I'm doing some repro chests, with forged ironwork held on with nails from the outside, clenched over on the inside. Until I find some nice ductile iron rod, I'm tired of riveting steel!
Any advice on clenching ? Should I just bend them over, or should I try to turn the tip downwards first, then bend ove the main length (hiding the point)
Which way should I bend the nails to clench them ? Along the grain or across it ?
Hiding the point means less scratches on hands or stuff put inside the boxes: Do it.
Along the grain will not help stability if the wood starts to split at the point the nail goes through, while across the grain it will still hold, so go for across the grain.
... wich might be easily achived by holding a triangular or even flat iron bar close to the nail, bend over that, then with one stroke of the hamme bend the tip of the nail over the edge of the bar, remove bar, hammer nail flat into woood...
Juergen is right. Experiment with the rod size to turn the point in a bit. Old gates and board/batten doors were made this way. The trick is not to drive the head back out. BTW, it's "clinch", as in "clinch the deal". Wilson
Ah, that's a neat idea.
roll the tip first.
across the grain.
I have made many shed and garden doors this way, back in the fiftys. We turned the end of the nail over the tip of our nailset parrallel to the grain, then set under the surface. Hope this makes sense.
Oldtimer
Andy D> I'm doing some repro chests, with forged ironwork held on with nails
MMmmmmmmm, Wilson, it might BE "clench" where Andy is.
A source for soft iron rod:
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