Don't Drive NAILS/SCREWS Straight In...TRY THIS INSTEAD! (The TOENAIL EFFECT--Stronger Connections!)

[@TheHonestCarpenter]

Check Out the ULTIMATE CARPENTRY CHECKLIST!! *Get your free interactive ebook here* : www.thehonestcarpenter.com/the-ultimate-carpentry-checklist This *150-item Visual Glossary* covers every important topic in carpentry. Check off the tools you have, the concepts you understand. And if you don't know a topic, just click on it for an explanation. Every carpenter and DIYer needs this free guide!

[@kenheif]

We use this principle all the time in spine surgery. For example, sometimes with a spinal fusion, we lay a titanium plate with holes on top of two vertebrae. We place two screws in the plate at each vertebrae, parallel to each other. To decrease pull out, we slightly angle the screws toward each other. Great video, as usual.

[@TheHonestCarpenter]

Amazing! I love hearing about tool technique in other jobs-especially medicine. Thanks Kenneth!

[@adanielweaver]

I always wondered why on x Ray's of plates the screws look crooked. Also, that sounds like something I want to avoid going through.

[@DavidVelezPhotography]

As a recipient of titanium plates, Thank you, medical field!

[@ElectricIguana]

We do that at our brain surgery shop also.

[@kenheif]

@@ElectricIguana That's true, but with skull fixation plate devices, the tiny screws are usually placed perpendicularly. There is less stress being placed on these plates than those of the spine.

[@caroldragon7545]

I had to chuckle, because my dad taught me about the value of toenailing back in the forties, and a local farmer's kid laughed at me for doing it. There is one time, however, when you want to drive nails at an angle upwards. That is when you are nailing to a vertical surface that is constantly exposed to rain, such as a fence rail, or putting an electric fence insulator into a tree. By angling it upwards slightly, rain doesn't soak in around the nail or screw, so the wood is much less likely to rot over time. That was also my dad's tip.

[@Foolish188]

My Mother loved nailing her electric fence to trees. Now forty years later there are dozens of trees with nails in them, waiting for someone to chainsaw through them. Fun times ahead for somebody.

[@jodyburton0351]

Good tip. You can still use opposing left/right toenails along with the upward angle to get the holding power Ethan described.

[@LtDan-hr1pb]

My grandfather was a master craftsman back in the early 1900s. Years ago, I toured two homes in the Portland, OR area where some of his work is is still a major focal piece in the home. (These were family members; homes.) He had done a major amount of trim work and built-ins shelves and cabinets. Naturally the knowledge was passed to my father and uncle. Eventually, some to me. The toenailing, which was one of the tips, does receive comments from others but after a brief explanation, they just seem to walk away. Hopefully with some additional, old fashioned knowledge. Since my first retirement, I volunteer quite often with a few local Habitat for Humanity chapters. My preference is framing. Both exterior and interior. I toenail as much as I can. Can't beat the strength.

[@callam8170]

Water will still go in there. And the nails are the least of your worries, the timber will still rot with prolonged exposure to moisture, nails or not. Sounds good though. Like alot of carpenters tips, they sound good

[@drewpknutz1410]

@@Foolish188 I love the fact that you threw shade on your own mother for pretty much no reason, you sound like a real douche! Congrats!

[@richturnerphotography]

Kinda late to the party here but I just ran across your channel. Built my house in the mid 90s and framed it that way. Used three nails in each stud end - straight in, and angled left and right on each side of that. My house was literally dead center when hurricane Michael came ashore in Oct 2018 (it took about 40 minutes for the eye to pass over us). With 165mph winds, we had only cosmetic damage from flying debris and NO structural damage. The house was high and dry. This technique works really, REALLY well!

[@getsmarty7603]

They taught this in my woodwork class when I was younger. You just need to remember to compensate for the angle you put your screw/nail at because it may push/pull the wood that way. Depends on what you're building. Good video!

[@thomasflores7817]

Some of us didnt get a chance to take woodwork class, and are learning this when they’re almost 30

[@5400bowen]

Very good point. And make sure you use long enough fasteners. The angle decreases to total penetration depth.

[@Mihogan]

Sounds like I've accidentally been an expert carpenter my entire life - I can't put a nail or screw in straight to save my life 😂

[@TheHonestCarpenter]

I had to really TRY to stand one up just for this video, Alec 😅

[@markwhickman351]

The 5 in 1 tool I got after watching one of the previous videos here has a useful nail supporter. Great for clumsy fingers.

[@LazyCrazyGuy]

Same, I always thought that was a bad thing but nice to know I've been doing it right all along. I guess you can call me a natural.

[@ekummel]

Right? The only time I hammer a nail in straight is when I want it to be angled!

[@AlCatrraz]

And you thought it was a SCREW-UP...

[@MarkkuS]

I bought an old house, and the last owner definitely knew your advice. Boy is it fun to take off old trim 😅

[@danishnande9629]

As someone who recently bought a house and has to learn almost everything from scratch your videos really help. I especially love the one about kerfs (did I spell that right). It has made my miter saw cuts much more precise. Keep up with the great content, it really helps those of us that grew up in front of a computer instead of with tools in our hands. Greetings from Denmark

[@TheHonestCarpenter]

Thank you, Nicolas! You’re exactly the audience I make them for, and I’m glad it’s helping. Happy to hear from Denmark!

