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Three ways to make brass nails. How to make equipment for making nails with your own hands Nail production technology

Three ways to make brass nails. How to make equipment for making nails with your own hands Nail production technology

What could be simpler than a nail, you ask - this fastener is thousands of years old! But it’s not so simple if you look closely. Today, dozens, if not hundreds of varieties of nails are produced - literally for all occasions.

So where do they all apply?

Types of nails

For centuries, each nail was unique and precious and was forged or cast by a blacksmith. Nailers appeared only about 200 years ago, so nails became cheap - and the first standards could be introduced for them. Modern nails have a length of 6-310 mm and a thickness of 0.8-8.8 mm, made of steel, including stainless steel, copper, brass, bronze, aluminum and even plastic. The surface is often protected from corrosion by zinc, chrome, brass or copper.

All the variety of nails has in common the method of fastening - hitting with a hammer.

But there are changes here too: nail guns, or nailers, pneumatic and electric, have appeared. Special nails made of hardened steel are driven into concrete and brick by a construction gun using the energy of flammable gas or a powder charge.

An ordinary construction nail. (1)

The most widespread, made of low carbon steel. There is a notch on the surface of the head to reduce hammer slippage. Such nails are produced up to 310 mm long; they are used to make temporary scaffolding or scaffolding. Most construction nails are galvanized or thermally galvanized. The former are best used for interior work, the latter for exterior work. For buildings in places with high humidity, nails made of acid-resistant steel are suitable; they are made in lengths of 75 and 100 mm.

Copper nail (2)

Structurally the same as the construction one, only made of copper alloy. They are used where durability of tens and hundreds of years is needed - copper roofs, corrosive operating conditions, wooden shipbuilding. The pleasant appearance attracts furniture makers and decorators, for whom small copper nails are forged in the form of a tex: a flat elliptical head and a pyramid-shaped rod turning into a point. The only drawback is that they are quite plastic. Where higher joint strength with the same corrosion resistance is required, brass nails are used.

A screw nail, also known as a pallet nail. (3)

Available with a full, full-length rod, and incomplete screw made of square wire. It creates a reliable connection; it is used for the manufacture of pallets, containers, fastening floorboards - that is, such structures that are prone to bending under the influence of variable humidity or loads. The strength of the fastening is four times greater than that of a regular construction nail, and technically making such a connection is easier than tightening a screw.

Duckert nail.

It is distinguished by the small size of the cap, which often has a recess for better holding the point of the doboynich. Using a hammer allows you to avoid deforming the wooden surface with a hammer at the last blow. The surface of the cap is uneven so that the putty sticks to it better. Such nails are used there. where the fasteners should be inconspicuous - lining, door and window trim, baseboards.

Comb, also known as rough, corrugated, ring nail. (4)

The rod has transverse notches, turning the nail into a kind of harpoon. With a flat or conical cap. They give a very strong connection and are used in the production of containers. It is almost impossible to remove such a nail using pliers or a nail puller. Compared to a regular nail, it gives a five times stronger connection. For working with hard materials it is made of hardened steel.

Roofing, also known as tar paper, nail(5) are distinguished by a shorter rod length with an increased cross-section compared to conventional construction nails. A flat cap with a large diameter helps to better retain soft rolled or sheet material - roofing felt, roofing felt, construction cardboard. All roofing nails are galvanized.

Club nail. (6)

It differs in that for better retention in the wood, longitudinal grooves are formed along the entire length of the rod. They can be solid or with cross bars. These unusual nails are used to fasten rolled materials such as roofing felt and roofing felt.

Slate nail.

An enlarged cap made of galvanized steel is mounted on a rather long rod, under which a rubber washer is placed before driving. In this way, a hammered nail seals the hole from water ingress and does not create dangerous stresses in the slate sheet during temperature fluctuations. The length should be chosen taking into account the height of the slate wave - the nail is driven only into the crest of the wave.

Wallpaper nail.

Smooth cylindrical rod 12-20 mm long with a decorative cap. This nail is used for covering soft materials.

Drywall nail- a type of roofing nail. Its rod is thinner, and its head is wide, not crushing the porous material, but at the same time holding it securely. These nails are well suited for fastening fiberboard and construction cardboard. A ring groove can be applied to the rod or part of it, which improves adhesion to the wooden base under the drywall.

Finishing nail. (7)

Used for fastening lining, platbands and similar thin parts, the surface of which is undesirable to be spoiled by the appearance of nail heads. Therefore, the head is very small, and it is recessed into the surface of the wood. The steel rod can be galvanized, copper-plated or brass-plated, and bronze finishing nails are occasionally found.

Nail with a double head (doublet). (8)

It is used for temporary fastening, for example, formwork and collapsible structures such as greenhouses. The top cap makes it easier to pull out without damaging the entire structure, and the bottom one securely holds the nailed part.

Nail with an oval cross-section head.

This cross-section reduces the risk of wood splitting along the fibers - if the major axis of the oval is oriented along them. They are used as parquet, for fastening platbands - when the head needs to be buried under the surface of the wood.

