Civil War nails.

[major bill]

The Union and Confederate Armies used nails to build many things. For example some construction was delayed due to the shortage of nails. So what were the most commonly used nails? I know that the square machine cut nails were probably still being used but modern wire cut nails were coming into fashion. Still it is probable that the machine cut nails were still being widely used. Do we have a "nail expert" on the forum?

 

[Eleanor Rose]

Do we have a "nail expert" on the forum?

We probably do. Unfortunately it's not me. Hopefully someone will come along with an answer soon.


Edit: I did find this source.

 

[lelliott19]

Unfortunately it's not me.

Me either. But you might be interested in this thread I posted a while back about the Etowah Ironworks supplying nails for Confederate hospitals?
https://civilwartalk.com/threads/etowah-ironworks-provides-nails-for-hospitals.128348/

 

[major bill]

That is interesting.

 

[Seduzal]

Me either. But you might be interested in this thread I posted a while back about the Etowah Ironworks supplying nails for Confederate hospitals?
https://civilwartalk.com/threads/etowah-ironworks-provides-nails-for-hospitals.128348/

Thank you for this very impressive video. Enjoyed reading it. Although IMO way back in the early times when the colony's were building there homes they used wooden dowels for nails or they dove tailed the logs for house building.. or nails made from a Blacksmith shop that took many hours to make...later that used cut nails.

 

[DaveBrt]

Tredegar had three nail machines, details unknown. By mid-war, they were no longer in use and, at Shelby Iron Works' request, one was sent to that company in Alabama where it was set up and operated.

 

[unicornforge]

The "Ordnance Manuals for Use Of..." 1840s through 1860s provide the specifications for all the fasteners used by the Armies of the North and South in the construction of their equipment, and also specify which of those fasteners will be used and where placed on equipment of and accompanying field artillery and park service.

From the index of the 1863 Ordnance Manual ... "Nails: Wrought and Cut: Dimensions, 66, Horseshoe: Weight, 154. " The information for each piece of equipment refers to that information in the Manual. So if someone goes through the manual counting nails and other fasteners, they are likely to see how frequently each nail/fastener was used by the army, at least in its equipment.

I would be interested to hear what Army projects were delayed. I didn't know that the Armies built projects other than bridges and emplacements.

tremontnail.com still makes and sells cut nails.

 

[jackt62]

The only thing I know about Civil War nails is that at Gettysburg, General Winfield Scott was wounded by a flying nail from his saddle pommel that was loosened by a bullet.

 

[major bill]

The "Ordnance Manuals for Use Of..." 1840s through 1860s provide the specifications for all the fasteners used by the Armies of the North and South in the construction of their equipment, and also specify which of those fasteners will be used and where placed on equipment of and accompanying field artillery and park service.

From the index of the 1863 Ordnance Manual ... "Nails: Wrought and Cut: Dimensions, 66, Horseshoe: Weight, 154. " The information for each piece of equipment refers to that information in the Manual. So if someone goes through the manual counting nails and other fasteners, they are likely to see how frequently each nail/fastener was used by the army, at least in its equipment.

I would be interested to hear what Army projects were delayed. I didn't know that the Armies built projects other than bridges and emplacements.

tremontnail.com still makes and sells cut nails.

Have to remember where but at least one prisoner of war camp had difficulties getting nails issued to them. Andersonville maybe?

 

[Belle Montgomery]

According to an antique dealer I purchased a hutch from, the square nails were used until the end of the 1870's. That's how he appraised the piece I bought from him in the 1870's because it still had home made square nails. Hope that helped.

 

[unicornforge]

Have to remember where but at least one prisoner of war camp had difficulties getting nails issued to them. Andersonville maybe?

I may be wrong, but I don't put prisoner of war camps in the same category as the armies.

Army, "an organized military force equipped for fighting on land"