Nail is a very basic fastener used for construction for thousands of years. They are mostly used for jointing timber of fastening materials to timber.
It’s unknown when wire nails were first invented but evidence shows nails were used in Ancient Egypt around 3,400 B.C. Little has changed regarding the nail design.
How Are Nails Made?
Wire nails are most commonly made of steel. Raw steel wire is fed into a machine which cuts the wire into nail size wire pieces. Wire pieces are held by grippers while a hammer flattens one tip to form the nail head. Then the piece is made into a nail with specific length and point.
Different Types of Nails
According to the specific use of the nails, they are designed and manufactured differently. Various types of nails have different lengths, gauges (wire thickness), shank types and head types.
This article is going to explain to you the most commonly manufactured nails in China. There are many other kind of steel wire nails but this article to going to write about the nails that are most popular in the Chinese wire nail industry.
Nails may vary between different manufacturers, but the most common types include:
- Common Nails
- Finishing Nails (Casing Nails)
- Clout Head Roofing Nails
- Umbrella Head Roofing Nails
- Concrete Nails (Masonry Nails)
- Duplex Nails
- Drywall Screw
Common Nails
It is a ordinary iron nail with round head. The round head may be checkered. It is a most commonly used nail for joining timber and other material.
It is good practice to use common nails that are at least three times longer than the timber thickness that is being nailed.
Common nails should be packed nicely. Better with plastic wrap to keep the nails from moisture.
Finishing Nails
It is a common nail with a much smaller head which can provide a cleaner finish. It is able to be concealed completely. That’s why finishing nails are used in furniture and decorative timbers.
Why a finishing nail has a small head?
A finishing nail has a small rounded head that is just slightly bigger than the nail shank. The smaller head size also helps reduce the risk of timber splitting. The head makes it easier to countersunk the nail without slipping and gouging the wood.
Finishing nails can be made of brass to provide a decorative finish.
Large finishing nails are also called casing nails.
Clout Head Roofing Nails
This is a steel nail with large fat head. The head is flat. It is used to fix the felt on the roofing. The big nail head can help with the fixture.
Umbrella Head Roofing Nails
It is a roofing nail with a large head like an umbrella. It is used to fix galvanized roofing sheets on timber or plywood. This is a very common nail used in Africa and South East Asian countries.
Concrete Nails (Masonry Nails)
A concrete nail is a steel nail made with high carbon steel. The material is harder than the material of roofing nails. This gives concrete nail hardness and stiffness.
Concrete nails are galvanized or blackened.
They are used to penetrate hardwood or concrete. Sometimes it is called masonry nails. These jobs are not suitable for common nails.
Duplex Nails
Duplex nails were designed to construct scaffolding. So duplex nails are also known as scaffolding nails.
These double head nails are often used to secure scaffolding and other temporary structures in place. There are two heads on the nail. The nails are driven in as far as the first head, while the top head remains above the surface, making it easy to remove.
Duplex nails come with a galvanized finish for the exterior. You can also find them with a polished, non-galvanized finish for indoor use.
Drywall Screw – Plasterboard Nails
These nails are used for fixing drywall plasterboard to timber framework.
