Finish nails are small, barrel-shaped nails with a ridged indentation on top used in woodworking to hide the presence of the nail. They are often used in interior projects such as moldings, wainscoting, millwork, furniture, cabinets, and paneling. When selecting a finish nail, a carpenter or manufacturing worker will base their choice on nail size, steel wire gauge, head diameter, number of nails needed per pound, and nail length.
Many different types of nails are used in manufacturing and woodworking. A finishing nail, made from steel wire, is a specific nail used to hide the presence of the nail. With its small head and diameter, a finish nail is much smaller and easier to hide than a larger nail.
Instead of the flat, broad head that characterizes common nails, finish nails have small, barrel-shaped heads with a ridged indentation on top. This allows them to be driven further than a larger nail. That size and shape also helps the final nail remain invisible in the final design.
Finishing nails are often used in building interior projects. These could include moldings, wainscoting, millwork, furniture, cabinets and paneling. Finishing nails are also very useful for small projects, such as wooden jewelry boxes.
One thing to keep in mind when using a finish nail is not to drive the nail completely flush into the project. This will usually create a large indentation in the design by the hammer. Instead, there is a precise technique that craftsmen use to fully insert the finish nails.
After the carpenter drives a nail nearly flush with the project surface, he places the tip of another nail into the dimple itself. Then the head is pushed all the way into the surface, creating a tiny hole. This hole can then be filled with drywall filler, wood glue, or another filling compound. If the final product must remain outdoors, and it is made of wood, the hole can also close by itself due to swelling due to atmospheric conditions.
When selecting a finish nail, a carpenter or manufacturing worker will base their choice on a few different requirements. These can include nail size, steel wire gauge, head diameter, number of nails needed per pound, and nail length. Each finish nail should be three times the length of the thickness of the wood it will be used in to ensure proper cohesion.
Nail size is often measured by the term pennyweight, an archaic word that refers to how much 100 nails cost. Symbolized by “d,” these sizes are most common in sizes 2d to 10d, as well as 12d, 16d, and 20d. Finishing nails used in fine milling projects usually require the use of the small 2d size. A medium sized finish nail such as 10d is often used for baseboards.
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