how do you Prevent 2 x 4 splitting while hammering nails into them

[Garris]

I build around my house, cause I can't afford to drive anywhere..

I notice that my wood splits when I nail it together..

anyone know why or how to prevent this?

[stillgoing]

Drill and screw instead.
or place the nail farther from the end.

[gimped]

Make the sharp end more blunt. It always works. Hit it with a hammer.

[brock]

Originally posted by gimped
Make the sharp end more blunt. It always works. Hit it with a hammer.

Yes!

This makes the nail "push" through the wood, breaking the fibers on the way through, instead of the pointed tip "spreading" the wood apart as it travels through the grain.

[ride24/7]

if you look at the tip of most nails you will see that the tip is wider one way than the other... put the wider blade edge across the grain, this allows it to cut the fibres intead of splitting them. Spiral nails aren't like that though:( so turn them over and tap them with the hammer so the end is blunted.

[Niggz]

if you're by your home then drill and screw cuz then you can take it apart and change it if you want

[mike]

use cedar :D
use a drill and screws
if thats not an option make them longer than you have to and cut them after

[dirty-bike]

Originally posted by gimped
Make the sharp end more blunt. It always works. Hit it with a hammer.

First time a buddy and I were building, he did that. I was skeptical at first but it really does work well...

[pg_trail_junkie]

Originally posted by gimped
Make the sharp end more blunt. It always works. Hit it with a hammer. thats cool to know, I usally just predrill and use screws, hell of a lot easier when you want to rebuild something!!!

[wilkez]

mikes got it right. leave them like 4 inches long on either side of the runners, then cut it off after. when u nail more to the inside, it doesnt split as much

[trail worker]

if you must use 2 by 4's and the like, it would be best to use ardox nails wich are less likely to bend and or split the wood.you can always pre-drill them if you feel it's neccesary.
try and get some cedar and split that up though...you might have a neighbor with a whole wack of rounds of cedar for firewood that you could pillage a few from.....;)

[125]

use smaller nails

[twofortythree]

smaller nails that wont bite into teh wood??

[125]

no, long enough so they'll do they job but not big fat ones that'll crack/split the wood

[parksvilleguy]

blunting the nail works sometimes....if ur only using 2x4's then it only needs one nail for either side of the cross pieces


u can figure it out pretty quick if you work with it

[twofortythree]

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...i c hark

[Loopie]

nice nail info:D
I predominently use screws though myself:cool:

[twofortythree]

Originally posted by Loopie
nice nail info:D
I predominently use screws though myself:cool:

is all the latters on rode made of store bougth wood???