A Kilo of Nails

[2scoops0406]

Adams method for calculating the number of nails makes some flawed assumptions. Firstly that the shank of the nail is uniform, it does not take into account the tapering of the nail at its point, and most importantly the nails are galvanised therefore coated in Zinc, which doesn't have the same density as steel (anyhow, what kind of steel is being assumed, mild, cold rolled, stainless etc etc, this all affect s the density) my method is king, I rule supreme Do I get the prize for most pendantic post of the month? Don't get me started on 6.022 x 10^23

 

[AdamW]

Do I get the prize for most pendantic post of the month?

Nope, cos yer wrong!

The zinc plating thickness on a galvanised nail is of the order of a few microns. This is well below 1% of the shank diameter and well within the manufacturing tolerances of a nail. Thus, the mass of the zinc plating can be assumed as zero.

I also said

The density of a high-carbon steel is about 7850 kg per cubic metre. Thus one kilogram of steel has a volume of 1/7850 of a cubic metre.

Thus assuming a generic steel... you see, as a physicist and an analyst one must make assumptions and approximations. To say these are wrong is, well, wrong! They can be inaccurate, but not wrong! v Just so long as you state your assumptions then there is nothing wrong about it.

I will give you the pointy issue, however I doubt that the manufacturing tolerances of a galvanised clout are such that you will find the volume of a cylindrical shank outside the tolerances for the pointy shank... When I buy them there is some question as to whether or not they are all even straight!

I get the most pedantic award by spelling "pedantic" correctly

 

[2scoops0406]

The replies reel in my head but, I can't get over the fact that I spelt pedantic incorrectly. Still at least I know what DNA stands for.

I mean if I'm dishing out insults I should have at least the decency to spell it correctly.

 

[pipme]

Here we go !!

http://www.sizes.com/indexes.htm
Go Tools / fasteners / nails

Look at the 2 inch common wire nails.
Mod AdamW's calcs by using the specified wire gge size 11.5 which is 2.87mm diam.
Allow 5mm of his 50mm length for coned / pointed end, leave the head and material as Adam's spec ..... I make it 383 nails per kilo, the figure given is 181 nails per Lb ... So 2.205x181=399 per Kilo

Adam was only 4 % in error !! Even with a guesstimate for the head and material ..... Not three bad I would say !!

P

 

[2scoops0406]

Chemist / (Bio) physicist I rest my case

 

[pipme]

richarta here you go ....... Nailed it !!

http://www7.taosnet.com/ebear/nails.html

P

 

[AdamW]

Adam was only 4 % in error !! Even with a guesstimate for the head and material ..... Not three bad I would say !!

P

Oh yes, oh yes!

Right, I'm off to sit smugly at my superlative nail-quantity-estimating skills, and write "DeoxyRIBOnucleic acid" several times

 

[mildmanneredjanitor]

Adam was only 4 % in error !! Even with a guesstimate for the head and material ..... Not three bad I would say !!

P

Oh yes, oh yes!

Right, I'm off to sit smugly at my superlative nail-quantity-estimating skills, and write "DeoxyRIBOnucleic acid" several times

Yes I guess you can allow for some heads being larger than average...

Mr bloody Tefal head!!!

 

[AdamW]

Mr b****y Tefal head!!!

What, like non-stick? You sayin' I got greasy hair, like? I can't help it, it's me sebacious glands, they're all overactive! Overactive I tells you!

 

[pipme]

Now, now, girls !!

 

[mildmanneredjanitor]

Mr b****y Tefal head!!!

What, like non-stick? You sayin' I got greasy hair, like? I can't help it, it's me sebacious glands, they're all overactive! Overactive I tells you!

superlative, sebacious... Stop using big words!!!

No, Tefal head as in the 90's advert with Tefal Scientists with enlarged craniums due to being very clever!!!

I wasn't refering to your sweaty greasy hair!

 

[AdamW]

No, Tefal head as in the 90's advert with Tefal Scientists with enlarged craniums due to being very clever!!!

I will take that as a complement! I had thought it was maybe something to do with thick and thin toasters, but couldn't figure out how that would work (although I do eat a lot of toast, both thick and thin... hmmmm.)

 

[leaky]

If your hardware shop is as good as the one in my town you could phone them and ask how many nails in a kilo, I gaurentee they would phone me back with the answer.