The Plymouth Democrat., 1870-08-18
Nails for Out.Of.DOor Work.

EVERY laTmer, says fedTW ana I10fne,
who has had to do with the repairs OF out
buildings, finding it needful to constantly
replenish his stock of nails, which are
used in various unmentionable ways, has
many times noticed the havoc that rust
makes with the wood through
which the nail is driven. Three
will suffice TO either rust the nail hole
large enough to make whatever is fasten-
ed with the nail insecure, or, perhaps, to
impair the vitality of the nsil itself
Various plans have been devised to rem
small sum each year.
A recent article in the 7schnolo3ia talks
80 sensibly upon this matter that we copy
it entire:
Every one is familiar with the fact
that a piece of rusty iron wrapped in cot
ton or linen cloth soon destroys the tex
ture of the fabric A rusting nail, for ex-
ample, if laid upon a few rags, will soon
| produce large holes in them, or it will, at
least, render every point that it touches
SO rotten that the cloth will readily fall
to pieces at these points, and holes will
be produced by the slightest hard usage
| Why this Is 80 it is not our purpose to in
vestigate. We merely state well-known
fact, and draw from it the conclusion that
iron, during the process Of rusting, tends
TO destroy any vegetable fibre with which
it may be in contact. This explains, to a
certain extent, the rapid destruction OF
the wood that surrounds the nails used IN
out door work, whereby the nail is soon
left In hole much lsrger than itself,
and aU power OF adhesion is lost. Part
of this effect is, no doubt, due TO the ac-
tion Of water and cir, which creep along
the surface OF the nail by capillary at
traction, and tend to proluce rottennesf
IN the good as well as oxidation in the
iron. But when we Compare an old nail.
hole with similar hole that has been ex-
posed during an equal time, but filled
with wooden pin instead OF an iron nail
we End that the wood surrounding the
wooden pin has suffered least, anu Ne
may, therefore, fairly attribute destruct
i've action to the rusting of tie iron. Ii
might, at first sight, be supposed that, as
the oxide OF iron is more bulky than the
pure iron, the hole would be filed more
tightly aud the nail held more firmly to
Its place. But, although this effect is pro.
duced in the frst instance, yet the de-
struction of the woody fibre and the pull
yerlzatlon Of the oxide soon Overbalance
1t, and the nail becomes loose. Ofcourse
the iron itself being also destroyed, its
strength is diminished, and we have
therefore, double incentive ior prevent
ing OF diminishing the action that we
have described. The only way to pre-
vent this action is to cover the rail with
some substance that will prevent oxida
tlon. This might be done By timing, as
IS common with CARPET tacks, which are
now extensively timed for the purpose o.
preventing them from rusting, and thus
rotting holes in the carpets. Coat
ing them with oil or tallow would
be efficient if the act of driving did
not remove the protecting matter entirely
from large portion of the surface. But
even then, it will be found that the oil OF
fat is stripped off the point and gathered
I about the head in such way as to pre-
vent the entrance of sir aud moisture
into the hole. The most efficient way tc
coat nails with grease is to heat them tC
point sufficient TO cause the grease tc
smoke, and then pour the grease over
them, stirring them about in pot OIL
other vessel. When the nails are hot
the melted grease will attach itself tc
them more firmly than it would have done
, if they were cOld-indeed, so firm thst il
will require actual abrasion Of the meta
! to separate it. In erecting fences, laying
plank or board sidewalks, and the like, i
, becomes an important matter to secure tn,
nails against the influence that we have
mentioned, and yet the work must b,
: done rapidly and cheaply. Nails may b.
readily prepared as described, or the,
may simply be dipped in oil or paint ..
, the moment when they are driven in
, And we have found, by experience, tha
in csses where it is not advisable TO pain
: the whole fence, ii is, nevertheless, goc'
plan to go over the work and touch tn
head of every nail with brush dipped il
t oil or pant prepared SO as to be of th
2 same color as old wood"