Literal Pipe Nails

[hmhaines]

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.

 

[texmexpipe]

nice job!

 

[pagan]

Crafty, nice job :clap:

 

[cynicismandsugar]

I dig it! Great thinking, sir. :clap:

 

[mso489]

I think I like the unpolished version, as is.

 

[hmhaines]

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]

Remember, once surface rust is removed, it is called "patina".

 

[aldecaker]

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.)

 

[gmjabsky]

Bravo! I often use a golf tee

 

[aam79]

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.

 

[yaddy306]

Bravo! I often use a golf tee

Try heating them up, and then hammering them flat.

 

[Loomungus]

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.

 

[jkrug]

Very nice...I'm diggin' your craftiness! ::

 

[mawnansmiff]

"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]

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.

 

[Loomungus]

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]

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.

 

[missionpipe]

I think I like the unpolished version, as is.

I agree. Look great as is.

 

[mso489]

Hmmm, you might make and sell these using extra long nails for extra deep bowls; just a thought.

 

[cbates55]

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?