What Are Finish Nails?

Design

• Finish nails are typically small, light nails. The head is round or oval and much narrower than the flat head of the common nail, less than twice the width of the nail's shaft. The shaft is generally smooth and narrower than common nails of the same length. Finishing nails are rarely larger than 8-penny, or about 2 1/2 inches long. Projects requiring larger nails typically turn to the thicker and flat-headed casing nail, which can also be countersunk with a nail setter.

Countersinking

• The main purpose of finishing nails is to be countersunk with a nail setter -- a tool resembling a punch awl, with a shallow socket in the tip designed to fit over the head of a finishing nail. Once the finishing nail is hammered into place, the nail setter is positioned over the head of the nail and struck until the head is driven down into the wood. The resulting hole can then be filled with wood putty, rendering the nail invisible.

Common Uses

• Finishing nails are generally used to fasten light features in areas where visible nails are not desirable, such as baseboard and wall trim. They can also be used to fasten fixed frames for pictures and mirrors. Because of their small size and lack of a flat head, finishing nails are not appropriate for fastening large or heavy pieces.

Nail Guns

• Aside from their ability to be driven and countersunk with a hammer, finishing nails are a good complement to nail guns because of their narrow profile and small size. Using a nail gun to drive finishing nails has the advantage of automatically countersinking the nails. Many nail guns are powerful enough to drive the head of the nail beneath the wood's surface without the need for a nail setter.