[@rickyperkins232]

@@TheHonestCarpenter I use a Milwaukee 18 gauge brad nailer for all my trim work and sometimes beyond. My trick is always use 2" first if possible and in one spot to nail up and down. I use this method in place of a 15 gauge nailer. I love when I do remodeling and the previous carpenter uses nails because it makes work easier when removing because they shoot the nails perpendicular to the work. Question, for the last Year I have switched to Deck screws for everything except drywall, have you considered deck screws outside of a deck.

[@lucedad]

@@rickyperkins232I do a lot of bath and shower remodels and I use deck screws most of the time. I use 3/4 or 5/8 plywood for parkout between the studs and acrylic shower/bath panels as well as when replacing subfloor. They are coated so the moisture doesn’t bother them and they are strong as…you can imagine. Hope this helps.

[@Kryynism]

I learned all my skills at first from buying my house. Now I can build almost anything after taking my experience and getting jobs with it..

[@Kryynism]

I learned all my skills at first from buying my house. Now I can build almost anything after taking my experience and getting jobs with it..

[@annenoname3442]

I like to hammer the nail into a solid "L" Shape, first. Then I mash the majority of it into the material. I never look back 😎

[@ColonelSandersLite]

You forgot the most important step - It's very critical that you smack your fingers while you're holding the nail *at least* once. The redder your fingers are, the better it'll hold.

[@PFab]

My nails are covered in fungus. So they just get overlooked.

[@paulparoma]

@@katiedotson704 Do you have a trick for making the neighbors disappear altogether?

[@paulparoma]

@@katiedotson704 That's too bad. Uncouth people don't appreciate sincere generosity.

[@paulparoma]

@@katiedotson704 Good. He may have demanded that it be put to sleep. Maybe you can find someone else to appreciate your generosity. All joking aside, I have a neighbor in the house behind me who has a habit of opening her floor-to-ceiling bathroom window at 7:30 in the morning while she goes through a morning routine with her "special needs" 4-year-old who yells and screams. I see and hear this from my bedroom. Yesterday I asked her to "please close the window. You are in the toilet." Her reply? "Well, I am not sh&tting!" How nice is that and where do I find a pet rock big enough to give her?

[@jons2447]

Hello, Ethan; I did frame carpentry when I was young, 30-40 years age. I learned from the old-timers. Angling 2 16p nails against each other would hold a top plate down & straighten a bent 2x. Used it many times since. Good to see you know what you're doing. Have a GREAT day, Neighbor!

[@MyFathersBusinessLLC]

Holds better when the nails are used like they have been used for 6000 years. Angling nails is called toe nailing, it's ONLY used to join pieces that don't meet face to face. A "V" nail can help to hold until glue dries, but can never provide lasting strength, seeing as how when it's angled you've created an escape channel for the nail.angled nails pop a little triangle out when a straight nail would have held. No wonder all the houses these days fall apart in 10 years...

[@perryfroze]

Oh, thank you, so you're an honest carpenter? Where would you go if you were to die today? Seek the Lord and saviour Jesus Christ before it's too late. John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Hell is real and Heaven is also real. You don't want to spend an eternity in Hell torment without God. The only way to escape Hell is to follow Jesus Christ our Lord and saviour. Study the KJV Bible to know more and pray and seek until you find Jesus. Don't delay tomorrow might be too late. You are not promised even the next minute. Do it now

[@luisromanlegionaire]

Nails were not around six thousand years ago your comment is questionable

[@62betcha]

@@perryfroze One of Jesus names is a nail fastened in a sure place. Isaiah 22:23

[@62betcha]

@@luisromanlegionaire 5400 years ago metal nails in Egypt but I think wooden peg nails should count reasonably back to 6000 years. would disolve no proof.

[@marsbase3729]

This is great advice. I discovered this technique as a kid, hanging up posters and stuff on my wall with thumb tacks. I found that if I angled the tack down about 45 degrees instead of straight in, it held up the stuff better. Awesome to learn I can use it in woodworking also. 👍😎👍

[@joeolejar]

As a kid, I watched my grandfather assemble projects. He always angled his nails. Thanks for reminding me.

[@johnnybarfield5045]

I have used the toenailing method since I was a boy. I drove a nail in one day and it went in on an angle. I started to pull it out as I was concerned it might not hold properly. Then, as if a light went on I thought why not put my next nail in with the opposite angle, and so I did. After thinking about what I did I thought, why not do this whenever I am using a nail or screw, an so I did. Until I watched your u-tube site, I thought I was the only person to ever do this! I am truly enjoying your show. I hope other's realize how Blessed they are to have someone with your skill set share the knowledge you have acquired over many, many years. Thank you so much.

[@pamflowers8364]

Thank you, thank you, thank you. People are always criticizing me for driving nails in crook but I always do it that way because it makes a stronger connection.

[@mrcryptozoic817]

My tote box for my circ saw fell apart years age. I made a new on out of scrap plywood. After I put hinges on it, I needed a latch. Drilled a hole at 25° ish and stuck a nail in it. It stays latched, opens easily, and if I loose the nail I just get another. Amazing how useful an angled hole is.

