The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1909-08-05
DRIVING A NAIL.
Eroh ShilI Necessary to Do II and to
Do IL Well.

TO do the job is often spoken of as
though typifying entire lack of
mechanical ability; yet it may be
that some skilled mechanics have
something to learn in regard to
this elementary operation. 1t US
ually takes a wood workers ap-
prentice year or more to learn
that he doesn't know how.
A fedgling mechanic, who spoke
sneeringly of a man whom he
heard using several blows of the
hammer TO drive a single nail, was
somewhat crestfallen when told
that the nail would hold better
when driven home" by several
light taps than when driven by
one heavy one.
Why" he asked in surprise.
Because" said the other,
when you drive a nail home with
a heavy blow, it is apt to rebound
tTife, loosening the grip of the
wood fbres on it. Drive it almost
down, if you will, with as hard
blows as you wish, but finish the
job with several light blows"
One who thinks that the driving
OF a nail simply consists in getting
the whole length OF it out of sight
has little conception of the real
nature Of the operation. A nail
driven by an expert will often
hold several times as much as one
i'll driven: while, TOO, it is often
made to draw the parts into place.
Ii you have ever watched me-
chaDiC driving nails you have
doubtless noted that he rarely
drives one at right angles with the
face OF the work. There is a rea-
son for this. Suppose that he is
mailing the sheathing on the frame
Of building. and desires to draw
it down tightly against the one
below it; he points the nail down
ward, and a few well directed
blows at the last produce the de-
sired effect. If the board is bent
edgew,se, so that much force is
required, probably he will start
the nail in the upper edge, point
ing very sharply downward. Again
two nails driven in board at
different angles will hold ii in
place much more firmly than the
same nails would if they were
driven in at right angles with the
face Of the board.
Did you ever notice that in
driving a nail in very hard wood
one man will do it successfully,
while another succeeds only in
doubling the nail up before the
point has fairly entered the wood?
The difference lies in the fact that
the expert strikes the nail fairly
and not too hard, "coaxing" it in,
while the other strikes too hard
and with indirection. 1t NAV be
probably mentioned right here
that in driving a nail into very
hard wood it is usually profitable
to dip the end into oil or grease.
This will not sensibly interfere
with the holding qualities of the
nail, while it will very materially
facilitate its driving.
In order that a nail may hold its
best, it is necessary that the pieces
1t penetrates should be in close
contact. a few we'll judged taps
OF the hammer at the finish will
serve to bring about this contact,
while heavy ill-judged blow will
often destroy it, on account of the
rebound.
So, too, the direction in which
a nail goes is governed not merely
by the direction in which it is
started, but very largely by the
shape of the point. You have
doubtless noticed how horseshoe
nail, by having chisel point, is
made to swerve and to come out
of the hoof but little above the
shoe. By filing the point OF
nail off on one side, it may readily
be made to take a curved course
in driving, or the same result may
be attained by bending the point
slightly with the claws of the