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The gauge of a nail is a measurement of the diameter of the shank. The higher the gauge, the smaller the diameter of the shank. For example, a 13 gauge ring shank nail has a diameter of .0915 inch, while a 14.5 gauge ring shank nail has a diameter of only .0760 inch. In general, lower gauge nails (thicker nails) are stronger than thinner nails.
To give you an idea of how the gauge (thickness) of a nail affects its holding power, a 13 gauge and a 14.5 gauge ring shank nail were driven into a 2”x4” plank and then pulled in a test machine. The results below show that the thicker nail increased the holding power by over 60%.
Nail
13 gauge 3/4 inch Ring Shank
14.5 Gauge 3/4 inch Ring Shank
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Strength
53 lbs.
32 lbs.
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Gauge and Diameter
The gauge is a measurement of width in terms of whole number instead of fractions of an inch. Below is a table of conversation from gauge to diameter in inches.
| Gauge |
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Diameter
(inches) |
| 1 |
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.2830 |
| 2 |
 |
.2625 |
| 3 |
 |
.2437 |
| 4 |
 |
.2253 |
| 5 |
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.2070 |
| 6 |
 |
.1920 |
| 7 |  | .1770 |
| 8 |  | .1620 |
| 9 |  | .1483 |
| 10 |  | .1350 |
| 11 |  | .1205 |
| 12 |  | .1055 |
| 13 |  | .0915 |
| 14 |  | .0800 |
| 15 |  | .0720 |
Visual representation may not be accurate.
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