Nails

Iron pins of various descriptions for fastening board, plank, or iron work, viz., deck nails, or spike nails, which are from 4 inches and a half to 12 inches long, have snug heads, and are used for fastening planks and the flat of the decks. Weight nails are similar to deck nails, but not so fine, have square heads, and are used for fastening cleats, etc. Ribband nails are similar to weight nails, with this difference, that they have large round heads, so as to be more easily drawn. They are used for fastening the ribbands, etc. Clamp nails are short stout nails, with large heads for fastening iron clamps. Port nails, double and single, are similar to clamp nails, and used for fastening iron-work. Rudder nails are also similar, but used chiefly for fastening the pintles and braces. Filling nails (obsolete) are generally of cast-iron, and driven very thick in the bottom planks instead of copper sheathing. Sheathing nails (obsolete) are used to fasten wood sheathing on the ship's bottom to preserve the plank and prevent the filling nails from tearing it too much. Nails of sorts are 4, 6, 8, 10, 24, 30 and 40 penny nails, all of different lengths, and used for nailing board, etc. Scupper nails are short nails, with very broad heads, used to nail the flaps of the scuppers. Lead nails are small round-headed nails for nailing of lead. Flat nails are small sharp-pointed nails, with flat, thin heads, for nailing the scarphs of moulds. Sheathing nails for nailing copper sheathing are of metal, cast in moulds, about one inch and a quarter long; the heads are flat on the upper side and counter-sunk below; the upper side is polished to obviate the adhesion of weeds. Boat nails, used by boat-builders, are of various lengths, generally rose-headed, square at the points, and made both of copper and iron.