steaks&anvils
Well-known member
Any Etsy or E-bay offerings for "vintage nails", or "slightly used, Made in USA nails"?
WTF?!?!? Seriously, did you know that selling rusty nails is for real?
Do you straighten bent nails?
- Thread starter dwasifar
- Start date
WTF?!?!? Seriously, did you know that selling rusty nails is for real?
PelicanPines
ALLIANCE MEMBER
As long as the screwgun can handle it... I just continue... LOL
To be honest... Only nails I hammer now are stainless one offs... I use my nail guns for everything from pins, staples to framing... 4 different finish nailers.
But YES.. my dad would straighten nails... Uncle too.
To be honest... Only nails I hammer now are stainless one offs... I use my nail guns for everything from pins, staples to framing... 4 different finish nailers.
But YES.. my dad would straighten nails... Uncle too.
brownsmustang
Well-known member
It seems some were taught the value of money and things but not time. Money and stuff you can easily get more of, times the one thing I ain't getting more of.
I have done it professionally. Years ago, when I was building houses, the carpenters would hit a nail and sometimes it would bounce away and they grab another. I would pick everyone up, hammer them straight and put them back in the nail box for reuse. Sometimes a nail that was "fixed "would go back to bent when reused and could not be reused.
I have a small container under the workbench in the pole building with slightly bent nails in it. I'm usually just tacking two boards together to make a temporary brace or something when I'm out there, so I grab a couple from it. I keep the new nail assortments in the garage attached to the house, so these nails save me a walk.
And yes, it is absolutely left over from when I was a kid and not allowed to use the new nails for any of my kid projects. There are also many stub studs lying around here that are on their 3rd or 4th use. Until this year, it made me a weirdo to reuse wood, now I'm just being sensible!
Many times I get to reuse the nails already in those stub studs as is
And yes, it is absolutely left over from when I was a kid and not allowed to use the new nails for any of my kid projects. There are also many stub studs lying around here that are on their 3rd or 4th use. Until this year, it made me a weirdo to reuse wood, now I'm just being sensible!
Many times I get to reuse the nails already in those stub studs as is
Badgerstate
Well-known member
I dont. Nails are cheap and you are never going to get a bent nail to go in straight once you bend it anyways.
You can straighten it, sure but once you bend it and fatigue the metal, its better just to pull it out, toss it and grab a new one.
You can straighten it, sure but once you bend it and fatigue the metal, its better just to pull it out, toss it and grab a new one.
didit
Well-known member
One thing is for sure. Todays cheap *** nails bend twice as easy as they did when I was a kid. For me and every other kid I knew, that was a right of passage, learning how to straighten and reuse nails. Our tree fort had thousands of re-used nails in it.
Not just nails, Some that still need straightening in that bin. I've got a whole section of salvageable fasteners. Ten times what's shown in these pics, You know that one oddball nut & bolt you need, yep I got one.
OK, this boomer's 'bout done poppin' off.
Not just nails, Some that still need straightening in that bin. I've got a whole section of salvageable fasteners. Ten times what's shown in these pics, You know that one oddball nut & bolt you need, yep I got one.
OK, this boomer's 'bout done poppin' off.
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Years ago, my grandfather left me several glass jars and tin coffee cans full of bent nails, ready to be straightened.
As I screw (almost) everything, I didn't keep 'em...
MushCreek
Well-known member
This is Garage Journal. You need a Monarch 10EE lathe and a dial indicator to get those nails really straight!
My first job of sorts was working weekends at a marina when I was only 12 or so. On rainy weekends, the owner would have us straighten nails from a 5 gallon bucket of them that he saved. I used to think that that was incredibly cheap, but in retrospect, he was giving us gainful employment instead of just sending us home.
My first job of sorts was working weekends at a marina when I was only 12 or so. On rainy weekends, the owner would have us straighten nails from a 5 gallon bucket of them that he saved. I used to think that that was incredibly cheap, but in retrospect, he was giving us gainful employment instead of just sending us home.
niget2002
Well-known member
No.
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Sent from my LM-G820 using Tapatalk
If I'm driving the nail, yeah I try to straighten it unless it's bent too far. Then I just pull it out and toss it. It either goes in the scrap bucket or where concrete is to be poured.
I'm not much of a hardware saver. . . If I fab something and use nuts/bolt while welding and they get the slightest booger on them, they go into the scrap can.
I'm not much of a hardware saver. . . If I fab something and use nuts/bolt while welding and they get the slightest booger on them, they go into the scrap can.
bwringer
Well-known member
I literally cannot remember the last time I struck a nail with a hammer intending to hold pieces of material together.
I've hung up lots of pictures using little nails in the last several years.
I've pounded lots of nails out backwards just enough to extract them in order to re-use or re-install a piece of lumber with screws, or to make it less dangerous.
Can't recall the last nail I actually used as a fastener. Weird; never really considered this before now.
I've hung up lots of pictures using little nails in the last several years.