[@robohippy]

Even though most of my construction experience was with residential concrete work, I knew the value of toe nailing, especially on end grain. You covered all the bases here. Now I spend my time on the wood lathe.... Best christmas present I ever bought myself.... I even angle my wood dowels when pegging tenon joints.

[@KennethColeStatenIsland]

I've been doing this for years. When putting in posts in cement for a fence, I've used large nails at different angles to increase holding power. Works well. Thanks for the video.

[@angellas.1314]

As a DIY-er I’m interested in this technique. Can you give more details?

[@Adamsadventures83]

For cement you wouldn't need any angles. Just drive a 20d nail 3/4 of the way on each four faces and you'll have plenty of grip into the concrete.

[@vadim3031]

i dont do much carpentry but still i enjoy the honest carpenter videos as DIY person, this is great tip

[@TheHonestCarpenter]

Thank you, Vadim!

[@5400bowen]

Well, since I got a heart on the first comment…. I also have an ongoing issue with many construction people about screws versus nails. I think people say nails are better because they are cheaper and faster to install. But I did commercial building maintenance with a huge firm for Starbucks, Einsteins Bagles , Best Buy and many other big corporations, in doing repairs I had to do a lot of demolition on a huge variety of fixtures, and worked every trade in the business. Several people have said nails bend and screws break. True, screws are less flexible. But anyone who’s done demo on countless installations knows screw are much stronger than nails. As is pointed out in this video, due to the fact nails are generally smooth, or much smoother than screws, I’ll demo nailed installations way before I’d want to go screwed stuff. Just get out in the real world and find out for yourself. And remember you need longer fasteners as the penetration depth is reduced. That is always a concern. Thanx for pointing this out.

[@John-ou4rm]

A lot of work in fast food places is actually stipulated as must be done using screws. This allows future remodeling to be undertaken with greater ease. Also fit outs are done quickly and during non business hours, most council bylaws prohibits excessive noise. Screws sheer and are brittle, also it takes far longer on framework. Time is money and for an inferior structural integrity. You'll never see a house framed using screws unless they're DIY or someone who lacks experience/knowledge

[@5400bowen]

@@John-ou4rm brittle and shearing are two of the biggest lies in the trades. They use that excuse to use nails that are way cheaper. If you did as much demo and replacement as I have, you know the crap about nails being less brittle, though true, doesn’t even come close to making them less strong. Just take apart anything screwed and anything nailed over and over and over and you’ll know, like I do, that screws make a structure that is WAY stronger. Nails pull out so easily compared to screws. Another industrial big lie. It’s because they are cheap, not because they make things stronger. Profit, not people.

[@j.w.r.i2910]

Nails bend and screws don't. Just depends on the situation no ? I think nails are for framing mostly bc it allows the structure to expand and contract etc. Screws just squeeze two materials together but can't take any vertical or horizontal shifting. Idk if that makes sense. Thoughts?

[@John-ou4rm]

@@j.w.r.i2910 Correct. Also using a nail gun is about 10x faster on residential construction.

[@philliphoward7455]

I thank you for the video. It added a few hints to what I learned from my dad. He said, many years ago," A good carpenter never drives a nail in straight." I guess he was right.

[@pixelrangerstudio86]

I did a small project with small nails and i hammered them straight in... They came out easy peasy. I was pissed i did t want to use screws. After some tought i realisedthe same thing that this guy explained bymyself. Man im impressed by myself lol. 💯🔥🚀🙏😇

[@stevenshelton3828]

This was a very thorough video! As it started, I thought of a lot of details that could go against your logic, such what angle is the force against the fastener and sloppy looking countersinks but you covered it all. Good video!

[@ethran]

Has anyone ever called you a wordworker instead of a woodworker? Honestly the way you use the English language is half the reason I watch your videos, thanks!

[@stevenslater2669]

My brother was a carpenter - mostly kitchen & bathroom remodeling. He broke his foot and the orthopedic surgeon who put it back together used a plate and a bunch of screws at all kinds of angles. None were driven straight in. My brother e-mailed me a copy of the x-ray and complained that the orthopedic surgeon would never make it as a carpenter. Sloppy work with the screws at angles. I put on my mechanical engineer hat and said that was so that loads applied at different angles as the foot articulated wouldn’t pull the screws loose - and that’s when I started driving nails at a slight angle.

[@LazyCrazyGuy]

So what you're saying is your brother is a lousy carpenter and his work is most likely falling apart if older than 7 years old?

[@altaylor3988]

Your presumption is particularly related to Soft sappy timber such as your demonstration pieces, these timbers are higher in moisture low in density which will not only dry out over time but also can cause an oxidising reaction between the Timber and Metal. As an ex period property restorer from the UK with fortunate experience with Properties up to some 800 old, Once the hand made flat nails were hammered in to say Elm that is where they stayed, trying to lift elm floor boards that had been nailed into say Elm Joists etc the boards would split leaving the nail firmly in place. Now relating to the angling of nails that you mention, the angling of Nail Gun Spikes is ESSENTIAL because the Nail Gun Spikes have a very poor Tension, therefore to improve the Nailed Pieces ....TWO Spikes must be inserted at OPPOSING angles aiming at the centres of the opposing Spikes crossing at their midway point to ensure the tension is spread at say 45% . You young blokes would be wise to think through NEW Equipment that makes 'light of work' but does not improve the result. Back in the 1960's I would not employ a Chippy who did not cross his Nails particularly structural 4" wire nails, all timber was sawn by hand...No electric tools then Just Plain Skill when you sharpened your own Saws.

