Show Me Your Pallet Projects!

[gtaus]

Think of it this way.. hammer in a nail half way, do the same with a screw. Now smack both of them to fold them over at a 90 degree angle. The nail will fold over, the screw will snap.
That's tensile strength..

Now fasten a piece of plywood to a board with a nail and a screw. Take a flat pry bar or chisel and hammer it in between the plywood and board making contact with the nail and screw. The screw will snap faster then the nail.
That's sheer strength....

OK. Then are you saying that nails have both better tensile and sheer properties compared to screws? I guess that would make sense. I have never seen professionals using screws for framing up a house, for example.

I do know that if I use screws to hold two pieces of wood together, then they are much harder to pry up than two boards nailed together. And, in pallet nails, the toughest nails to take out are those spiral (screw) shank nails which really hold like buggers.

 

[gtaus]

Framing screw guns... The Metabo on the left is popular for screwing OSB down to floor joists. (Subfloor).
The Ridgid on the right is used alot by drywall hangers.
View attachment 3725436
Edit.. oops, forgot pic.

Yes, I am familiar with those screws guns and have even used a screw gun for mounting drywall to a ceiling. That was great to use. But they are not in way meant for framing construction.

 

[gtaus]

not only. I use metal for the roof structure under the panels. ironically they are cheaper than wood here.

Thanks. That's why I asked. I had never heard of metal skeleton, but I know you live in Greece and I just had to ask what you meant. Surprised to hear that metal is less expensive than wood where you live. But I live in an area surrounded by forests, so I don't think much in terms of building with metal.

 

[wrathsfarm]

OK. Then are you saying that nails have both better tensile and sheer properties compared to screws? I guess that would make sense. I have never seen professionals using screws for framing up a house, for example.

Exactly. But nails are much cheaper than screws. In some situations screws are better. For instance, drywall nails were notorious for pulling out on their own. (Nail pops) today screws are much better and preferred because they won't pull out. Another is decking, much easier for replacement but it holds no structural value. Framing must be nailed with Galvanized spirals intended for PT lumber.

I do know that if I use screws to hold two pieces of wood together, then they are much harder to pry up than two boards nailed together. And, in pallet nails, the toughest nails to take out are those spiral (screw) shank nails which really hold like buggers.

Yes this is called 'pull force' if I recall and this is where screws have the advantage. But then the nail gods created ring shanked nails that mimic a screws 'pull force' as you and I are well aware of in pallet wood. Also very popular in the framing nailers using 8d ring shanks for all OSB on walls, subfloors and roof decking.
Typically, we set our sheeting with hand drive 8d's at a corner or two til we square our framing then blow threw with ring shanks to finish.

 

[wrathsfarm]

Yes, I am familiar with those screws guns and have even used a screw gun for mounting drywall to a ceiling. That was great to use. But they are not in way meant for framing construction.

The Rigid gun will run 3" screws on auto but I've never in my 25+ years in construction had an employer say " Here, use these. "
Couldn't fathom the cost of a box of them.

 

[Sally PB]

For instance, drywall nails were notorious for pulling out on their own. (Nail pops) today screws are much better and preferred because they won't pull out.

When we were putting up drywall, my husband sent me to get some drywall screws. I brought home nails, as they were cheaper. He sent me back to exchange them for screws. His reason had nothing to do with nail pops, but was this:

Pounding in nails, even if you're good at it, will leave divots where you don't hit the nail perfectly, or pound it in a little too far. Then you have to fill in the low spot with mud. Then you have to sand it all smooth.

Or, you can mud the little divot where the screw is.

I learned that mudding and then sanding are the least fun parts of drywall. So, yup! Drywall screws!

 

[wrathsfarm]

When we were putting up drywall, my husband sent me to get some drywall screws. I brought home nails, as they were cheaper. He sent me back to exchange them for screws. His reason had nothing to do with nail pops, but was this:

Pounding in nails, even if you're good at it, will leave divots where you don't hit the nail perfectly, or pound it in a little too far. Then you have to fill in the low spot with mud. Then you have to sand it all smooth.

Or, you can mud the little divot where the screw is.

I learned that mudding and then sanding are the least fun parts of drywall. So, yup! Drywall screws!

Yes you are correct. That is a very good point. I've done quite a bit a drywall myself but never nailed it, only screws. I was taught to just dimple the paper on drywall enough to get screws just under surface. Going too far even with a screw is the same as not having a screw there at all.
As far as myself using nails on drywall , I'm not an everyday rough framer where I'm swinging a hammer all day everyday, so I'm almost positive the head of the hammer may or may not punch thru drywall at any given time. My left hand can tell you how many times I've missed the nail in detail.

 

[gtaus]

But nails are much cheaper than screws. In some situations screws are better.

Yes this is called 'pull force' if I recall and this is where screws have the advantage. But then the nail gods created ring shanked nails that mimic a screws 'pull force' as you and I are well aware of in pallet wood.

Thank you for the information. In my limited experience, I agreed with all of your comments on the issue of using nails versus screws. So, maybe I knew a little more than I thought.

 

[gtaus]

The Rigid gun will run 3" screws on auto but I've never in my 25+ years in construction had an employer say " Here, use these. "
Couldn't fathom the cost of a box of them.

Well, aside from the cost of screws versus nails, I don't think screws would be considered for framing given screws have lower tensile and sheer properties.

AFTER I purchased my 21-degree framing nailer, I started looking at the prices of buying a box of nails. Yikes! They are expensive. But then I considered that a box of quality screws of that size and quantity would cost lots more.

I love it when I get a pallet put together with quality screws. The screws are easy to take out and reuse in other projects. I've had a few pallets made with screws, but maybe only 1 in 50 or more pallets. But they are a great find. I have buckets full of pallet wood nails saved up for something. Obviously, the individual nails are no good for a nailer, but I hope to use them someday, in some project. Also, with my Air Locker AP700 pneumatic nail puncher, I have been able to straighten out and save more nails then before when I was using the manual hammer and crowbars.

One of the unexpected advantages I discovered using the Air Locker AP700 was that you can straighten out bent nails using the Air Locker's long metal nose before you punch the nails out. That resulted in me harvesting about 2X-3X more nails ready to reuse. I don't even have to strighten out most of those nails punched out with the Air Locker. That would be a big time and labor saver - if I actually reused those nails. Well, I hope to reuse those nails in some projects.

As a kid, I made many projects with my Great Depression era grandfather. We reused just about every nail possible. Back in the day, you didn't go into town to buy a bag of new nails unless you absolutely had no old nails left in the bucket. So, I find it hard to get rid of my used pallet nails that I know are more than adequate to be reused.

 

[gtaus]

I've done quite a bit a drywall myself but never nailed it, only screws. I was taught to just dimple the paper on drywall enough to get screws just under surface. Going too far even with a screw is the same as not having a screw there at all.

Somewhere along the line, I discovered drywall screw bits that work really great to prevent driving the screws too far into the drywall.

Those drywall screw bits save a lot of time and effort in hanging drywall. I only have used drywall screws for many years, and don't remember the last time I used drywall nails. Of course, having battery powered drills was a big turning point for us old guys. There was a time when all we had was a manual hammer to work with.