I've pounded lots of nails out backwards just enough to extract them in order to re-use or re-install a piece of lumber with screws, or to make it less dangerous.
Can't recall the last nail I actually used as a fastener. Weird; never really considered this before now.
What does your personal life have to do with it?
quattro_sinko
Well-known member
Grandfather was born at the turn of the century. Dad was born during the depression. My father likes to tell me about the time he and grandpa were building the second story stairs for our "camp". I was probably 4 at the time, and kept getting in the way. My dad finally gave me a dozen new nails, a hammer, and a big chunk of timber offcut with the instructions that I needed to drive all the nails in. Grandpa was horrified, crying out "he's wasting nails!"
My dad told him he figured the few cents in nails would keep me occupied way longer than a plastic toy. Once I had sunk (or bent) the 12 nails, he taught me to pull them, straighten them, and use them again.
I have been employed (primarily self-employed) as a carpenter/builder/remodeler for all of my adult life. Like many have posted, I use pneumatics for probably 98% of my work, but I still straighten nails when necessary.
My dad told him he figured the few cents in nails would keep me occupied way longer than a plastic toy. Once I had sunk (or bent) the 12 nails, he taught me to pull them, straighten them, and use them again.
I have been employed (primarily self-employed) as a carpenter/builder/remodeler for all of my adult life. Like many have posted, I use pneumatics for probably 98% of my work, but I still straighten nails when necessary.
428PI
Well-known member
I've probably straightened a lot of nails but has anyone straightened pushrods? I was tightening down my rocker arm shaft bolts in my 428 PI and I went too fast and turned over the motor (it had a higher lift cam) and it wouldn't start. Found out I had bent all the pushrods on one side. They were 3/8 moly rods too. I removed them, hammered them straight (was just a poor high schooler at the time) and the engine made many 5500 rpm passes after that. The valves were tough enough not to bend.
kaymccampbell
Well-known member
Not much anymore. If it's the last one in the box, and I need it, yes. When I was poor, I straightened nails, reslotted screws, you-name-it. That said, nowadays, I rarely use whack in nails. It's either nailgun or screws.
Lucky Llama
Well-known member
I tried using straightened nails, they kept getting hung in the nail gun though.
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Mainiac Mat
Well-known member
Once upon a time, yes.
Not anymore. Got better things to do with my time and nails are cheap.
Not anymore. Got better things to do with my time and nails are cheap.
rawen2
Well-known member
Yes, but I also erase my paper plates for re-use.
mercifiknow
Well-known member
I still straighten them. What I learned, what I teach.
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WMichelsen
Well-known member
- Joined
- Nov 24, 2012
- Messages
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I'm just a home grubber, not a professional. I fully understand the cost of time, which doesn't much apply to my projects.
So, 80% yes. Maybe 30 degrees of bend, yup. Those I straighten and use.
More bend than that, and I toss them in a metal bucket, then drop it at the metal recycle yard with other scrap.
Similar behavior with screws, scrap iron, sheet metal, etc. I dismantle broken machines that I can't fix and save many of the parts.
It's pretty satisfying to start and complete a project without going to the hardware store.
What's my time worth? Evidently, not very much
So, 80% yes. Maybe 30 degrees of bend, yup. Those I straighten and use.
More bend than that, and I toss them in a metal bucket, then drop it at the metal recycle yard with other scrap.
Similar behavior with screws, scrap iron, sheet metal, etc. I dismantle broken machines that I can't fix and save many of the parts.
It's pretty satisfying to start and complete a project without going to the hardware store.
What's my time worth? Evidently, not very much
I generally throw them away, but sometimes straighten them. I can swing a hammer pretty well these days and enjoy using one. Have only started using nail guns regularly the last few years, but if a small job easier to get the hammer out than fire up the compressor etc.
I can't imagine throwing away a screw unless it was bent or head stripped.
I can't imagine throwing away a screw unless it was bent or head stripped.
Duke74
Well-known member
My dad was old school. He was born in the 30’s and things were tough. Throughout his life he always straightened 5 and 6 inch spiral spikes for reuse. My brothers and I were taught the ‘art’ at a very young age and we still do so today.
ar2stp48
Well-known member
Ebay has several pages of "vintage nails" for sale: This ad has a bid on 8 lbs at $10 plus $13 shipping. They are older, but the same concept: https://www.ebay.com/itm/234012186900?hash=item367c369914:g:F0kAAOSwVA5gfJJH
My Dad grew up in an time when nails, screws, and other items were save. I heard many times "I may need that...." when I was told to straighten nails and put them in a coffee can to saved. Today it is the nailgun or screws; but I still know how to use a hammer when needed, but do not straighten any nails
My Dad grew up in an time when nails, screws, and other items were save. I heard many times "I may need that...." when I was told to straighten nails and put them in a coffee can to saved. Today it is the nailgun or screws; but I still know how to use a hammer when needed, but do not straighten any nails
APEowner
Well-known member
Nope. But,I've bent a lot of straight ones...