Decorative nail. (10)

Used primarily for finishing upholstered furniture. Hats can be round, square and shaped, with cast or embossed patterns. The imagination of designers is almost limitless.

Shoe nail(9) - for attaching soles, heels and other parts of shoes. The plantar nail has a cylindrical brass or steel rod with an oval-shaped point, and a conical head. To fasten heels, tetrahedral nails are used; they are also called hand tex. Having the shape of a truncated wedge with a rectangular cross section.

Forming nail.

The only nail is completely dull, the shaft does not sharpen at all. Used when connecting foundry molds for casting metal, made from low carbon steel.

Ukhnal - horseshoe nail. (eleven)

Types of nails for various applications - photos

How did ancient people make nails? The first nails were invented back in primitive times; they were made from hard wood, fastening together the wooden parts of a home or other buildings. Nails were also made from other natural materials, using fish bones or sharp plant thorns. In the Borovichi district there is a nail museum, where you can see nails from different times, ranging from wooden ones, of different sizes and brands.

By the way, wooden nails have never lost their relevance. At the beginning of the 20th century, village shoemakers skillfully hammered miniature birch nails into the soles of their boots. The birch stilettos swelled from the water and held the soles tightly.

The answer to the question of when and from what metal nails were made in the old days suggests itself. The first metal nails began to be made in the Bronze Age, casting or forging them from copper and bronze, and subsequently, in the Iron Age, from a more durable material - iron.

Depending on their purpose, the nails had their own names. For example, “baroque nails” were used for the construction of river vessels, and “ship nails” for sea shipbuilding.

In the 19th century in Europe, the production of nails in factories was carried out manually in a handicraft way (small-scale production using manual labor): blacksmiths brought a metal rod to a heat in a forge, stretched it on an anvil and sharpened it at the end. After this, the workpiece at the head was cut off and flattened in a block with a hole with a hammer to give the shape of the head.

Nails only became a common commodity in the first decades of the 19th century with the invention of forged and wire nailing machines. Wikipedia states that the patent for the nailing machine was received in 1790. However, in the dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron we will see a different date: “The patent for the first machine for making nails was received in England in 1606 by Sir Davis Bulmer,” and it is noted that this invention had no effect on practice.

What and how are nails made nowadays?

Today they are made mainly of steel. For special purposes, nails are made from copper, brass, bronze, zinc and other materials. There are examples of the use of more unusual materials. Germany produces steel nails with a thin polymer coating. Their use is justified in the furniture business; thanks to the protective coating, rust does not damage expensive wooden products. Fiberglass safety nails are as strong as iron fasteners. They are also used for fastening furniture parts, in shipbuilding, etc. Plastic nails are produced in Japan. They are very durable and can be easily driven even into oak boards.

In modern nail production, rotary presses are mainly used. Products – products with a length from 6 to 400 millimeters and a thickness from 0.8 to 8.8 millimeters. To make nails, wire with a round cross-section is used as semi-finished products.

The working mechanism of a nail machine consists of a simple algorithm: the device cuts a nail to the required length, forms a head and forms a pointed end.

The video shows the process of making nails on a machine.

The smart nails puzzle is a classic one, consisting of two identical nails.

The gap where the nails intersect is wider than the thickness of the nails themselves, so the nails can be connected to each other as well as separated without the use of force.

The apparent simplicity of this puzzle is what makes it great, and the solution to the puzzle is not as obvious as it seems at first glance.

This tutorial will show you how to shape the nails into the correct shape and, of course, how to solve the puzzle itself.

Step 1: Bending Machine

The secret to creating this puzzle is understanding how to make 2 nails in the correct shape.

The simplest way is to create a bending device, which consists of two 7.5 centimeter metal rods and a wooden block. The rods can be made from two bolts by tightening them in a vice and cutting off the heads and threaded parts. The sharp edges remaining after the cut must be carefully sanded.

Using a 0.8cm bit, I drilled two holes in the piece of wood about 2.5cm apart. One hole was about 2.5cm deeper than the other - this is important.

Step 2: Clamp the bending machine in a vice

Metal rods need to be driven into the holes, and a wooden block must be tightened in a vice.

You can create a device like this using a variety of materials and tools - the idea is that you need two strong poles mounted close to each other on a fixed base.

Step 3: Nails

I tried different nails, but the ones I liked the most were the 16D 3 1/2″ standard nails. Try making puzzles using several types of nails, or you can also make them with wire, to find the perfect one.

If the nails are coated with anti-corrosion grease, it is better to wipe them off, otherwise, by the time you finish the job, all this grease will end up on your hands.

Step 4: Bend the nails

Holding the nail firmly in the pliers, place it between the rods as shown in the picture and bend the nail around the longer rod.

It may take a few tries to get good results, but after a couple of bent nails you'll get the hang of it.

Step 5: Almost done

The nails should look like this.

