NAILS, in building, &c. small spikes of iron, brass, &c. which, being driven into wood, serve to bind several {niecestoge ther, or to fasten something upon them. The several sorts of nails are very nume rous : as 1. Back and bottom nails; which are made with flat shanks, to hold fast and not open the wood. 2. Clamp nails, for fastening the clamps in buildings, &c. 3. Clasp-nails, whose heads clasping and sticking into the wood, render the work smooth, so as to admit a plane over it. 4. Clench-nails, used by boat and barge builders, and proper for any boarded buildings that are to be taken down, be cause they will drive without splitting the wood, and draw without breaking; of these there are many sorts. 5. Clout-nails, used for nailing on clouts to axle-trees. 6. Deck-nails, for fastening of decks in ships, doubling of shipping, and floors laid with planks. 7. Dog-nails, for fasten. ing hinges on doors, &c. 8. Flat-points, much in shipping, and are proper where there is occasion to draw and hold fast, and no conveniency of clenching. 9. Johent-nails, for nailing thin plates of iron to wood, as small hinges on cup board doors, Itc. 10. Lead-nails, for nail ing lead, leather, and canvass, to hard wood. 11. Port-nails, for nailing hinges to the ports of ships. 12. Potind-nalls, which are four-square, and are much used in Essex, Norfolk, and Suffolk, and scarcely any where else, except for pall ing. 13. Ribbing-nails, principally used
in ship-building, for fastening the ribs of ships in their places. 14. Rose-nails, which are drawn four-square in the shank, and commonly in a round tool, as all com mon two-penny nails are ; in some coun tries all the larger sorts of nails are mule of this shape. 15. Rother-nails, which have a full head, and are chiefly used in fastening rother.irons to ships. 16. Round head nails, for fastening on hinges, or for any other use, where a neat bead is re quired; these are of seye.ral sorts- 17 Scupper-nada, which have a broad head, and are used for fastening leather and canvails to wood. 18. Sharp-nmi* these have sharp points and flat shanks, and are much used, especially in the West for nailing soft wood. 19. Slicathing-nails, for fastening sheathing-boards to ships. 2Q. fiquare-nails, which are used for bard wood, and nailing up wall-fruit. 21, Tacka, the smallest of which serve to fas ten paper to wood; the middling for wool-cards, &c. and the larger for up holsterers and pumps. Nails are said to be toughened, when too brittle, by beat ing them in a fire-shovel, and putting some tallow or grease among them.