How to Hammer Nails

Nails are the backbone to home building jobs and should be used for the purpose intended to maintain structural integrity.

Knocking them in
Nails are held in place with friction between the body, called the shank, and the surrounding timber fibres. The thicker the shank the more surface area and the more friction to hold it secure.
A thick nail holds best, but it can split the timber. Tapping the tip of a nail to dull it helps minimise this.
Flathead nails are best for connecting timber to timber. They have a large head to avoid being pulled through softer timbers.
Bullet-head nails have a more compressed head that can be driven to sit flush with the surface and then punched below and filled with putty.
Pre-drilling the holes is sometimes required to prevent nails from bending, especially when driving into hardwood. Use a drill to bore about a third less than the nail diameter to allow it to be driven in straight and maintain its hold.