Anyone use cut nails around the shop?

[schreiber]

Ordinarily used in masonry. Anyone know if they're hardenable?
I've heard tell of using them for small punches and repousse tools, stuff like that.
Any experiences?

[Mac]

I've used them to make small punches for coining dies. They are OK, but a little short, and thus hard to hold on to.

Mac

[Cap'n Atli]

I use them all the time for punching and chasing, and was just working on a new set for punching runes last night (the old set had been loaned to a friend and misplaced).

If you just need a simple shape that you can do on the grinder; and if you watch that you do not overheat them, and draw the temper (the water dish is your friend), you don't even have to reharden them.

For those that are forged or overheated, you can reheat with a propane torch (saves firing up the forge) and quench in bacon grease.

There's an article for using them for this purpose somewhere on the web.

[AwP]

You say they're used for masonry, but are they the same thing as "masonry nails"? If so then yes they are hardenable.

[Halberds]

I use these for small decorative punching tools.
They are pre-hardened, and like the Cap'n said dont over heat them when grinding they will be just fine.



I weld them to a 1/2" steel rod for a handle.

They love you long time GI.

Hal

[Cap'n Atli]

Cut Nails vs. Masonry Nails: Time to define what is what. All cut nails are not masonry nails and all masonry nails are not cut nails.

Tremont Nail Company specializes in mild steel cut nails of several varieties for historic restoration. ( http://www.tremontnail.com/about.htm ) I have used their rose-headed nails (from the late Finnr's hoard) to clench nail the multi-layer front door for my forge.

Most masonry nails are cut nails, but not all, there are also a number of drawn wire nails and various designs and sizes. They are, however, all high carbon and or alloy, and very stiff and hard. Clenching an unannealed (or even an annealed) masonry nail is impossible at worst, and frustrating at best.

Note that round masonry nails, like the cut masonry nails can be ground, or forged and rehardened for various shapes.

BIG masonry nails (16d or larger) lend themselves to use as tools without endangering fingers; while small ones will also work for fine stuff, especially with the extension that Hal suggests.

Oh; and you can also use them to nail stuff to masonry; very useful in my old cinderblock shop; not so much in the new wooden forge.

[Thomas Powers]

Just to add on the Tremont historical nails are not high carbon; though some may be A36 as there were some difficulties annealing them for the viking boat project I got dragged into---to fix the annealing problems!

Thomas