[TheForge] nail header

[Rick at Rafter Lazy C]

Hello Dave -

    What do you mean by shoulder?  I am not sure whether you mean drawing
down the main nail to leave a larger head, or what?

 Rick Crawford at Rafter Lazy C
Home of Smoky Forge and Lem the Wonder Mule
email = rick at rafterlazyc.com
home page = http://www.rafterlazyc.com
forge page = http://www.smokyforge.com


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David E. Smucker" <davesmucker at hotmail.com>
To: "Sponsored by ABANA" <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Saturday, July 03, 2004 12:46 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.  The nail maker had to
buy
> his material and then was paid on the count of nails.  You can also be
sure
> they were counted and not weighted.  This was sweat shop work -- a lot of
it
> done by kids.  It was also winter work for farmers in a number of areas of
> England and Wales.  Many small time nail makers used their hearth for
> heating the rod and a lot of nailing bench / anvils set low to the floor
to
> make working in and out of the hearth easier.  The small "d" used with
penny
> size for nails is from the British historical penny which was 1/12 of a
> shilling.
>
> Watching Jerry Darnell make nails -- he always shoulders the nail on the
> edge of the anvil.  I have seen him make two nails in one heat of the rod.
> Takes me two heats to make a nail and I can't shoulder worth a damn.
>
> Dave Smucker