[@logdroppersavant3683]

Screws most definitely do rely on friction to hold them in. It's just that the direction in which the typical load on a screw exerts its force (axial) is not directly in line with that required for its removal (rotational) - in fact the load actually increases the friction that must be over come for it's removal. Similar concept is occurring with toe-nailing, so long as the nail is oriented correctly for the load. The area across which the holding friction is exerted is also inherently increased by way of the screw's helix, thereby amplifying the force required to overcome it.

[@Luke-qc1rm]

Without friction, a nail would come right out. Without friction, a screw would still need to be rotated out.

[@logdroppersavant3683]

Without friction, that screw would rotate out. Upon placing any load on it in the axial direction, it would self rotate. It still relies on friction. That is all that holds any type of fastening mechanism. It is just a matter of increasing that holding friction.

[@EctoMorpheus]

Ha! Got eeem

[@g33xzi11a]

Not exactly. Friction is independent of surface area and only depends on the materials friction coefficient (a constant value of a material based on its smoothness and material properties) and the force exerted on the surface typically in the forms of weight and compression. Screws prevent twist out by friction but this hold is actually weaker than in nails because the friction coefficient is typically less and the fibers of the wood haven’t been destroyed in such a way that they’re constantly clamping back on the threads. Instead screws make little ledges that prevent them from being actively pried out. Incidentally pulling on a screw while you twist will increase the normal force being applied to the screw and increase the force of friction making it harder to twist out then it would if you applied a rotational torque with absolutely no force. The reason it helps when screwing things in is because the threads and tip need to initial cut into the wood. A perfectly threaded screw would not be helped by the force which is why screwing into something like a drywall anchor or a nut doesn’t require any pushing force at all.

[@logdroppersavant3683]

"Not exactly. Friction is independent of surface area and only depends on the materials friction coefficient (a constant value of a material based on its smoothness and material properties) and the force exerted on the surface typically in the forms of weight and compression." No where did I suggest that increasing surface area under a given static load or force increases the friction. If you increase the surface area upon which a given load is spread across (i.e., the load or force does not change) and the coefficient of friction remains constant, then the friction (frictional force or holding friction) obviously does not change. However, this is not a case of having a given static load and spreading that load across a larger surface area (To be clear, this is looking at an unloaded screw simply being embedded into a material; any loading of the screw presents additional dynamics that can be further addressed separately - although, I already addressed both of these cases previously). In this instance - where you are embedding an object within another and, thereby, displacing the latter (oh, wait, isn't that compression?) - every time you increase the surface area of the boundary interface between those two materials / objects, you are increasing the load and, thereby, increasing the frictional force or the holding friction. So, the frictional force or the holding friction, which is exerted on the boundary interface between the screw and the wood, is proportional to the surface area of that boundary interface. Increase the surface area and you increase the holding friction and, "thereby amplify[] the force required to overcome it." Which is in exact accordance with what I already stated. "Screws prevent twist out by friction but this hold is actually weaker than in nails because the friction coefficient is typically less and the fibers of the wood haven’t been destroyed in such a way that they’re constantly clamping back on the threads." I'm sure it's possible, but what exactly are you basing the claim that the frictional coefficients of nails are generally higher than screws on? Is this purely anecdotal, (educated) conjecture, or is there some actual research / data that supports it? To assert any such claims, you'd have to isolate all variables. Both the surface area and volume of the nail and screw would have to be exactly equal and the force required to pull out the nail would have to be measured with a strictly axial load (no radial or rotational load) and the screw with only a rotational load (exactly matching the pitch with no axial or radial load). Likewise, the grain of the wood (orientation and uniformity) would have to be accounted for. With such variables (particularly the surface area and volume of the nail and screw) not fixed, this is not necessarily something that people can normally intuit or tease apart with their everyday experiences and their own senses. Frankly, what most people would probably intuit is that, given a roughly similar sized nail and screw (more specifically, similar volume and surface area), any such difference in coefficient of friction would be rather small, such that they would not be able to tell, by pulling on a nail versus trying to rotate a screw with their fingers, which was necessarily higher. Conversely, the resultant effect on friction due to increased loading based on geometry and increased surface area of a screw (which are the factors I mentioned) can be readily arrived at through an understanding of the basic underlying principles, which is accessible to anyone. Again, it's possible that, based solely on the nature of their embedding geometry's cutting interaction with the wood grain, one generally results in a higher coefficient of friction from the wood, but not only does it require actual experimental data, I'm not sure of it's overall relevance in terms of hierarchy of effect. Because, as difficult as it would be to intuit any such subtle difference in the coefficient of friction arising from embedding geometry, it is just as easy to intuitively see that any such small difference would readily be outweighed by the increased frictional holding due to any loading of their respective geometries. "Instead screws make little ledges that prevent them from being actively pried out." Which, again, relies entirely on friction. These ledges are not perpendicular to the axis of load required to pull them out, therefore, they rely solely on friction to prevent the screw from being rotated out under the presence of any axial load. The ledges are nothing more than hills (not flat, horizontal, level land). You place a load / weight on a hill and it will stay in place so long as the frictional force imparted by the normal force (which is, in turn, imparted by a vector component of gravity) is equal to or greater than the force pulling the weight down the hill (imparted by the other vector component of gravity). Take away friction (we can approximate this with a hill made of ice or the weight being a block of ice or why not both) and the weight will immediately slide down the hill. Take that hill and wrap it around an axis of rotation like a helix and you have a screw. With sufficient friction, the screw will not rotate out with an axial load. Make the screw frictionless (approximate this with a screw and / or the wood made of ice - this hypothetical ice wood can still have flexible properties to allow for compression of the screw) and any axial load will cause the screw to immediately self-rotate out - the axial load is analogous to gravity and in the absence of friction the screw will immediately slide down the 'hill'. So, to sum up, you claim that, although "screws prevent twist out by [way of] friction", this friction is actually less than that of nails and that, "instead" (so, rather than friction?) they really rely on the "ledges that prevent them from being [] pried out", even though that relies entirely on friction, as I've already explained. Color me confused. "Incidentally pulling on a screw while you twist will increase the normal force being applied to the screw and increase the force of friction making it harder to twist out then it would if you applied a rotational torque with absolutely no force. The reason it helps when screwing things in is because the threads and tip need to initial cut into the wood. A perfectly threaded screw would not be helped by the force which is why screwing into something like a drywall anchor or a nut doesn’t require any pushing force at all." And then we arrive at this 'incidental' note, which then reverts back to recognizing the pertinence of friction as a result of normal forces. I'm not exactly sure on how it fits into the narrative thus far. It appears to read as an 'incidental' aside or some tangential note of interest that hasn't been mentioned, but that would be rather odd given that I already precisely stated exactly that: "[...] in fact [any axial] load actually increases the friction that must be over come for it's removal." Likewise, since I already precisely stated as such, it also doesn't serve to further elucidate how I was "not exactly" correct.

