Straight to the Bar

All Things Strength

HELPING YOU GET STRONGER SINCE 2004

From the Archives : Nails – Converting Imperial to Metric
Written By : Scott Bird
Filed In : From the Archives

150mm (6I’m travelling for a couple of weeks (back around March 15). In the meantime, here are a few hidden gems from the archives.
Enjoy.

Nails : Converting imperial to metric

Yesterday I finally had time to head over to a nearby hardware store, which still ranks highly on my list of cool places to just wander around. This time, however, I headed straight for the fasteners section : specifically nails.
I’m currently re-reading the Diesel Crew’s Bending eBook (review), which discusses in great detail the many fun things to do with nails, bolts and other metal objects and the equipment and techniques necessary in order to do them. However, as I quickly discovered, the nails sold here these days are denoted solely by their metric measurements. The days of dual notation and handy conversion charts have gone.
For anyone who finds themselves in a similar position, here are a couple of charts which should prove indispensable.

Nail shank gauges (diametres)

Gauge sizes Decimal inches Decimal Millimeters
18 .049 1.24
16 .065 1.65
15 .072 1.83
14 .083 2.10
13 .095 2.41
12 .109 2.76
11 .120 3.04
10 .134 3.40
9 .148 3.76
8 .165 4.19
7 .175 4.44
6 .203 5.15
4 .238 6.04
Nail
Lengths

Nail Penny sizes In fractions of inches In millimetres
2d 1 25.4
3d 1 ¼ 31.8
4d 1 ½ 38.1
5d 1 ¾ 44.5
6d 2 50.8
7d 2 ¼ 57.2
8d 2 3/8 or 2
½		 60.3 or 63.5
9d 2 ¾ 69.9
10d 3 76.2
12d 3 ¼ 82.5
16d 3 ½ 88.9
20d 4 101.6
30d 4 ½ 114.3
40d 5 127.0
60d 6 152.4
70d 7 177.8
80d 8 203.2
90d 9 228.6
100d 10 254.0

A quick note on the pennies
If you’re in North America, you’ve probably seen nail sizes written in terms of pennies (60D, 70D, 80D etc). This most likely originates from the former English habit of selling nails in hundreds, and the ‘size’ simply refers to the price. A 6 penny nail is of a size which sold for 6 pence per hundred, and so on.
Why the D? It stands for Denarius, a Roman coin similar to a penny.

Over to you. Drop us a line on Twitter ( @scottbird ), or add a comment below.

Cheers.

 

NB : if you love talking about strength-training as much as I do, you might also like to check out the weekly newsletter (there's also a daily version available). A regular dose of fitness-focussed discussions, absolutely free.

0 Comments

What's This?

Straight to the Bar is the online home of fitness enthusiast Scott Bird, and looks at the many training approaches, essential techniques, uncommon exercises and superb equipment to help you become as strong as humanly possible. In short, this site is the home of all things strength.

images of strength

'Napalm' Jedd Johnson.
Want to see (and learn) more Feats of Strength like this? Dive in.

Just Joined Us? Try These.

There are some incredible writers on the team here. To give you an idea, check these out :

If you enjoyed these, check out the complete ‘Best Of Straight to the Bar‘ list. Fantastic.

setting up a home gym?

If you’re getting ready to put together a solid Home Gym (fantastic thing), here’s how.

For more, swing by the full guide. Absolutely free.

And of course, you’ll find everything you need over in the SttB Strength Store. Massive range.

Ever Tried Kettlebells?

If you’ve seen people using them but never taken the plunge yourself, here are the ones I use personally. You can also pick up a book/DVD/course if you want to learn how to put them to work.

Converters and Calculators.

Before you start your fitness journey, it’s important to measure a few things.

Here’s how.

Ready To Learn Even More?

I love learning new skills, and the many seminars & workshops available are a great way to do that. If you’re looking for a specific type of workshop nearby, check out the ones on Dragon Door. Great mix of kettlebell and calisthenics-based offerings.

The Precision Nutrition Certification Program

The Precision Nutrition Certification Program

The Precision Nutrition Certification Program.

If you’re a fitness professional and love the Precision Nutrition approach, check out their certification offering. To say it’s comprehensive is an understatement.

Wherever You Are, We Are.

In addition to the main site, you can share your strength-training passion with a like-minded community on :

Wherever you like to hang out, get your regular dose of strength. Straight to the Bar.

Written By Scott Bird
Scott is a long-time fitness enthusiast (Jan 2004!), writer and photographer living in Sydney, Australia. If you share the passion for spending a bit of time under a bar, welcome. Love hearing how everyone else trains. You can connect via X (Formerly Twitter), Facebook and the various networks listed in the sidebar.
Drawing of Scott Andrew Bird performing a deadlift. Artwork by Vince Palko.