Literal Pipe Nails

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hmhaines

Part of the Furniture Now
Sep 5, 2016
900
1
CT
After becoming a fan of the humble pipe nail, I decided I wanted to make some out of actual nails. I had some big old nails hanging around the workshop so I used a few of those. Hammered 'em flat on one end, ground things a little bit, and cleaned them all up. It would be nice to polish them smooth at some point.
DSC_0016_zpsd2yt0jqe.jpg


 

hmhaines

Part of the Furniture Now
Sep 5, 2016
900
1
CT
I like it as well, my concern is the extra surface area for moisture retention. Don't want rust! There's no time for polishing them right now, so we'll see how they work for a while, and then decide.

 

aldecaker

Lifer
Feb 13, 2015
4,407
42
Speaking of that sort of thing, try heating one to just under the malleable point with your torch, wrap a piece of greasy, dirty old leather around it, and bang the shit out of it with your hammer. Then polish lightly; it makes for an interesting and more rust-resistant finish. (It is not true carbon hardening, but replicates it somewhat.)

 

aam79

Lurker
Nov 2, 2016
24
0
I like them. I made a couple of tampers the other day one is a .308 case with a .45 ACP case pressed on the other end. the other is a .223 case with a 9 mm case pressed on the other end.

 

loomongous

Starting to Get Obsessed
Sep 12, 2015
119
11
Colorado
I do the same thing. I have a bucket of pulled nails. Some bent, some rusty. I hammer the end flat and shape on a bench belt sander. I give them to my pipe smoking friends. I need to do some more.

 

mawnansmiff

Lifer
Oct 14, 2015
7,385
7,295
Sunny Cornwall, UK.
"Speaking of that sort of thing, try heating one to just under the malleable point with your torch, wrap a piece of greasy, dirty old leather around it, and bang the shit out of it with your hammer. Then polish lightly; it makes for an interesting and more rust-resistant finish. (It is not true carbon hardening, but replicates it somewhat.)"
I would go further...heat the entire nail to glowing red and drop it into a pot of old engine oil. That will put a great tarnish resistant coating on it.
Regards,
Jay.

 

aldecaker

Lifer
Feb 13, 2015
4,407
42
Quenching the whole thing will do just that, but the color will be uniform. The other method just gives it different tints and highlights, color-wise.

 

loomongous

Starting to Get Obsessed
Sep 12, 2015
119
11
Colorado
They really are easy to hammer out, without heating. You can color them with a torch afterwords pretty easily. I leave mine alone. If they oxidize, even better. Patina.

 

cbates55

Might Stick Around
Jan 27, 2017
65
0
Nail%20Tamper%201-s.jpg

Nail%20Tamper%202-s.jpg

Here is my take on a nail tamper... With a little heat until red and them hammering to shape and a little grinding where needed. Then heated again and quenched in oil.

 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
Hmmm, you might make and sell these using extra long nails for extra deep bowls; just a thought.

 

cbates55

Might Stick Around
Jan 27, 2017
65
0
Hmmm, you might make and sell these using extra long nails for extra deep bowls; just a thought.
@ mso489, Is this towards the OP or the one I posted on here?

 
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