[@joelchoquette5674]

Yes, helpful. The explanation you have for toenailing was enlightening.

[@incognitotorpedo42]

This is a great video. I've been around a while, and I'm still learning new things from you. If I can make a small suggestion, hang something sound absorptive (mats, towels, old carpeting..) in your garage to soak up excess sound when you film. You have a touch of echo/ring.

[@cougarbob1776]

These videos by "The Honest Carpenter" are the most useful and educational videos ever! I was just ready to clean up and redo (slightly) my garage, with some simple shelving and lots of pegboard. I used what I learned in at least a half-dozen of these videos to help me do the job better and faster. For instance, the drill extension that holds the screw saved me time and hassle. And knowing how to use the numbered torque dial on my cordless drill is great information. I could go on and on. BTW, the scripted dialogue on these videos is perfect. Thank you very much and keep up the great work. You have helped a lot of people.

[@koyotekola6916]

Great advice! I always pre-drill to keep boards from cracking. I've found that the less friction doesn't affect how well the fastener stays in, but I haven't run tests to prove how much less friction results. But if I use angling, it will solve the problem that might or might not exist with pre-drilling. One thing for sure, if the board cracks, there is much less friction!

[@fredrossi1334]

No harm in pre-drilling the top board. If you're at all worried about loss of friction, just use a smaller drill and a drop of glue in the hole.

[@TheFreeBass]

Blunting your nails can also help avoid cracking. Just flip them over (head down) & give 'em a whack before driving 'em in point first. Don't ask me how it works, I just know through experience that it does.

[@profcah]

Great video. Now I understand why some of my crappy nailing jobs have withstood the test of time.

[@StrawbyteWorkshop]

When I was a nipper (in the UK) my dad taught me the technique where it was referred to as dovetail nailing.

[@TheHonestCarpenter]

I’m using that new name for it, Strawbyte! I’ve also heard “skew nailing.” Always happy to hear from the UK!

[@JulieAnnAdventures]

My Father always said dovetailing, too, growing up here in Wisconsin. He was sick A multi-gifted and talented man. 🔨🔧⚙🗜🧲🧱

[@StrawbyteWorkshop]

@@TheHonestCarpenter Ethan You're welcome. -- Karl.

[@JP-JustSayin]

"Dovetail nailing" sounds so pretty and even elegant. The word "toenail" always makes me think of fungus. Eww.

[@SnowyPe]

Will apply this method..thanks for the great tip to improve my woodworking skills

[@Jay-ho9io]

Production values just continuously get better, shop looks like it's really coming together, glad things are working out for you all after the move. 👍🏽

[@TheHonestCarpenter]

Thank you, Jay! It’s coming together 😁

[@charliep5139]

@@TheHonestCarpenter the only thing I would suggest is something like a lapel mic to reduce the echo effect. Love your videos and keep up the great work!

