Clench nails are highly suited for boatbuilding, with large heads and a specifically tapered tip to allow bending over. There are just three clench nail making machines remaining in the US, all operated in a cooperative effort by Piper Boatworks and the Strawbery Banke Museum in Portsmouth, NH. This video shows one of these incredible machines in action, spitting out nails from a complicated mehanical action that gives us a real appreciation for 19th century engineers. There isn’t an app for this.
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David Satter says:
I’ve been there a few times, My grandmother was born in Strawbery Banke on mast lane . you can tour her old house there. I’ve used their nails on some small boats, they work great.
Alden Reed says:
Similar to a Blanchard tack machine of the 1870s. At that time the Tack Manufacturers Association tried to limit the number of manufacturers by preventing them from obtaining nail machines. Pork fat was used to keep the cams lubricated.
David Tew says:
Love the belt drives!
http://www.piperboatworks.com/clench-nails.html
Robert Stumm says:
Thanks for the video Nate. What a fascinating machine.
Philip Myer says:
The ipad has nothing on this machine.