Essentials of woodworking

by Ira Samuel Griffith

68. Nailset.

—Except in rough work, the nail should not be driven entirely in with the hammer or the wood will be marred. A nailset held as in [Fig. 129] should be used to set the head of the nail slightly below the surface of the wood—about one thirty-second of an inch. A finger placed against the side of the nailset and allowed to rest on the piece of wood aids greatly in guiding the set, which otherwise might jump off the nail head when the blow is struck and indent the wood.

Fig. 129.

Fig. 130.

69. Withdrawing Nails.

—Should it be necessary to withdraw a nail, place a block of wood under the head of the hammer, [Fig. 130], to prevent marring the surface of the wood. If the nail is a long one, the size of the block used should be increased as the nail comes out, that the nail may not be bent.

70. The Screwdriver.

—Patent ratchet and spiral screwdrivers have come into quite common use among workers in wood. The old style, [Fig. 131], however, is much better suited to elementary work than any of these special forms.