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last time you bought a KEG of nails

junkhound | Posted in General Discussion on October 18, 2003 04:57am

When was the last time you bought a keg of nails.  Tried to recall, think it was 1969 last time  there were nails in kegs. Very common up to late 50’s.

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  1. andybuildz | Oct 18, 2003 05:32pm | #1

    probably the last time I bought a keg of beer.......never.

    My life is my practice!

    http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM

    1. BKCBUILDER | Oct 18, 2003 09:30pm | #4

      I bought a keg of Michelob Ultra just yesterday, actually a 1/2 keg(16 gallons) should last a month or so, depending on how many drop-in for a beer friends come by.

      1. Edgar76b | Oct 19, 2003 12:16am | #6

        I bought some stainless ring shank nails, the cost about the same as a keg of yuengling lager.Where there's A wheel there's a way, got any wheels?

      2. User avater
        JeffBuck | Oct 19, 2003 07:37am | #9

        "Ultra"...

        whadda ya doing?

        Drinking with supermodels or something??

        JeffBuck Construction   Pittsburgh,PA

         Fine Carpentery.....While U Waite                  

        1. BKCBUILDER | Oct 19, 2003 03:25pm | #10

          Counting calories...dreaming of High Life!

  2. UncleDunc | Oct 18, 2003 07:06pm | #2

    The topic has come up a couple of times. I only found one person who had ever bought nails in kegs.

    http://forums.taunton.com/tp-breaktime/messages/?msg=2277.16

    http://forums.taunton.com/tp-breaktime/messages/?msg=28943.1



    Edited 10/18/2003 12:19:58 PM ET by Uncle Dunc

  3. VaTom | Oct 18, 2003 09:30pm | #3

    When was the last time you bought a keg of nails.

    1973, when I was purchasing for a mobile home manufacturer near Phoenix.  Surprised me at the time.  Some kind of imported specialty nails.  No idea why or where they were used but these "trailers" started at $20k, pricey for the time.  The empty kegs got used as lunch seats.

    PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!

    1. User avater
      briankeith | Oct 19, 2003 02:45am | #7

      Never.....

      But in the late 70s I worked for Petro Construction in Sheridan, Wyoming. One day my foreman sent me down to Petro's cabinet shop to get some nails. They had a storeroom with kegs and kegs of nails.

      I managed to get one and with a little round top used it for a coffee table. Had it till my house burned in '87.

      And those are the only nail kegs that i have ever seen.

      Just wondering, how many pounds of nails were in a keg? 100?View Image

      1. VaTom | Oct 19, 2003 03:47pm | #11

        Just wondering, how many pounds of nails were in a keg? 100?

        That sounds good.  30 yrs later I'm not sure.  They were only one of 150,000 items I was inventorying weekly.  Not a big mover.  Now that I think about it, must have been a cabinet shop item as everything was pneumatic. 

        No idea why anybody would have used individual nails.  This factory was trying for 15 double-wides/week.  Kept me too busy to ask questions.PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!

  4. User avater
    CapnMac | Oct 19, 2003 12:00am | #5

    I bough a nail keg at a grage sale about ten years ago--wish I knew where it got to . . .

    Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
  5. Piffin | Oct 19, 2003 05:35am | #8

    Mid seventies

    I saw a keg of nails in the local hardware store and offered to buy it all for the keg. Owner told me he had it for display "local colour" and would sell me the nails only without the keg. he said that no-one still sold nails in kegs anymore because the coppers couldn't make them as cheap as cardboard boxes. But he promised me that i could have it if he ever changed his mind.

    A year or so later, he sold the store and delivered the wood keg. I guess he regarded me as a decent customer.

    .

    Excellence is its own reward!

    1. User avater
      BossHog | Oct 19, 2003 04:22pm | #12

      If you've got one, how about a picture?

      I've never seen one.In America you can go on the air and kid the politicians, and the politicians can go on the air and kid the people.

      1. DougU | Oct 19, 2003 10:38pm | #13

        Just watched a Bob Vila show this morning( I dont want to hear anything about it either) and Bob was at the Treamont factory, where they make the square nails, the guy from Treamont said that they were still putting there nails in kegs in to the 70's and 80's, then went to cardboard.

        I have several of the old kegs, there nothing special to look at, one has never been open, think it has 8's in it, burried in the garage somewhere, havent seen it in several years.

