FASTENING MATERIALS

7.1. Nails
Nails are made of iron wire. One end is upset and forms the nail head while the other end is pointed. Nails
are used for: joining wood, assembling ironwork to wood, fastening flooring boards, wooden partitions,
etc...
Types of Nails
a) Jolt or Bullet head nail: - A strong nail giving a neat appearance when driven and punched into the wood.
Widely used in buildings.

b) Flat head nail: - Wire nails are available in sizes from 13 mm to 250 mm in length and are obtainable in
bright mild steel and galvanised. The shank is roughened near the head to increase the friction grip. The
head is round and flat and knurled to prevent the hammer from slipping off. These nails are also known as
French nails.
c) Panel pin: - Panel pins are round in cross section. They are available in sizes from 13 mm to 50 mm in
length and are used for light construction. The head is easily punched beneath the surface with no damage to
the wood surface surrounding the head.

d) Fibro nails: - Wire nail coated with zinc to prevent it from getting rusty. A thin nail of about 15 mm to 30
mm length with flat head and blunt end.
e) Spring head or roofing nail: - An umbrella shaped type of nail which is commonly used to nail roofing
iron (corrugated iron) on to the roof frames. The
nail is galvanised to protect it from getting rusty

f) Clout nail: - Made in steel or copper and may be galvanized. It is round in cross section area and has a
large head which makes it ideal for fixing roofing felt (underlay-felt paper).

7.2. Screws
Woodscrews are used for joining wood, fastening ironwork to wood, fastening hardware (hinges, locks) to
wood. A screw is a metal fastener with a spiral thread cut in. Wood-screws are made of iron, brass or other
material.
Screws provide much greater holding power than nails. The spiral thread of the screw turns its way into the
wood to become firmly embedded in the fibres. A thread is formed in the wood and enables screws to be
removed and replaced if
required.
a) Parts of a screw: - A screw consists of a Slot, the Head, the Gauge, the Shank,
the Thread and the Point.

Figure
b) Different types of screws:
a) Coach screw: - Extra large wood screw with bolt type head that is tightened
with a spanner.
Figure
b) Self-tapping screw: - Used for sheet metal work. It cuts its own thread as it is screwed. Has either slotted
or Philips cross slot head.
Figure

c) Fitting screws: - Softwood: It is necessary to bore a clearance hole for the shank of the screw through the
top piece of wood. Countersinking will also be
required for a countersunk head screw.
Hardwood: A clearance hole must be bored in the top piece and a pilot hole
for the thread of the screw in the bottom piece.

7.3. Bolts and nuts

Bolts and nuts are used for joining wood in heavy wood construction (roof trusses and rafters), fastening
heavy wood structures to iron constructions, connection of parts on iron construction.
The bolt consists of a cylindrical shank with a head. The shank is threaded for a nut.
Fastening two (or more) pieces of wood by means of a bolt gives a very strong connection.
A washer is put between wood and nut to prevent damaging the wood, when the nut is tightened up.
c) Machine bolts: - All bolts with square or hexagonal heads referred to as machine bolts.
Figure
d) Coach or Carriage bolts: - All bolts with round heads are referred to as coach or carriage bolts. They have
square or ribbed collars that prevent them from turning once the nut has tightened.
e) Stove bolts: - Functions as a bolt but have screw heads flat or round.
Figure
f) Rag bolt: - For bolting wood to concrete, jagged head is set in wet concrete and holds firmly when
concrete dries.
Figure
g) Hexagonal nuts: - Commonest type of nut available in a wider range of sizes.
Figure
h) Square nuts: - Mainly in large sizes only for coach bolts.

i) Flat square nuts: - In smaller sizes only for lighter jobs.

Figure
j) Handrail nut: - Used on handrail screw and in places where there is a space problem and where it is
necessary for nuts to be tightened from the sides.
Figure
k) Winged nuts: - Used where nuts have to be easily undone and tightened by hand.
i)Dome nuts: - Decorative nut, usually chromium plated.

m) locking nut: - Is used where vibrations might make normal nuts undone. Has fibre ring inside to make it
hard to turn.
Figure
n) Flat washer: - For round head screws, spreads the load to give good grip. Also used in conjunction with
bolts to prevent bolt from falling into wood and give a smooth surface to tighten the nut on.
Figure
o) Single coil spring washer: - For fastening, spring shape prevents bolt from coming undone.
Figure
p) Tooth washer: - Washers with internal or external gripping teeth to prevent bolt from undoing.

Causes of deterioration
of materials
 poor handling, inadequate packing for transport or exposure to changing relative humidity (physical
degradation);
Excessively hot and dry conditions cause wood to shrink and crack. Conversely, cold and damp conditions
cause wood to swell and warp. Substantial damage may be caused by large, rapid fluctuations in relative
humidity levels. This is particularly so if wooden parts are closely joined and if their respective grains run
contrary to one another. The restriction of free movement often leads to warping and cracking.
 heat (thermal degradation);
Heat weakens the bonds between fibres, leading to increased brittleness and fragility.

 Light and UV radiation (photochemical degradation);

Excessive light exposure will cause bleaching of certain dyes or pigments and fading or discolouration of
surface finishes.
  biological agents such as fungi, bacteria or insects (biological degradation);
Wood-rotting fungi, such as dry rot, severely damage structural timbers. Wood-rotting fungi require
moisture, some air, moderate temperatures and the absence of toxic influences to develop. Termites (white
ants), black ants and other insects are also responsible for serious damage to wooden materials.

 acidic or alkaline chemicals (chemical degradation)

Building materials are vulnerable to chemical attack, particularly under conditions of high acidity (pH less
than 2) or high alkalinity (pH greater than 11

 Rust
Corroded fasteners often end up becoming difficult to remove and may end up destroying the item you were
fastening in the first place.

JOINTS AND MATERIAL PREPARATION

Factors to consider:
1. Proportion- This is the relationship between two or more timber units that are being joined together.
They should be of the same size and measurements so that they can be able to fit well.
2. Strength- Most joints undergo shear, compression and tension stresses. Therefore, a strong joint should
be chooses depending on the amount of stresses it will undergo.
3. Fastening method- Factors that affect fastening method include cost, strength, availability, corrosion
resistance and simplicity.
4. Aesthetics- The final appearance is very important. The joint should be seamless.

Other
1. Maintenance- You need to consider how often the joints require maintenance
2. Material preparation- You need to consider how difficult is to prepare materials for joining
3. Costing- You need to consider the budget for the joint. You need to consider the time frame and how
much time you need to fit the joint within schedule.

Material preparation
Every material has special preparations that need to be done before you can successfully join them together.
There are some basic preparations that have to be done.

Procedure
i. Make sure that the materials are clean of debris or foreign materials.
ii. Remove sharp edges that were made during the cutting process using a sandpaper or a hand plane
iii. Make sure that the joint is straight and square and free from saw marks or knife marks. Prepare the
joint properly according to the desired design.
iv. After the material has been prepped, spread an adhesive accordingly. Too little adhesive can result in
week joints while too much of it requires a lot for money and may also cause ill-fitting joints.
v. Selecting the clamping pressure. The type of wood and level of joint preparation dictates the amount of
pressure to be applied to the glued joint. The ideal clamp time is based on a number of factors, such as
the type of adhesive, kind of wood, moisture content, environmental conditions and glue-line
thickness.

Alternative jointing methods for contemporary materials

 i. Fusing. To join different pieces or units together physically by melting.
ii. Welding. This method is used to create permanent joints in fabrication through the heat process. When
metal pieces being joined are large and have similar melting points it works well