[TheForge] nail header

[David E. Smucker]

The volume of total metal in the nail is less.  I happen to have one of
Jerry Darnell's nails in front of me and while the shank is taper to a blunt
point it is really quite rectangular except for the last 1/8 of an inch just
below the head.  This short section is upset to the size of the header from
forming the head.  The rest of the shank is the size that the nail was
formed to before going into the header.  In other words with the shouldering
the nail is a very loose fit going into the header.  This also means that
the nail comes out of the header very easily.  (You don't want the nail to
upset below the short reverse taper at the top of the header or you will
have an hourglass shape and it will stick.)

The nail doesn't look like a cut nail -- i.e. a long straight taper -- but
rather a short taper to a point (about 3/8 of an inch) and then a long
rectangular section of about an inch and 1/4 followed by a 1/8 inch long
taper to the bottom of the head.  For the record Jerry used to make nails by
the 1000's for the reproduction hardware market.  The long rectangular
section is smaller than if it tapered its whole length -- hence less volume.

Dave Smucker

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "jj tobako" <jjtobako at juno.com>
To: <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Saturday, July 03, 2004 4:15 PM
Subject: Re: [TheForge] nail header


>
> > As far as I know the historical nail makers always (or let us a least
> > say
> > nearly always) formed a
> > shoulder, then cut almost through, inserted into the header, broke
> > off, and
> > then formed the head.
> >
> > Reason, -- more nails per length of wrought iron.
>
> how does that work?  why would a shoulder use less material than a taper
> when heading?  the shank for each would be the same size (width at
> header, length of shank) unless the shouldered nail had a more
> rectangular shape which would be more iron, not less.  amount of iron in
> the head is determined by where it's cut.
>
> john tobako
>
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