Why nails are soaked in salt water: an old carpentry trick

There are several ways to prepare nails for installation. They are soaked in oil, gasoline or paraffin to prevent rapid rusting; or calcined to increase strength. But there is another way of pre-assembly processing of this fastener - soaking in salt water. It would seem absurd, but this method was used by carpenters before. Why they "salted" the nails - read on.

What is the meaning of this trick?

The point of this trick involves one complex chemical process - anodic oxidation or anodizing. When a metal is in salt water, an electrochemical reaction occurs on its surface, in as a result of which a protective oxide film is formed, which subsequently performs anti-corrosion function.

This process can be compared to vaccination. Metal, being in a weak saline solution, undergoes light rusting, and therefore receives "immunity" from further corrosive destruction in an unfavorable environment.

Benefits of soaking nails in brine

In addition to the fact that the nails acquire anti-corrosion protection, they also receive additional adhesion to the wood. The fact is that a small rust on the body of the fastener is a roughness, which enhances the adhesion of the metal to the wood fibers. Thanks to this, the fasteners hold more reliably, and then it is more difficult to remove the nails from the material.

Another advantage of "salting" nails can be called easier hammering - the passage of fasteners between wood fibers with the least resistance. But this is applicable only when nails are put into work wet, straight from the solution. In this case, the saline solution acts as a cunning lubricant, which then evaporates almost without a trace.

How to treat nails with brine?

The solution is prepared as follows: two tablespoons of ordinary table salt are diluted with one liter of raw water. It is better to pour the solution into a plastic container, since it does not corrode. Place the nails in a saline solution for two days. That's all!

Well, since we are talking about chemistry, we will tell you about one nuance of anodizing. We mentioned raw water for a reason. It is not worth using boiled water, since dissolved oxygen is removed from it during the boiling process, which is necessary for a full-fledged chemical reaction.

Do you process nails before installation? Write in the comments!

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