Dont Split Your Wood

It happens to everyone who has ever driven a nail into wood; you drive it too close to the end — and crack, the wood splits! Learn how to prevent splitting with just a little upside-down hitting.

Here’s how: You can drill small pilot holes to avoid splits, or you can do what most pros do.

They know a sharp-pointed tip on the end of a nail acts as a wedge going into the wood, spreading the fibers apart, as it drives through the grain. And, if near the end, it causes the grain to split and separate under the pressure.

To avoid this, pros flip the nail over and, with a few hammer taps, they blunt the pointed end. This causes the flattened tip to tear the fibers (rather than spreading them apart), as it’s driven into, and right through, the wood. While it seems counter to logic (you’d think a sharp point would just slip right through), in reality, it doesn’t. In this case, being “blunt” and ‘to the point’ is best.

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