound (of silver, literally).

[@tatocorp]

why am I here, I'm not even into work working, but I watched all of this.

[@thefrub]

Thank you, I have never heard of cut nails before this

[@christophertaylor87]

Ok, I’m super excited to see the blanket chest video! 😆

[@jimbo2629]

I read somewhere a long time ago you should have the width of the cut nail across the grass. Counterintuitive. Maybe it only applies on thick or green wood not near the end of the board. I tried it and the cut nail just twisted. I’m not sure about nailing hardwoods in furniture rather than glued joints. It’s impact that loosens joints rather than pressure. Interesting video as always, but screws have taken over with the invention of the battery drill/screwdriver. Previously it was a lot less effort to hammer than to screw a hundred times a day. Harpsichord cases used to be glued and nailed or pegged with wood.

[@Kareszkoma]

Half of those screw types and some of the wire nails are not available in my country, due to standards and regulations. This also means the prices are somewhat bigger. Usually 2-3$ for a box. Some a 100 piece, some a 1000, depending on size, or in case of nails 1-2 kg boxes. (steel, no-rust steel, 1kg, 4$) But the Smithed Nails! 50 cent/1$ each. I can't find the wedge type of nail at all. However, I found out that they used to use ropes, strings for jointery, for timber like framing, in houses. They made 3 holes through the timber, near the end, than for the next side, another 3 a bit lower. (not touching) These would have ropes in them, nice and symmetrically, knotted onto the other timber, through all the 6 holes of both timbers, very tightly. There are pictures of 3 timber meeting, or 4. Supposedly iron was in a shortage? Or maybe no trust in glue? They seem to have stood the test of time too. I want to make very rustic looking, nice and oldish chest and such. But the accessory for it.. is sooo expensive. Everything is made by hand - which I really like - but this means the hinges too are expensive. Aka 10$ each. For a hinge or a decor edge.

[@upsidedowndog1256]

Great as always, Rex! I always learn something new watching your videos!

[@Rowgue51]

Thanks for making this video. I'm bookmarking it so I can copy and paste it next time I hear some idiot talking about how dulling nails or using square nails eliminates wood splitting. I already knew it was nonsense, but I'm too lazy to make a video myself just to demonstrate it.

[@voidvoid6212]

Hey rex this is the first video I've watched of urs I'm about to go watch some others newer ones and see what ur doing. But if ur open to suggestions. One for all later projects. Get urself some some soft jaws for ur vise so you can crank that puppy down so the wood cant pull out before the nail does. 2 things specifically for this video I would have loved for you to use one of those scales for fish so you could measure how many pounds of force you were using to measure the presure to pull out the nails , also you should have marked where ur hand would go to keep it consistent because farther away you will get more leverage compared to closer it will get harder but it was a good video and I hope you take constructive criticism

[@daveturnbull7221]

I've got a tub full of old cut nails that came from the floors in an old cottage were being ripped out. I grabbed as much as I could for firewood and siffted the ashes for the nails.

[@chrstfer2452]

Damn dude that was awesome, had no idea i could be so infotained by a video about nails.

[@gozer87]

I never knew the sizing trick for nails. That explains how my dad could look at a board at tell you what size nails to get.

[@schmalzilla1985]

I prefer screws myself. They are superior in holding, and if you have a little bit of a twist it can fix that. And on the decorative side, I think they look more interesting than a nail.

[@jellez280]

Super cool and interesting, thank you very much

[@MrAtalon]

Question: you said you needed a 4d nail but because it is pine you need to bump it up to 5d. Why is that? Is it something that would have added an hour to the video to explain? Hehe

[@RexKrueger]

Just that pine is softer and so a longer nail gives a bit more hold. I should have been more clear.

[@robertwu2398]

Rex, I know you've said that pine is softer, so going with a 5d nail would give you more hold, but I'm curious what you think would happen if you went with the 4d nail?

[@compuwise]

To be cheap, can you hammer a wire nail flat? And have it work fairly similarly?

[@royharkins7066]

Learning so much

[@mariushegli]

I have nothing to say really, but I appreciate your content, and wish to help with the yt-algorithms.

[@shinigami-man5727]

You know, I usually watch these videos while I'm working. Just for the occasional moments of inspiration. But I keep losing my damn pen!

[@suzumes6738]

I don't know why this was recommended to me, I don't even woodwork, but now I might.

[@zacknimkoff3444]

Dont know how I happened upon this, but really enjoyed the woodworking video 👍

[@newenglandyankeeliving5052]

Why not? Predilled finish nails in Irish pine furniture has been the standard for years.

[@XxverhAUTxX]

Rex Krueger, the louis rossmann of carpenters.

[@edwardgurney1694]

Looking forward to the blanket chest video(s). I was just thinking I could use a new storage box.

[@thorforsell1300]

So: A comment on drill sizes. I've done a bit of work with hand forged nails and this is what works best for me: Ideally, you want two diffrent sizes in the top and bottom board. If your bottom board is end grain, I'd do what Rex/you (who am I adressing anyway? :P) does, start with the thickness about the midpoint of the nail, adjust and test. However, if it isn't end grain, you just need a hole that is the width of the tip of the nail. In the top board you want a hole that is just slightly smaller than the widest part under the head. Then you drive the nail in so that the chisel like tip of the nail is perpendicular to the grain of the wood of the bottom board. Because it doesn't need to grip super hard in the top board, as long as you drive it in long enough it'll force the top board down anyway, and this is (supposedly, i've only done this a few years so eh, grain of salt) better for wood movement if the top board hole is slightly larger. Compare it to the neck of a traditional brass wood screw being the lenght of the top board and the width of the thread.

[@thorforsell1300]

That said, I love this video and I'm super hyped on the chest build!

[@souppiyas6987]

Lucky me in Thailand we use millimeter and inch to size nails.

[@stuartwoodcock9780]

I was wondering about the nails I should use for a bookcase Im building. Thanks for this

[@mmgross144]

Great video and advise! You made a potentially boring subject very interesting.

[@RexKrueger]

I'm glad it wasn't boring!

[@DraganIlich-r1s]

Thank you Sir 🎉

[@sebastjansslavitis3898]

I had never seen that screw would break in furniture