[TheForge] nail header

[jj tobako]

i still can't see how that's less metal.  you are saying that a rectangle
is less area/volume than a triangle.  also, a taper wouldn't upset in the
header past the recess any more than a shouldered blank would and for the
same reasons.  it would tend to stick more because it has to fill the
header opening more, but not that much more.

          
john tobako
> 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
> 
> > > 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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