Learn about nail sizes 💪 #nails #framing #carpentry #learn

Learn nail sizes. First off, penny and D mean the same thing. When someone says a 10 penny nail, they mean a 10 D nail, but it's more commonly called penny. The best way to learn this is to start with a 2 penny nail, and that's 1 in. Every consecutive nail, you add a quarter inch. So, if someone says he wants sheathing nailed with an 8 penny nail, that means you're going to do a 2 and 1/2 in nail. So, even though it's consistent, penny doesn't mean the gauge or the type of nail is the same. You see here, this is a 5 penny nail, but it's a finish nail. Nails come in different styles and gauge, but it's still the same penny. After a 10 penny nail, this is where it gets confusing for most people. When you jump to a 12 penny and a 16 penny, you still only add a quarter, but the numbers jump higher. Once you get to a 20 penny nail, that's when you start adding a half inch. So, you go 20, 30, 40, and add a half inch. These are more commonly used in pole barns and certain framing situations. This big nail here is a spike, and I just put it on here cuz it looks cool. Just because these increase in penny size doesn't mean that the nail gauge is going to increase. You see how this is a 10 D nail, but it's a lot thinner than this common nail. Same also goes for sheathing nails.