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Nail tools

A project log for How to build some things from (almost) nothing

A collection of tips and info about making on a budget. Ideas welcome!

johnowhitakerjohnowhitaker 12/28/2015 at 19:081 Comment

A bag of 10mm (or 6 inch) nails, a hammer and a file or two (or a grindstone, or some rough concrete, or a rock) can be used to make some pretty useful things in a pinch. Without further ado, here are some ideas:

1) Leave the nail exactly as it is - useful for banging quick holes in things). Can also round the end with a file to make nice round holes.

2) Flatten the end, sharpen it to make a chisel. Useful for cutting thin metal (like a tin). Lots of info and diagrams at nzdl - chisel

3) A drill, also described at the nzdl link.

4) Flat and Phillips screwdrivers. Flat is simple - file it to a flat point! But Phillips? Well, ok, 2D phillips... but it still works! Basically make a flat triangle at the end...

5) Various other pokers and pointy things as the need arises - the whole point is that you make what you need. Filing away 5 or 6 sides and adding a right angle bend for example could make a crude allen key, etc.

Notes:

Here are the ones I have made that are lying within reach right now (I made them recently away from home):

Discussions

larry.bentley wrote 05/23/2017 at 21:40 point

Masonry nails have enough carbon that they will harden/heat treat.  Makes small chisels, pin punches, drifts etc.  A low tech hammer can be made from a stick and a bolt.  Hot metal will burn a hole through the wood to form a seat for the bolt body.  From there blacksmithing becomes possible.  Easy to bend a piece of rebar and hand cut slots to build a hacksaw, make the bow about 1-2 cm longer than blade so it holds blade in tension.  Use pins/nail bits through blade holes and you have a hacksaw.  Photos available.

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