Amish made hardwood

It is currently Sun Nov 24, 2024 1:27 am

All times are UTC - 5 hours




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 4 posts ] 
Author Message
 Post subject: Angle for hand nailing
PostPosted: Fri Apr 26, 2013 10:00 am 
Offline
New User

Joined: Fri Mar 29, 2013 7:45 am
Posts: 9
Every resource I've found says to use a 45 degree angle when blind nailing by hand. As I am going (it is slow) I've found a slightly steeper angle (Between 50 and 60 degrees) works better.

1) A perfect 45 goes through the kerf on the back of the board. Going through wood is probably stronger than going through air.

2) Especially trying to go fast, it is hard to get the angle perfect. Aiming for 45 and being off 10 degrees gives a 35 degree angle, which puts very little nail into the subfloor. Using longer nails fixes this problem, but I am limited by what my store sells, and don't like huge spikes sticking out of the unfinished ceiling in my basement. Even going as steep as 60 gives a 70 degree angle if I am off 10 degrees, which I see nothing wrong with from a practical perspective.

3) It seems faster and easier to hammer a nail at a steeper downward angle. I don't understand why, and it could be because I am used to that motion from other projects and will get faster the more floor I do.


So am I right that it is better to switch to a slightly steeper angle? Will it hurt anything if I am wrong?


Top
 Profile E-mail  
 
Amish made hardwood

 Post subject: Re: Angle for hand nailing
PostPosted: Fri Apr 26, 2013 11:17 am 
Offline
Site Admin
User avatar

Joined: Wed Aug 04, 2004 10:08 pm
Posts: 1732
Location: Bonita Springs, Florida
At 45 degrees the nail is engaged/lodged into the hardwood and subfloor more so than 30 degrees...covers more "ground" sort of speak. But you know that...Ummmn....

Faster at 30 degrees? Yea. You're not going through as much material (hardwood) and once the nail hits the subfloor it goes faster because the material is softer...and going through less material at that angle. That's the best I can describe it from here.

Quote:
So am I right that it is better to switch to a slightly steeper angle? Will it hurt anything if I am wrong?


That's up to you. I'd go after more "grab" with a 45 degree angle.

_________________
See the room scene gallery at Uptown Floors.

Uptown was created by your administrator, offering my high quality 3/4" engineered floors made in the USA. Unfinished and prefinished.


Top
 Profile E-mail  
 
 Post subject: Re: Angle for hand nailing
PostPosted: Fri Apr 26, 2013 3:13 pm 
Offline
New User

Joined: Fri Mar 29, 2013 7:45 am
Posts: 9
Quote:
Faster at 30 degrees? Yea. You're not going through as much material (hardwood) and once the nail hits the subfloor it goes faster because the material is softer...and going through less material at that angle.


I think you misunderstood. I meant a 90 degree angle would be straight down into the floor and a 0 degree angle would be parallel to the floor and never penetrate the subfloor. 60 degrees (not 30) is faster for me, which is going through more subfloor, but I am pre-drilling the board and not the subfloor, so I am not sure which material requires more actual force.

I asked
Quote:
Will it hurt anything if I am wrong?
and you replied
Quote:
That's up to you.
If it were up to me, it would not hurt anything. Unfortunately, it is not up to me. I don't want to find floorboards coming up next year because I used a steeper angle.


Top
 Profile E-mail  
 
 Post subject: Re: Angle for hand nailing
PostPosted: Fri Apr 26, 2013 4:00 pm 
Offline
Site Admin
User avatar

Joined: Wed Aug 04, 2004 10:08 pm
Posts: 1732
Location: Bonita Springs, Florida
Quote:
I don't want to find floorboards coming up next year because I used a steeper angle.


If that's the case do it on a 45 degree angle. It's done that way all the time. I cannot think of anyone in the business that ever said "hey a 60 degree angle is easier, let's do that." You could add some glue under it if you want to take what looks to be a shortcut route.

The other guys here (yikes we have a gal too) will agree when it comes to shortcuts. They always come back to haunt you later.

_________________
See the room scene gallery at Uptown Floors.

Uptown was created by your administrator, offering my high quality 3/4" engineered floors made in the USA. Unfinished and prefinished.


Top
 Profile E-mail  
 
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 4 posts ] 

All times are UTC - 5 hours


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 0 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
Powered by phpBB © 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007 phpBB Group

phpBB SEO