Nailing might not be an exact science, but knowing a few tricks can make light work of an otherwise difficult building task. There are three basic types of nailing. Face-nailing, end-nailing and toenailing. Face-nailing occurs when the nail is driven through the face of one piece of wood into the face of another. With end-nailing, a nail is driven through one piece of wood and into the end of another piece. And toenailing is when a nail is driven at an angle from one piece of wood into another.
Face-nailing is most commonly used to attach sheeting to roofs, walls and floors. Also, it is the technique used to join two or more boards placed side by side. Here, nailing usually occurs along the length of the boards being connected. When face-nailing long boards together it is important to hold both pieces together tightly until each nail has been driven all the way in. More often than not, as the nail exits the first board on the way to penetrate the second one, it pushes the second board away from the first one. Not good since the object is to connect them. Applying firm hand pressure from the back of the second board helps. In situations where the job is big, clamping mighty simplify the process.
End-nailing is physically less taxing than other types. The end grain accepts the nail with little resistance. This is also the least sturdy of the nailing connections. Driving the nail with too much force can loosen the connection. The blow of the hammerhead as it drives the nail home can jar loose the end of the wood being nailed. With face-nailing, the second piece is pushed away by the nail. In end-nailing it is the final blow of the hammer that can loosen the connection after the nail is fully seated. The trick with end-nailing is to reduce the force of the final blows while watching carefully that a solid connection has been made.
Toenailing is somewhat more difficult than the other methods and takes a bit of practice. Proper nail placement is a must. Placing the nail too close to the end of the first board can split it and result in a connection that might not hold. Holding the nail back too far can reduce the chance of splitting, but can result in a weak connection. The trick is to get about half the nail in the first piece and the other half of the nail into the second piece. Splitting is a common problem with toenailing.
Tip: To reduce the chance of splitting the wood when toenailing or nailing near the end of a board, many experts recommend pre-drilling. However, pre-drilling isn't always an option especially if there is a lot of nailing to do. Here's a trick. Simply tap the business end of the nail (the pointed end) with a hammer. Kind of like nailing backwards. Place the head of the nail on a hard surface and gently tap the pointed end with a hammer. Then, turn the nail around and drive it in as you normally would. When the tip of a nail has been bent it causes the nail to tear the wood thereby reducing the chance of splitting. Tearing is good, splitting bad.
The one thing you want to avoid midway through a nailing project is tennis shoulder - a common problem among carpenters. Tennis shoulder like its close relative tennis elbow results from overuse of the shoulder joint. Swinging the hammer properly can drastically reduce the chance for such an injury. Using the shoulder, elbow and wrist in unison does this. By bending each joint a little, rather than any individual one a lot, overall joint stress is reduced. Also, don't swing the hammer from the end of the handle. Find the balance point, usually only a few inches from the hammerhead. Using your fingers, wrist, elbow and shoulder together, you can drive a 16d nail with fewer blows and with less exertion.
Bending protruding nails to prevent them from working their way loose is a good idea, however, removing the nail later becomes more complicated. And, if you aren't careful you can actually loosen the nail if you strike it incorrectly.
Finally, when nailing plywood, remember that the top of the nail should be flush with the top surface of the plywood. Nails that are countersunk into plywood reduce the holding strength of the nail. In most cases this is not a critical building problem. But, with some subfloors, roof sheathing and shear ply, the building inspector might ask you to add nails near those that have penetrated the surface of the plywood too deeply.