Step 6: Clearance

The key is to get the correct gap where the nail crosses itself.

The gap should be slightly wider than the thickness of the nail itself.

If necessary, carefully tap the bent nail with a hammer until an identical nail cannot fit through the gap.

Step 7: Do more and more...

Obviously, you need two nails for one puzzle. But I recommend making a lot of puzzles simply because it will be a great gift for those people you come into contact with.

Step 8: How to Solve the Puzzle

First you need to put the nails together. The process is the reverse of how to separate them. The solution is in the second and third pictures - the movement requires a lot of rotation. The two nails should wrap around the midpoint where they touch.

Just play with them and apply a little force at different angles and you'll get the hang of it.

But, everything is not as simple as it seems, and for the joy of solving, I highly recommend following the photos just to collect the nails. And try to disconnect without peeking.

Bent Nails is a classic DIY puzzle that should delight you and anyone you give it to.

First way. Simplest. We take brass wire of the required diameter, a sharp scalpel or knife and begin to cut a piece of brass wire, rolling it on something hard. When cut in this way, an annular bead is formed. I use this method for fastening very small parts where I need to imitate small nails. For example, rudder hinges on a boat. A hole exactly the same size as the wire is drilled in the loop and in the base, a nail is inserted, and the collar prevents the nail from flying through the hole. To prevent the nail from flying out of the base, it must be slightly bent.

Second way. Nails with heads are hidden. To do this you need to make a small adaptation. You need to take a metal plate 2-3 mm thick and drill a hole in it with a diameter for a wire, for example 0.5 mm. Next, using a 1 mm drill, we make a countersink to the depth of the conical part of the drill or a little deeper. The device is ready.

Rice. 1. Countersinking the hole.

Next you need to make nail blanks. To do this, you will need a gas burner or a household gas stove, as well as baking soda as a flux. With their help we will form thickenings for the caps at the end of the wire. Add a few drops of water to a small amount of soda to form a solution of liquid sour cream. Dip the wire into the soda solution. Holding the wire vertically, we bring it to the burner flame, while the brass begins to melt and curls up into something like a drop.

Rice. 2. Forming a droplet on the tip of the brass wire.

Rice. 3. Drop at the end of the brass wire.

We cut the required length from the wire with the drop and repeat this operation the required number of times. Next, insert the workpieces into the fixture and flatten the top of the workpiece with a hammer.

Rice. 4 and 5. Insert the wire into the device.

Rice. 6. Flatten it.

Then we remove the excess metal with a file.

Rice. 7. Treated cap.

The result is a nail like this.

Rice. 8. Nail after processing in the device.

After removing the flash we get a finished nail.

Rice. 9. At the stage of removing the flash, the nail is clamped into a collet clamp

Rice. 10. Finished result

Advice. Before forming a ball at the end of the wire, it must be stretched a little. The diameter of the wire will decrease slightly and the workpieces will be easy to insert into the fixture.

Third way. Nails with semicircular heads. Here, too, you will need to make a device, quite complex.

Rice. 11. Devices for making nails with semicircular heads

First you need to make a guide. It is made from any metal and any length. One condition is that the hole must be calibrated with a reamer. In this example the diameter is 6 mm. Next we make an anvil. It is made from the shank of a slightly larger 6mm drill. and machined to the size of the guide hole. The anvil should fit into the guide hole without play, but not tightly. Next we need to make the punches. They are made from the shanks of needle files. Since the diameter of the file shanks is smaller than the guide hole, we had to make adapters that should also fit into the guide hole without play. All this is done to ensure that the heads are in the center of the nail. In this Figure 12, the head of the round head nail is misaligned due to wear on the jig.

Rice. 12. On the left is a normal nail, on the right is a defective one.

How to make a semicircle in a punch. To do this, you will need a bearing ball, a selected diameter, a guide and a punch adapter. We anneal the shank of the file so that the metal becomes soft. On a lathe, we make a shallow countersink in the center of the end of the shank, assemble the punch and adapter and insert them into the guide. We place the ball on a strong metal base and hammer the ball into the punch. The ball may burst, so there should be several of them. Next, on a lathe, we make a cutting edge at the punch, an angle of at least 120 degrees. At a lower angle, the punch will chip.

Rice. 13 and 14. Punches

When the recess and corner are made, the working side of the punch must be hardened. The hardness of the punch must be such that when it hits the anvil, the edge of the punch does not wrinkle or chip. We heat the working part of the punch to cherry color and, holding it vertically, lower it into the water. Only the working part needs to be heated, the rest should be soft. If necessary, we also heat up the anvil. I managed to make a working punch about the third time. The first one hardened everything, and at the first blow it split. The second one made the angle of the cut too sharp and it also split. It only worked the third time. In Fig. 15, the left punch is a little overheated, the cutting edge is chipped, but nothing, it works.

Rice. 15. Comparison of cutting edges of poissons.

Using balls of different diameters, we get caps of different sizes. We make blanks for nails and process them using the technology described above.