1. What is common nail?

The basic structure of a common nail is a round flat head, a shank, and a diamond-shaped point. Normally there are three types of common nails: the twisted shank type, the smooth shank type, and the annular ring shank type.

The common nails are usually made from steel or stainless steel. Most nails are steel and covered with a galvanized coating. In particular, nails for outdoor works are usually “hot-dipped” with a coating of zinc to improve the weather-resistance. The stainless nails are also highly corrosion-resistant and naturally, the price is more expensive.

2. How to measure a common nail?

In terms of the size of a nail, there‘re various dimensions: the diameter of the shank ( represented as nail gauge), the diameter of the head, and the length of the shank. The specifications are the following:

Normally, these dimensions are measured in millimeters or inches. However, according to the BWG system, the diameter of the shank can also be represented by a series of numbers. The higher the gauge number, the thinner the shank is.

Besides, in the USA there’s another system to measure the nail: the length of a nail is designated by its penny size, written with a number and a suffix “d”. The larger the number, the longer the nail shank is.

3. Where to use the common nails?

Common nails are used for general construction and specifically for framing and other structural work.

The working principle of the nail is simple: when driven into wood, the point of the nail penetrates and the shank pushes apart wood fibers. The friction between the wood fibers and the shank origins the holding power. It’s worth mentioning that the thickness of the shank might also split the wood and for this reason, some carpenters might dull the tip to reduce some holding power.

Lituo, as a professional fastener product manufacturer, provides common nails for many applications

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