9 Types of Nails Commonly Used in Woodworking

9 Types of Nails Commonly Used in Woodworking

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If you already decided that rather than using screws, you want to use nails for your next woodworking project, continue reading.

In this article, I’ll take a look at the nine types of nails most commonly used with wood, as well as at the materials they are generally made out of.

9 Types of Nails Commonly Used with Wood

I’ll talk about the materials that the nails below are made from in detail further down. But first, let’s start with the breakdown of nails commonly used when working with wood.

Round Head Nails

Round Head NailsRound head nails are the most typical nails used in woodworking.

A lot of different terms are used to refer to them. They can be called common nails, round wire nails, and most people just refer to them as “nails.” The largest type of round head nails is commonly referred to as spikes.

This type of nails is the most popular one due to widespread availability in varying lengths and thicknesses, allowing for a different range of rough woodworking. They are especially used when appearance is not of importance and strength is paramount.

Oval Head Nails

Oval head nails are the same as the common nails, with one major distinction.

Their head is oval – as indicated by the name – and allows the nail to be driven below the surface of the wood, creating a more attractive finished appearance. Most commonly, oval head nails are used to join heavy timbers together or to attach hardboard siding.

Casing Nails

Casing Nail Casing nails are similar to oval head nails, with the exception being that the head of the nail is tapered, not stepped. This allows for the wood to be taken off of the nail with minimal damage at a later point in time.

Additionally, the tapered head allows for more holding power over it’s stepped head counterparts. Casing nails are used in applications where it is important to countersink, fill, and finish the nail – like trim work and fine finishing work.

Box Nails

Box nails are similar to round head nails, but they’re a lot thinner.

It’s not the ideal nail if the final product will see any load, though, due to its thinner composition. This smaller nail can be driven into smaller pieces of wood or minimally exposed pieces of wood. Box nails are less likely to split wood and are typically used to fasten small boxes together.

Finishing Nails

Finishing nails are another popular type of nails. Sometimes, they are also referred to as bullet head nails or lost-head nails.

The head is very small which allows it to be driven below the surface, producing the cleanest surface finish amongst nails. Just like casing nails, finishing nails are used in applications where it is important to countersink, fill, and finish the nail, like trim work and fine finishing work.

Tacks

A tack is another type of nail. The thumb tack is a variation of a tack. It’s a short and stubby nail that is used primarily for fastening carpet or fabric onto wood, as well as posting paper to a corkboard.

It is easy to overlook the tack as a nail, but it follows the same form and function as any other such fastener. It is definitely the most common nail used by everyday people.

Brads

Brads are small nails with the head off-centered, allowing the nail body to be driven closer to the face of the wood.

Since they feature a smaller head and smaller diameter of the body, they are easily hidden in your woodworking project. They are most typically seen in indoor woodworking or cabinetry.

Hardboard Nails

Hardboard nails have a diamond geometry on their head which allows them to be hidden well when driven into hardboard – an engineered wood product.

They are designed and only used in hardboard applications.

Duplex Nails

Duplex Nail Duplex nails are interesting nails that have a second head that is a short distance below the primary head, affixed in the shaft. This engineering allows the nail to be removed easily by prying on the exposed head.

The addition of the second head makes sure that the nail is seated snug. At the same time, it makes the design such that it is easy to remove. Because of that, duplex nails are most commonly used in temporary structures, specifically designed for applications in which both strength, as well as the ability to remove the nail easily, is important.

What Materials Are Woodworking Nails Made Out Of?

Not only are there different styles of nails, but there are also nails made out of different materials.

Typically, nails are composed of steel due to its low cost and overall good performance in fastening. Nails may also be made out of copper in situations where corrosion or moisture is a problem because of the material’s corrosion resistance.

Stainless steel nails can be used in situations where more strength, as well as corrosion-resistance, are required. You may also find nails made out of iron or aluminum, these are a lot less strong and cheaper. They are commonly used in applications where the strength of traditional steel nails is not required.

Aluminum Nails

What Are Galvanized Nails?

There are also post-fabrication processes used to change the performance of nails.

The galvanization process covers the steel of a nail in zinc which acts as a protective shield from the environment around it. Galvanized nails can be used even in some of the most corrosive environments. Most typically, you will see them in outdoor applications.

Summary

The type of nails you will need to use for your nail project will, as you can see above, depend on the use case.

If you are going to be making cabinets or other smaller items, you might want to consider casing or box nails. On the other hand, if you are going to be making a temporary structure that needs to withstand a fair amount of force, you should consider using duplex nails. Those will make it really easy to take the structure apart once it’s no longer necessary.

As for the materials, you will most commonly encounter regular steel nails. If strength and corrosion-resistance are important for your project (if it’s an outdoor project, for example), consider using copper nails or those made out of galvanized steel.

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