Hi NH:

I do the same thing sometimes: miss peoples posts.

In reviewing your first post, I see you are focusing more on cut nails than the wire type, making some of my later comments less relevant. But the Audels book does state that American cut nail machines were brought to England first, not the other way around. Like yourself, I find this interesting and a bit counterintuitive. But thinking further, England was not awash in lumber like the Americas were at the time.

There must have been a great need for nails w/ all the forest resources (sawn lumber) from the many mills in the increasingly-industrial "New World." After all, England and Europe are home to no-nails-required systems like thatched roofs and wattle and daub, rather than shingles and board sheathing using many nails (just a hypothesis).

This book is a great study of New England historical methods of building. It covers cut nail manufacture and dates- pg. 24+25:

http://books.google.com/books?id=2W1Lq_nvlCQC&printsec=frontcover&dq=field+guide+new+england+barns#PPA24,M1

Again, nice topic. Looking forward to more discussion.


Don Perkins
Member, TFG


to know the trees...