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Why don't bright finish nails rust in the box?

Q. We are producing a small dowel pin from low carbon steel and there is not enough budget to plate it for corrosion protection. If we can achieve the same quality of a typical "bright finish" nail found at any hardware store, then we are in good shape. Anyone know why these nails don't rust in the box on the shelf? Even in stored in my garage they are good for 10 years or more.

Josh Malone
Product Designer - Plano, Texas, U.S.
October 25, 2010


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A. Hi, Josh. Your garage must be nicer than my house :-)

It is true that bright nails don't rust in the benign environment of air conditioned stores if the stock keeps moving . . . but 10 years in your garage? I'd say a year or so in mine. I'd guess they have a a thin organic preservative, something along the lines of WD-40, but I don't know and would be interested in learning about it myself. They are manufactured in accord with ASTM specs and those specs may say something about it.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

A. The wire from which nails are made is drawn to size using drawing lubricant, some combination of fats/waxes. Some of that remains on the nails and offers a little corrosion protection.

Your dowel pins could be dipped in bulk in a dry-to-touch rust preventive.

Jeffrey Holmes, CEF
Spartanburg, South Carolina