[@charliejohnston1978]

40 years ago, I utilized this angled trick to lock x4 each 2x12x20 foot lumber together to make a beam, also with liquid nails between the pieces, and it worked great, every other pole barn spike was driven in at the opposite angle and it is still holding well today. I also utilized this trick on my 24 ft trusses using 5/8 plywood on both sides with liquid nails, when I built them, Thanks for sharing that.

[@patrikj]

The flip side is that it's almost impossible to separate the pieces without breaking them. As someone living in a 70 year old house where _everything_ is cross nailed, I can tell you it makes it really hard to do renovation work...

[@looosemeat]

Cross nailed trim into drywall is my favorite.

[@ElectricIguana]

Sawzall

[@laboulesdebleu8335]

oscillating tool can be used to slide between and cut at least one of the nails

[@RyanPetrynka]

I read this comment to my gf who does carpentry as a hobby. Her exact words: "but it stayed together for 70 years!"

[@flbyrne99]

I agree. To be honest, a nail driven straight in is held in by rust not friction after a while outdoors. Ever tried removing a rusted joint?

[@justDave3453]

Another very clear, concise yet comprehensive primer - keep up the good work!

[@harmyjim2]

And that would be why hanging a picture on a wall, with a hanger only alows the nail to be put in on an angle. Thanks for the video and advice.

[@kenn1936]

I would never have thought of this - but now that you point it out, it is so obvious!! It just shows you how naive we DIY'ers are!! BRILLIANT TIP - thank you so much!! I am working my way through all these videos. My Mother taught me how to wallpaper, paint, and lots of other simple DIY things, but my Father was alway too busy to show me any real DIY with tools. ( to be honest I am glad he didn't show me as his DIY is not great)!! I am now learning, so I can go fix all his mistakes. Now that he is unable to do DIY, I end up going to his home and fixing stuff. My Mum was the technical person with electronics too, so my Dad left her to do all that stuff, now that she is gone, he is clueless!!!

[@bgrigg07]

Depends on what I'm nailing. If I'm joining structural members, I would toe nail. Baseboards get nailed straight in. I might need to remove the baseboard at some point and straight in makes it much easier to remove.

[@bryankautz826]

Ha! Came here on a carpentry recommendation and learned about spinal surgery! Gotta love the internet!!!! Actually worked as a medical photographer for 17yrs in the largest hospital facility in cdn🍁, took 1000s of pics/videos during various surgeries, saw tons of xrays/ct/MRI's and it never dawned on me why the screws always seemed to be angled, always thought it was a point of access issue, thanks for clarifying the reason, now it makes perfect sense.👍

[@Impatient_Ape]

Another great, informative video that delivers a lot of value to DIYers.

[@avp4000]

Very nice video. If you want to be more specific in terms of technical engineering terms, you can say that nails are more resistant to sheer forces, and screws are more resistant to axial forces. Angling the nail reduces the axial load and increases the shear load, making the connection stronger

[@richardstrada212]

Loved the explanation of toenailing and its resultant increase of holding power. I was knowledgeable about and utilized toenailing studs when creating internal walls but

[@TheHonestCarpenter]

Thanks, Richard 😄 I first heard it framing, too. It was only later that a German carpenter really explained the full angle nailing philosophy to me.

[@badassvette1542]

The Germans did not create or invent this. Instead of remembering the person, you remember a German...

[@DonTruman]

Great video, thanks. All of these years of being a handyman/weekend warrior and I never thought of that. Makes good sense.

[@lyulf0]

I thought of this by myself when i started woodworking. The geometry just makes sense. i'm glad that my personal hypothesis is a working practice. ☺

[@MyFathersBusinessLLC]

It's not a working practice. Hes wrong about just about all aspects of toe nailing. It is NOT stronger. Or else they would be called toe-nails you bunch of fuck ups!

[@1987Confused]

I came up calling this lace nailing I usually set them so they cross each other in the wood. Comes really in handy if you are putting in panels or something and don't have a stud available

[@spaci-1701]

Really informative vid and gives me a great excuse for my inability to drive nails straight! Might I suggest another vid on how to start fasteners when you're toenailing? I scarred a lot of pieces of wood trying to angle fasteners before I learned the 'straight then angle' method.

[@TheHonestCarpenter]

Great point, spaci! I’m definitely going to try to cover this before too long-you said it best: drive straight in, then angle 👍

[@angellas.1314]

@@TheHonestCarpenter Or use a dowel to mark the space and slight indentation to hold the nail head?!

[@luistrevino6229]

Wow !!! Great video. I really needed to know this as I just got interested in carpentry by rebuilding 40 year old stairs outside my house. Thank you very much for the info. Regards from San Antonio, TX

[@richardfuller2326]

I've done this for years. It also works great on pallets! The boards on the top of pallets come lose quite often, even with ring shank nails. But doing this with two opposing nails works great. Good video!

[@RubenSOchoa]

I’ve always done this but said it’s not necessarily extra friction but when you have two nails working against each other then it’s also the case that you need to either bend the nails or break off the chunks of wood above it for the wood to be removed

[@sundrapoonan6724]

Brilliant advice Ethan, thanks very much. This solves a problem I've had for a long time. This also helps when you're working in a confined space. Thanks for sharing your valuable knowledge and experience. Always a pleasure watching your videos. Take care and stay safe ☺

[@ricardotrujillo5106]

Great video, young man, as always, at my age, 60, learning from your Chanel. God bless you and your family and business.

