What sort of nails are used on pallets?

[Bludall]

We have been given an old shed for our allotment plot.
I struggled to fix it together as we have no battery operated power tools, don't know anyone with them and can't afford to hire.. I resorted to using nails and
a hammer to fix the sides to the floor and together. As it has a pent roof, I tried nailing the old ply sheeting to the sides but it was before a storm and they blew off. It is in a fairly open area. I had a thought, the huge 8' x 4' pallets that I dismantled had really good nails fixing the timber together. I wondered whether I'd have more luck with pallet nails. What would you suggest?

[big-all]

ring shank the wood will pullover the head before the shank lets go

[wine~o]

No idea on pallets but ring shank nails should do the job. widely available.

EDIT. Beaten to it by B-A....

[Job and Knock]

Pallets are made using a mixture of ring shank and wire twist nails. I've only ever seen the wire twists in collated form (for collated pneumatic nail guns). The ring shanks are what we use for tasks like floor sheathing, etc

[Bludall]

Thank you all for the replies, much appreciated. I will have a look in Wickes for ring shank nails.

[Gadget]

Sometimes simply called 'ring nails'

[Rorschach]

Hot dip galvanised have a good holding power. Great video on nail testing here, ring shank not as good as I expected.

[Job and Knock]

I can tell you from experience that theory or not it's a lot harder to pull a frame apart when it's been made using ring annular nails than when it's been made with plain steel or galvanised steel nails (at least if using a pneumatic nailer)

[Nos]

Good test, what you need is galvanized ring shank, I feel that a screw would always have better holding power than a nail.

[dewaltdisney]

Hiya L, good to see you back again

I tried breaking some pallets for the wood once and it was very difficult to pry them apart. You will find that ring shanks are good to hold but make sure they are long enough to go through the top piece and in a good depth to the receiving piece.

Good luck

DWD

[Argyll]

Good test, what you need is galvanized ring shank, I feel that a screw would always have better holding power than a nail.

Indeed. A screw has more tensile strength but has little or no shear strength. A nail has superior shear strength.

[Bob225]

For sheds ect outdoors annular (ring) nails will hold together and usually out last the timber, once in your have a job to get them out

https://www.screwfix.com/p/easyfix-annu ... pack/18553

Wickes are expensive for nails and screws - 400g vs 1kg at screwfix for the same money

https://www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-50mm-Br ... g/p/510166

[Job and Knock]

Good test, what you need is galvanized ring shank, I feel that a screw would always have better holding power than a nail.

It's a bit of a tricky one, that. If I'm framing-out for pygmy walls in, say, a commercial kitchen, using 4 x 2 CLS a frame made up using #12 x 4in (6.0 x 100) screw is always a lot more rigid than one made using nails, although such a structure isn't designed to resist shock loading. On the other hand when you are joisting out a floor (i.e. joists nailed into joist hangers) or building a roof nails are the way to go because if they allow for limited movement and unlike screws if suddenly overloaded they will tend to progressively fail on account of being softer and less brittle. Pallets are obviously going to be shock loaded and sheds are obviously going to have to withstand variable wind pressures hence both are better nailed together than screwed (not to mention the facty that screws cost a lot more than nails)

[Bludall]

Good test, what you need is galvanized ring shank, I feel that a screw would always have better holding power than a nail.

The issue is that the shed is in a field, on an allotment plot. I built the shed up using supports and nailed the sides together and to the base, using some hefty nails. It's an 8 x 6 pent roof. I temporarily nailed the old sheet ply to make the roof and added a few cls timbers for strength. Put an old army lorry tarp over the top as it had not been felted. One good storm, it was back on the floor. I'm not hand screwing it together, no power tools :( don't want an rsi.
Having pulled a huge 8 x 4 pallet apart, I was impressed by the staying power of the nails.

[Bludall]

Hiya L, good to see you back again

I tried breaking some pallets for the wood once and it was very difficult to pry them apart. You will find that ring shanks are good to hold but make sure they are long enough to go through the top piece and in a good depth to the receiving piece.

Good luck

DWD

Hi DWD,

I have given up asking my husband to help, as always it's a case of get it done myself. In an ideal world, I'd have battery operated tools to make it easier but I am having to think of options to get the shed sorted without screws.
I hope to get it sorted this week, not had chance to get nails yet.
Louise