        Doug

      2. Piffin | Oct 20, 2003 12:13am | #14

        Well, being as how you're you, and I'm me, and it was only six feet away form where I'm sitting...

        I sure hope this doesn't push Prospero over the load limit and break the bridge!.

        Excellence is its own reward!

  6. Don | Oct 21, 2003 04:33am | #15

    Junk: 1950 - my father bought one to build a house. I recall them being 16d's. It was a three BR roughly 1500 sqw ft, w/ a hip roof. Obviously, a stick built structure. I recall winding up w/ the keg being empty when we were finished. How heavy? I was 14 yrs old, and totally unable to move it from the spot where it stood. Matter of fact, I cannot recall that thing being moved for a loooooong time after we started. It was common to buy a keg of 16's in those days. I don't recall nails coming any other way than loose or by the keg.

    Don

    The GlassMasterworks - If it scratches, I etch it!
    1. Piffin | Oct 21, 2003 04:59am | #16

      I'vew got a bit of a memory telling me that they were 75 or 80 pounds of nails.

      Excellence is its own reward!

      1. User avater
        IMERC | Oct 21, 2003 05:04am | #17

        I thought the were 110# for common and 115 for cut. 

        Who ever invented work didn't know how to fish....

        1. Artista | Oct 21, 2003 04:36pm | #18

          My father still has a half full keg of 8d common nails left over from building his house in 1950. A farm I was working on recently had a keg of wire fence staples. I do not know if they were original to the keg, or just handy storage. Kegs are more heavy duty than the cheap boxes at HD. Even the heavy weight bags at the old hardware store hold up better than those cheap boxes....

          Frank

          1. User avater
            IMERC | Oct 21, 2003 05:13pm | #19

            My father always bought his nails by the keg. It was my job to put them where they had to be... So if  you told me that they wieghed 1500#'s I'd believe it.

            On a project in Tampa, FL in '82 all the cut nails came in kegs. I remember the stated poundage being 115 for the cut nails. There was a laborer that would carry up 2 kegs at a time. From the storage trailer to say the 14th floor up gang ladders was a fur piece. He use to say he was too lazy to make 2 seperate trips.

            Those were the days of Jim walter nails.. but that's another thread.. 

            Who ever invented work didn't know how to fish....

          2. dumfounder | Oct 21, 2003 05:37pm | #20

            Got a keg of Austin's own Live Oak Pilz on tap now left over from the weekend... actually could use help drinking it from central texans on the board.  No fridge yet, keep having to ice it till it's gone.  at least it's on co2. 

            :-) not a bad problem to have though!

          3. mitch | Oct 21, 2003 05:46pm | #21

            for sec there i thought that was just you in a lazyboy waiting for the game to come on-  i gotta get these glasses checked.  ;-)

            m

          4. User avater
            CapnMac | Oct 21, 2003 08:22pm | #22

            actually could use help drinking it from central texans on the board.

            And, of course, I read about this on a very busy day!Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)

  7. User avater
    CapnMac | Oct 24, 2003 02:27am | #23

    Ok, this discussion did it (that, and a futile search of the garage).  I bought an empty nail keg on eBay.  ought to get in in a couple of days.

    Now, the debate will be what to fill it with . . .

    Careful measurements may be needed.

    A beer or two for sure.

    Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
    1. User avater
      MarkH | Oct 24, 2003 05:34am | #24

      I was down in the hills of Southeastern Kentucky and uncle Johnnie asked me to come up to his house and visit.  He said he'd open a keg of nails when I got there. Those nails were liquified I'm telling you.

      1. User avater
        CapnMac | Oct 24, 2003 06:34am | #25

        Those nails were liquified I'm telling you

        Ah, the good stuff.

        Kind of scary, too--keg was $4.99, shipping, $15.

        Possibilities are too many, just now . . . Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)

        1. UncleDunc | Oct 24, 2003 08:24am | #26

          I'm sure you're all aware of the differences between wet and dry cooperage. A nail keg can't be counted on the hold liquid.

          1. User avater
            CapnMac | Oct 25, 2003 01:12am | #27

            A nail keg can't be counted on the hold liquid.

            Yes, quite.  I would not ask it to--not unmodified, at least.  I know where I can get some polypropelene can liners, if one fits, I might just set that in place with some expanding foam.

            Or not.  Might just put some of the tools in it.  Or invert it for an end table in the office.  Don't know yet.  I just know I'm not keen to get 100# of sinkers to fill it <g> . . . Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)

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