Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-12-04
A TEST OF INTEREST.
Cut and Wire Nails Thoroughly
Tried at the WatertoWn Arsenal
UNDER GOVERNMENT AUSPICES
Quite o Number Of Ksll-KnOWn kGnu'
factufers Watch the Result
TIE FEATURES OF THE EXPERIMENT

ESPECIAL TxrEaRAM TO THE DfsPArcH.f
BosroN, MASS, Dec. 3-Seyeral inter.
ssting tests of cut and wire nails nave been
made the past week at the Watertown Ar
aenaI. with q view to demonstrating beyond
all argument the relative holding power
when used In ordinary building material
So conflicting have been the claims Of tbs
manufacturers as to the merits OF wire nails
and cut nails that an association OF prom
inent manufacturers arranged for this series
of tests upon the governmental testing mA-
chine at the arsenal
There were present the following we'll
known gentlemen, who throughout the Sc
ries of tests have taken much interest in the
accomplishments: Arthur B. Clarke, Pres
ident of the Old Dominion Iron and Nail
Company, Richmond, Va, and Horace z.
Tobey. of the fremont Nail Company,
Wareham, Mass, representing the associa-
tion of manufacturers; B. NJ. M. Blanken.
Ghip. of Richmond, Va, with the Old Do
miriou Company; W. N. Severance, Of
Duluth. Mimi, Of the Severance Nail Ma
chine Company Of st. Paul, Mimi; Henry
2. Leeds. OF Boston, of Leeds, Robinson %
Co. Henry B. Leonard, of Mount Hope
Iron Company, Somerset, Mass Major
Reilly, Lieutenants W. W. Gibson and q
II. Davis.
Selected From Market Stocks.
The nails used were selected from mar
ket stocks. those of the wire being Of corre-
spending size with the cut nails, both In
weight and length, and every detail of the
contest was conducted by the COMMITTEES SO
as to be recognized rs authoritative and abso-
Iutely fair. Major Reilly, the commando
ant, selected these nails and assorted them
in packages, each one being weighed and
recorded. The size of cut nails ranged from
11I.inch nails, Sd, fine, 764, to 6-ineh spike
nails, 4Od and God, 8 to II to the pound:
The wire nails were secured to correspond
as nearly as It was possible.
The packages were made up and sealed
and were tested in the order Of their sizes,
beginning with the six cut and 6-ineh wire.
A spruce plank, well seasoned and Tree
from knots, was selected and planed per-
teetly smooth. Into this the nails were
driven, first cut nail, then . wire nail,
the depth being precisely inches each for
the 6-ineh sizes. Before being driven they
were weighed, and showed 3 difference OF
only two grammes-the wire weighing IA
grammes, the cut 212
The Result of the Tests.
The first test upon the machine was with
q wire nail, and it required zS3 pounds to
pull 1t cut. Then the nippers were placed
over the head Of the cut nail, and on the
beam of the indicator was registered $50
pounds. The second wire nail registered
673 pounds, and its equal in cut nail az
The third wire nail registered 675, and
cut nail of the same size 604.
The fourth nail tested was pulled out
with pressure OF 594 pounds, but It re-
quired 964 pounds pressure to draw tAe Gus
nail, nearly 400 pounds more. The seventh,
and BY far the strongest holding nail sestsa
was drawn with S79 pressure, but the cut
nail resisted until ], 200 pounds was put to
bear upon it. This enormous resistance vaa
accounted for by the nails entering knot
on the inside OF the plank.