Not a fan of home depot anymore...

[ConchRepublic]

Went to home depot today to pick up some lumber to start building a new run.

Got about 14 8ft 1x2 boards....

Not a good selection, most of the choices were either busted, or warped almost double...
We dug for about 15 minutes just to get semi-decent boards...

Got the 14 we needed and paid then went home. Took them out of the back of the truck and lined them up, cut what needed to be cut, adjusted what had to be done... made everything perfect.

Hammered the first nail in and.... both boards split

. I thought "Okay, bad board maybe." put the 2 boards aside, got 2 new ones. Started to hammer again, first nail went in fine. Now I'm using little nails, long enough to go into the second board but real thin, so started to put a second in.... both boards split again.

Now at this I figured that all of them would be the same...

Next time I go to Lowes...

 

[Year of the Rooster]

Be careful going to Lowes, too. We went there and had the same problem. Dug threw several stacks just to get some decent pieces. Try going to a lumber yard. It may be a little more expensive, but it's worth the quality.

 

[Chieftain]

Chuck a small drill bit in your power driver and try pre-drilling your holes. You don't need much of a hole, and it makes an enormous difference. I've come to do that out of habit with trim lumber for the very reason you state, only I got tired of splitting it with screws. It's not that hard to do and doesn't take that much more time.

 

[greyhorsewoman]

You can tap the pointy end of your nail to dull it slightly before using it to help prevent splitting the board.

Or just go one better, predrill a hole and use screws.

 

[hangman]

What size nail are you using?? a 1X2 is not very sturdy and does not take to big nails. Also how close to the end are you nailing?

 

[patandchickens]

It can be hard to find good quality 1x2s, unless you pay premium prices for project (not construction) grade stuff. Most of the 1x2 sold up here is meant for furring strip or nailer type applications, and thus pretty poor.

IMO it's *always* worth dulling the nailpoint, as greyhorsewoman says; and when you are dealing with cheap questionable lumber (like, you had to pick real hard to find anything usable), especially if it is a thin splitty size like 1x2 to begin with, predrilling (yes, for nails) is highly worthwhile too. And keeping the nails well away from the ends or edges of the pieces.

Sometimes it can be worth using 2x2s (nominal) instead, that you make yourself by ripping them down from 2x4s, just for the sake of being better quality wood to begin with. Or if you really need 1x2 sometimes IMO it is worth paying the extra price for the knotty-grade, which is usually decent quality (although, obviously, has knots

)

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[greyhorsewoman]

Sometimes it can be worth using 2x2s (nominal) instead, that you make yourself by ripping them down from 2x4s, just for the sake of being better quality wood to begin with.

This is so true. We do that all the time. Wood is never 'quite' what is says. A 2x4 is not 2"x4", but something slightly less. When you split your own 2x4, you get a decent 'furring' style strip to work with.​

 

[ConchRepublic]

I tried dulling the heads, the nails are 8d 2-3/4" coated drops.

We're returning the lumber back to Home Depot to see if we can complain enough to get a refund then heading over the local lumber yard to pick up either 2x2s or better 2x1s.

I wish I could have pre drilled but most of my tools are borrowed from my dad because he's a contractor and he recently took most back (including drills) because he started getting business again. Time for me to dig up the money to get my own.

 

[kcsunshine]

Quote:
My husband builds everything from chicken coops to fine furniture. He always dulls the tip of the nail to keep it from splitting the boards. (Or screws are good, too, actually less work because the drill does everything for you.)

 

[gsim]

I always pre-drill 1 x 2's because they are just firring strips. Only exception is when I have my pneumatic finish nailer on the job. As long as it is a finish nail or brad, it will not split a firring strip. Don't bother to look around at lumber yards because firring strips are the same wherever you find them in my experience.