[@charleschi843]

Depends on the weight load. Horizontal nailing with a sheer load doesn’t require angle nailing.

[@Titantitan001]

I cross nail like a freaking mad man. I didn’t know people called it toenailing. Im a tile/vinyl guy who gets stuck doing trim work a lot. I also excelled at finish carpentry when I first started doing trade work so I usually have the tools for most wood working and literally any time I work with some of the other guys they make these mistakes you’ve brought up. Great video.

[@harriglnola7655]

I've been around carpentry for a long time... and I never knew this! Thanks so much!!! You've made this information so clear and obvious. That's amazing to me. I really appreciate your sharing this knowledge and video.

[@TheHonestCarpenter]

Thank you, Nola! 😄

[@75blackviking]

All of this makes good sense. As someone whose always been super OCD about square nailing alignment, I feel both stupid and newly educated at the same time. Looks like my fastening will be angled from now on.

[@suzanneadkins6767]

Great video, as always! You've clearly got a knack for both carpentry and education. Your videos are always informative and easy to understand. We just sold our old house and moved. It required a LOT of work before listing. Luckily, I had been following you for a while and had purchased a 14 in 1 tool and was able to make use of the water damaged door trim video and several others. I silently blessed you each time that 14 in 1 came in handy and was even able to educate my husband on the CORRECT way to replace the door trim. Thanks and keep up the good work! I look forward to learning from your videos each week. Also, you probably just made some of my woodworking projects more sturdy, so thanks!

[@TheHonestCarpenter]

That’s great to hear, SA! Thank you! That’s exactly what the channel is here for 🙂

[@chriswilliams7601]

Thanks for this. I'm almost 50 and just starting/self learning some woodworking skills for home improvements and projects. Things like this are a gem!

[@TheHonestCarpenter]

Thanks, Chris! I’m glad it helps 😄

[@kris856]

You blew my mind - literally! So obvious and yet I never thought of this. Thank you for sharing and for your great work !

[@SkillBuilder]

Kris not literally, figuratively.

[@owl4]

Soooo brain splattered everywhere?

[@yuliyabryant4052]

I am glad that you shared this little trick with us because now it makes whole a lot of sense for me why some of my “ nailed “ projects started pull apart few years later. Thank you very much for your wisdom in woodworking.

[@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823]

In old houses with plaster, you learn early and often that banked (toenailed) screws are the way to go.

[@pamboatwright8281]

Thank you so much. I love learning these little tricks we just don't know about! It makes perfect sense!

[@dixonbidenzmouth4115]

These aren’t actually tricks in regards to toenailing that is standard framing procedure

[@stevenwymor1398]

Yup. Toenailing is the only kind of nailing I've ever done. Learned about this in 8th grade shop class over 40 years ago. Rarely do it with screws except when hanging cabinets.

[@1marcelfilms]

video it starts at 2:20

[@830jps]

When I help someone with a project, I never mention these tricks as I don't think about it, I just drive the nails. Thanks for reminding me to share my knowledge when I can.

[@JackKirbyFan]

Such an obvious thing and you did such a good job of explaining it. Now you have forces in both the X and Y direction (Vectors are everywhere). Also, thank you for this channel. I hope you've found friends and I hope you have no money worries in your new location because you are a super nice person on the channel and I want you to have the best of success.

[@thompsona10625]

When you need to nail trim to drywall, alternating angles with brads works well when your flooring is so thick you cannot reach the bottom plate. Not ideal but it works when it’s the only option.

[@arthurlincoln9093]

This guy explains the mysterious world of home maintenance extremely clearly and logically. From now on when I think screw, I shall also think shallow angle.

[@TheHonestCarpenter]

Thank you, Arthur! I’m really glad the videos are helpful-I try to make them for newer DIYers the most 🙂

[@arthurlincoln9093]

@@TheHonestCarpenter Now, I need a video on how to tile a wall.

[@arthurlincoln9093]

Excuse me. Question. Does this apply to fixing battens to a solid brick wall or skirtings and such like?

[@chadwickpainter8212]

So simple. I don't know why I never thought of this. Brilliant job mate! Thanks for the video!

[@jaypowell0185]

Wow this was very insightful and helpful. Learn something new everyday

[@shapewish]

Just stumble upon this channel. Useful, on topic, articulate, short, no begging for like or subscribe... in one word: perfect!

[@pdxmusl1510]

I had no idea my inability to drive in straight nails was actually an advantage 😂😂😂

[@simonaserdiuc]

Ha ha same here😂

[@Bigelite094]

Definitely be careful with skipping the nail from tilting the nail gun too far. I was shocked the first time I saw one go flying to another direction.

[@TheHonestCarpenter]

Yep, I put this in my Brad nail mistake video as well Jorge. I’ve binged myself in the nose with a skipped out Brad 😅

[@jjohnson8977]

Also works if your nails are too long and you don't have time to run to HD to get right length

[@TheDadofsix]

You did a good job on this. I thought I would be board (lol, that was a mistake but it works) but this was actually informative and well worth the time. Thanks

[@robertschagen9016]

I learnt this from a cabinet maker more than 50 years ago, particularly useful when nailing engrained. In Oz we refer to this as skew nailing. Thanks for confirming.

