Wetland Trail Design and Construction
Appendix D-Sizes of Hot-Dipped Galvanized Nail Sizes
| ¹Penny (d) | Length (inches) | ²Penetration required (inches) | Nails per pound | Gauge (inches) | Bit size for pilot holes (inches) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 3 | 2 | 75 | 10 | NA |
| 12 | 3¼ | 2 1/8 | 69 | 10 | NA |
| 16 | 3½ | 2¼ | 54 | 9 | 3/32 |
| 20 | 4 | 2 5/8 | 33 | 7 | 1/8 |
| 30 | 4½ | 3 | 29 | 7 | 1/8 |
| 40 | 5 | 3¼ | 22 | 5½ | 1/8 |
| 50 | 5½ | 3 5/8 | 20 | 5½ | 1/8 |
| 60 | 6 | 4 | 18 | 5½ | 3/16 |
¹Nails are sold by the old English system of pennyweight. The value of the penny has changed since the system was devised, and today there seems to be no relation to the size and weight of the nail to the penny. The standard symbol for penny is "d".
²The "penetration required" column shows the minimum depth the nail must penetrate into the second piece of wood to make a sound connection. The penetration must be increased by one-third when nailing into the end of the piece of wood (end nailing).
