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Masonry nails

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Masonry nails

Postby Lurker » 14 Sep 2021, 11:19

Over the years I have aquired a fair few masonry nails, mainly via my FiL "borrowing" them from work.

It struck me the other day that they are different weights (density) and colour.
Just interested in what metals were used to make them as there is clearly a variety.
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Re: Masonry nails

Postby Woodbloke » 14 Sep 2021, 14:24

Lurker wrote:Over the years I have aquired a fair few masonry nails, mainly via my FiL "borrowing" them from work.

It struck me the other day that they are different weights (density) and colour.
Just interested in what metals were used to make them as there is clearly a variety.


A certain Mr. Charlesworth used to (probably still does) used a ground and shaped masonry nail in a marking gauge. They’re so hard it’s really difficult to blunt them but they are quite tricky to shape correctly with a Dremel and small grinding wheel - Rob
I no longer work for Axminster Tools & Machinery.
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Re: Masonry nails

Postby Mike G » 14 Sep 2021, 15:52

Decent picture hook nails are slim masonry nails, and that's what I made the points for my marking gauges from. Most masonry nails are great fat things.
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Re: Masonry nails

Postby Woodbloke » 14 Sep 2021, 17:53

Mike G wrote:Decent picture hook nails are slim masonry nails, and that's what I made the points for my marking gauges from. Most masonry nails are great fat things.


Mr C though, used the big fat jobbies to create a cutting gauge blade profile and that’s where the tricky grinding bit come to the fore; I’ve done a few and have still got three gauges with those cutters - Rob
I no longer work for Axminster Tools & Machinery.
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Re: Masonry nails

Postby 9fingers » 14 Sep 2021, 17:58

Back to the original suggestion of differing densities.
I find this difficult to understand as all will be steel based and relatively small amounts of various additives plus hardening techniques to get the hardness.
I'd expect relative densities of 7 to 8 for all masonry nails.

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Re: Masonry nails

Postby Cabinetman » 15 Sep 2021, 06:14

Mike G wrote:Decent picture hook nails are slim masonry nails, and that's what I made the points for my marking gauges from. Most masonry nails are great fat things.

Never had much luck with purpose made picture hook nails, I always use the nails from cable clips, very cheap way to buy small masonry nails. Ian
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Re: Masonry nails

Postby Eric the Viking » 19 Sep 2021, 12:30

I also use them for marking. I have a box of the "fat" ones bought some time late in the last millennium (no idea for what!), and that's pretty much all they ever get used for.

Assuming you have either a set of diamond needle files or a set of diamond-grit "burrs" for a Dremel, processing them is fairly easy: chuck the pin in the pillar drill, select a slow speed and remove the bulbous head (I prefer to do this with the edge of a diamond file).

You can now chuck it t'other way round easily, so swap ends, and file or grind to be pointier than before, using weapon of choice (for me that's a diamond burr). It's a faff to keep taking it out of the chuck to cool it, so I just go slowly.

As I'm lazy, I usually just put a point on it and be done, but you can make small edges for cutting gauges etc., I guess. They are cut/polished by wet+dry paper - I use diamond tools for convenience, but you can enhance the edge on a stone or using Scary Sharp techniques.

The last time I did this was to make a large, wooden set of compasses, for which it was a perfect solution.

So they do have some use. But I have no idea what metal they are (but mine are BZP), although I do know where the box is, so I'll have a look in case...

... [later] The box just says they are hardened and zinc plated. Sorry.
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Re: Masonry nails

Postby clogs » 19 Sep 2021, 17:21

I bought from a car boot some very nice ex military circlip pliers but the pointy bits were missing....
after several enq's they are not available anymore.....
I spin them in a piller drill and use a small grinder to get the correct size.....
The new style pins will out last me.....lol....
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