You're buildings it wrong. Nails and screws

I always knew galvanized and coated nails were a bit more difficult to pull out over bare steel but I never thought to quantify the results. I'll never use a bare steel nail again. Well I usually always use deck screws and if I use nails they are galvanized or ribbed stainless.

 

Speaking of nails when I was kid my dad would have me straighten bent nails with a hammer. I find myself doing that now especially with SS nails the cost has sky rocketed.

 

Screws.

 

I have found that even galvanized over time rust, it may cost more but I have been using SS nails and screws see how that works out

 

My old South Barn was built in 1962 with corrugated tin and and galvanized barn screws to hold it on. 59 years later the tin is corroded and falling off and the same barn screws are being used to put the new tin on. To be fair I know nothing about SS Screws and Nails in comparison to Galvanized in price I probably never will. I am curious though how SS VS Galvanized compare in Real World Use over long periods of time.

 

I learned how to build primitive furniture in the southern Appalachians. Green seats. Dry legs. The seats shrank and tightened around the legs. Old school baby.

 

Now days the SS nails probably have more carbon in them to have more strength other wise the SS might tend to be too soft to drive in.
When I was younger the standard procedure in breaking down a building was to remove the nails at the same time and not destroy the materials as they had value to us. Removing the nails as carefully as possible so it did not require a lot of straitening.
I often thought it might be practical to make a jig for straitening nails, but not many people use nails any more seeing screws are stronger on small projects.
I love using an air nailer though. it makes the job go quicker and your not fighting knots or hard woods and less splitting. Nail guns are not as big as they use to be and use less air than their predecessor.

 

I'm too old for going back to the service. But I'd like to blow some shit up. Can I apprentice for you? lol

 

I bought a case of stainless ring shank nails on plastic strip for my nail gun back around 2010 to repair framing on my roof. Probably used 15% of them on that job. I had to order them, by the case, I couldn't just buy small box of a few hundred.

 

I have cypress siding on my house galvanized nails were used 25 years ago now showing rusted nail heads. All the balusters on the front and rear porch where nailed with galvanized finishing nails and rusted away have since replace and nailed with SS finishing nails will see how they hold up.

 

Built my shed and stand using deck screws, They wont be going anywhere soon !

 

I find myself using deck screws more and more. Buy them in the 30lb plastic tubs. Bought a cordless Porter Cable impact driver that zips them right in.

Replaced a bunch of wood siding on my shop last summer that was installed mid-90's with galvanized nails. Nails still in good shape, but a LOT of the had backed out of the siding where it flexed, some as much as an inch. Peeled the old siding off with forks on the tractor (most of the bad was on one side), and replaced the diagonal wood 1x sheathing with plywood/30lb felt.





Went back with new tapered lap poplar siding, 3" deck screws and a couple coats of oil based paint.

 

Right on, That turned out really well !!!

 

I just brute force them in with a regular drill. Some times a 120v plug in but usually a battery powered one.

 

Did that too for a long time, then discovered the impact driver watching a neighbor use his.....whole lot easier.

 

I use those battery impact drivers almost daily. I've used them driving 12 and 14 inch timberlock screws ,, with ease . Well worth every penny.
A guy was selling off a bunch of tools a few weeks ago , I bought a good bit of them ,, but I bought a Milwaukee drill , 2 batteries and charger for 50 bucks ,, ill be buying the impact driver to match this . I think Milwaukee are some of the strongest in the industry. But lowes has that Flex brand out ,, they're supposed to be pretty powerful,, but they're expensive as well.

 

I use the impact driver quite a bit, find it much better at driving in screws than a drill. I've been using the Ryobi brand for years and I have not had any problems with them. They are 18v and I know some of the newer tools are 20v or higher, but everything I have needed done has been done with these.
I have the 5" skill saw, reciprocating saw, oscillating saw, blower, sander, 2 drills, impact driver, lights, radio and more. Don't think I would switch brands at the moment.
Worked with some PorterCable tools this past weekend, batteries died as soon as you started using the tool, and the owner said that they were brand new.