Subject: Re: Blacksmith Shop Design

From: Russell McCrackin <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 27 Mar 1996 18:42:08 -0800

At 08:56 PM 3/27/96 -0500, you wrote:
>While on the topic of building a blacksmith shop.....
>
>a member of our Guild (who is not yet a member of this forum) is thinking 
>of using hand made nails to put up the board and batten siding on his 
>shop.  Does anyone have any comments of the advisability of this?  Given 
>that the nails will be made of mild steel, will rust be a problem? 
>
> My old barn has oak board siding put up with uncoated wire nails and in 
>places the nails have rusted to the point that the boards are loose.  
>Also there is some discoloration  on the surface from the nail heads rusting.
>  Granted, this has taken a LONG time.
>
>
>Is there something that can be done to the nails after forging to 
>decrease the problem of rust.
>
>Comments?  Discussion?
>
>Albin Drzewianowski
>Editor, Blacksmith Guild of Central Maryland
>Westminster, MD
>
>
Hi Albin    I have found that a 50-50 mix of linseed oil and bees wax, applied
while the steel is HOT seems to put a coating on the steel that resists rusting
for a while atleast.  But my main suggestion is to drive the nails in on an
angle (toe-nailed), so that even if the heads rust off the angle of the shank
will help hold them.  Just be sure that each location receives atleast 2 nails,
and that they slant in opposite directions.

Another thing he could do would be to put up the boards with galvanized nails
for permanence, and cover them with the batten, fastened by the forged nails.
He would have the appearance he wants with the security of the galvanized nails.

But maybe he wants more "purity" (not a bad thing to want in these days) and
won't use galvanized.  In that case, he might have to add a few new nails many
years down the line.

Rusty at Rusty Forge.

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 [email-masked]

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From: "Joe B. McGlynn (415) 855-5707" <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 28 Mar 1996 07:33:59 -0800 (PST)

If the only concern is about shop made nails rusting, why not send the lot out
for a zinc bath?  Or just forge them from stainless :-0

Personally, I like those pnuematic nail guns, ca-chunk!, ca-chunk! (Tim Allen
noise)

Joe