[@ensidfkgnur]

Thanks for getting this out there. Most of us probably already know all this but love fasteners and watched it anyway, but maybe some young folks will watch it and potentially avoid life-threatening mistakes. I've been amazed by people taking on large projects and doing a whole lot right but who don't give a darn about proper use of fasteners. Anyway, good work!!!

[@jebzerker]

I thought this was common knowledge. I'm 55 and been doing this since I was 14. Nice to help the clueless gain some knowledge. Good explanations.

[@UrbanGarden-rf5op]

This puts a new angle on the subject. I would say you nailed it😉 Will definitely try.

[@illestofdemall13]

I've used this technique for screwing in fan rated electrical boxes to the ceiling beams. I get peace of mind in knowing that it can hold up over 200 lbs even though the fan may only 20 or so lbs.

[@chrisgentry4837]

This was something I had thought but your the first person to explain it. Angle nail a jack stud to the king and the downward force of the header will “push” the jack stud into position. Love your videos. Time well spent for me!

[@dmg4415]

When we framed our cottage in mid 70s we got 2 tips use the correct nail according to plan, sometimes You should use pure iron/steel nail that should be slightly corroded, to enhance the grip, and bend the nail near the tip, then it will go in an angle. In sweden before we started to use nailguns, the nail was not round, they were like a cylinder but the sides was bent inwards so the looked like a castle with turrets in the corners and the walls was u-formed. Why? Probably to have same area as a round nail, but using much less material.

[@alexguest9937]

Good to know I'm not the only one doing this! Also, if you're screwing a butt joint in sheet material near the edge, if you toenail the screw in towards the middle of the timber, it will tend to stop the boards from splitting apart/de-laminating as the screw goes in. That's really useful to know when you're butt jointing two rails of MDF which are only 100mm (4") wide. Put two screws in but point them both in towards the middle of the rails, and (hopefully) the MDF won't split apart as the screws go in.

[@88woodbikes4]

This method also takes advantage of the long grain of the wood. While slight, it should be less subject to the grains hydroscopic tendencies.

[@woltews]

need a video on blocking and bracing ( how much do we need and what is the best way to do it ) not just for code compliance but how dos the weight on a wall or floor effect how much is needed ?

[@black_dragon-carpentry]

Screws are stronger for pull out. Nails have stronger shear. The reason deck nails pull out is that when the wood expands it presses on the nail, which compresses the fibers and creats an opening for water debris and rot to set in. The reason the old nail doesnt sink back down is the wood is bad. This happens over time with screws too. However due to the threading screws dont walk out. Toe nailing changes the axis that the load is placed at to the fastener.

[@sylvialinks226]

You're so smart in teaching is this useful tricks, thank you so much👌

[@mrspy5736]

I feel like im going to end up binge watching this man today

[@herbalannie7707]

THIS was extremely helpful! As a backyard carpenter of 40 years I always thought that some of the men that helped me were just lazy side screwers. LoL. Never too old to learn that's why I'm here. At 69 i'm getting ready to frame up a couple of porch walls. Are nails or screws better?

[@soozannah4555]

Excellent advice. I've been trying to hammer nails straight in for years and most of the time they bend. I'd attribute that to poor quality nails. Now I know it was me . Thanks so much.

[@MaximChervyakov]

When I was a kid that's how my father used to teach me how I should drive nails.. :) something like almost 40 years ago.. this video brought me far away memories..

[@thomasbradley4868]

You did it again I'm 63 years old and you can learn no matter how old you thank you again!

[@TheHonestCarpenter]

Thank you, Thomas! 🙂

[@CarlSapu]

From My 5years of experience as the carpenter I think that straight nail punch is great but thank for the great and powerful Idea bro

[@carlb1409]

Excellent points. I'm flipping boards on a deck. And sounds like angling the screw on each of the cut ends of the boards will help.

[@AA-gw6wd]

Lately I’ve been exploring an idea, let’s say joining deck framing with 3 fasteners, one structural screw and two nails straight in, the screws holds the piece in place and the nails driven straight give the joint the greatest shear strength. Thoughts? With that said, I definitely agree with all that was said in the video when applying nails only and perhaps screws only too.

[@ut561]

ok ok, lets get this straight, i'm 65 years old and worked with nails all my life, yet this is the very first time i've heard this. WHAT A GREAT IDEA! this would be a great excuse for time traveling back and doing every nail right all over again ;))) PS: if this comment suddenly disappears some day you know I made it back.

[@dreadfullradu4726]

Ive thought of this concept for many years, but have never heard anyone talk about it and much less, make a video of it. Thanks and well said!!

[@kimsidener1850]

Clear, well thought out, good visual examples, theme music lasted about two seconds. You are very good at instructional videos, sir!

[@bigk3381]

59yo and if I knew it its great to hear it again... If I didn't know it, well I'm a fan of learning. 🤙 Thanks for sharing.

[@TheHonestCarpenter]

Thanks, Big K!

[@jenyfursmith8413]

Very helpful. I’m new to carpentry and knowing things like this helps TREMENDOUSLY! So, thank you!❤️