RAPTOR^® Technical

Species of Wood - Recommended Nail Lengths

The SPECIES OF WOOD and MAXIMUM RECOMMENDED NAIL LENGTHS tables below show the density of common woods and the recommended RAPTOR^® nail lengths for woodworking applications. This information is meant to be a guide and not a guarantee of performance. Each particular application should be tested for suitability for that application.

Drivability of RAPTOR^® fasteners depends on the density and hardness of the substrate and the shape of the fastener (length/diameter). Shorter, thicker nails will drive into harder substrates easier than long, thin nails. Longer nails are limited to soft wood applications. Maximum holding is achieved with 3/8” penetration into the substrate. Choose the shortest nail possible for best drivability. Utilize the tables below to assist in determining if RAPTOR^® nails of a given length will penetrate particular woods.

RAPTOR^® staples will drive into harder substrates if pneumatic tools are used rather than manual tools; however RAPTOR^® staples may not drive in very dense woods such as hickory and ash. Woods with very dense latewood growth rings do not give good performance with RAPTOR^® products.

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Table 1: Wood Densities by Species

The following lists the density of some woods. The Drivability of RAPTOR^® fasteners depends on the density and hardness of the substrate and the shape of the fastener (length/diameter). Shorter thicker nails will drive into harder substrates easier than long, thin nails. RAPTOR^® staples will drive into harder substrates if pneumatic tools are used rather than manual tools.

While some customers are using shorter staples and brads in oak and maple (Group l), longer nails are limited to soft wood applications (Group lll & lV). Woods with very dense latewood growth rings do not give good performance with RAPTOR^® products.

	Species Of Wood	Relative Density ^*→ (Specific Gravity)
Group I	Ash, Commercial White 0.62 Beech 0.68 Birch, Sweet & Yellow 0.66 Hickory & Pecan 0.75 Maple, Black & Sugar 0.66 Oak, Red & White 0.67
Group II	Douglas Fir-Larch 0.51 Southern Pine 0.55 Sweetgum & Tupelo 0.54 Virginia Pine-Pond Pine 0.54
Group III	California Redwood. 0.42 Douglas Fir, South. 0.48 Eastern Hemlock. 0.43 Eastern Hemlock-Tamarack. 0.45 Eastern Softwoods. 0.42 Eastern Spruce. 0.43 Hem-Fir. 0.42 Lodgepole Pine. 0.44 Mountain Hemlock. 0.47 Mountain Hemlock-Hem Fir. 0.44 Northern Aspen. 0.42 Northern Pine. 0.46 Ponderosa Pine. 0.49 Ponderosa Pine, Sugar Pine. 0.42 Red-Pine. 0.42 Sitka Spruce0. 0.43 Southern Cypress. 0.48 Spruce-Pine-Fir. 0.42 Western Hemlock. 0.48 Yellow Poplar. 0.46
Group IV	Aspen 0.40 Balsam Fir 0.38 Black Cottonwood 0.33 California Redwood, Open Grain 0.37 Coast Sitka Spruce 0.39 Coast Species 0.39 Cottonwood, Eastern 0.41 Eastern White Pine 0.38 Eastern Woods 0.38 Engelmann Spruce-Alpine Fir 0.36 Idaho White Pine 0.40 Northern Species 0.35 Northern White Cedar 0.31 West Coast Woods 0.35 Western Cedars 0.35 Western White Pine 0.40 White Woods (Western) 0.35

Footnotes & PDF File:

(PDF) Wood Densites »

^* Relative Density (Specific Gravity)

Technically, specific gravity is a measure of the ratio of a wood’s density as compared to water. As with any density measurement for wood, it is greatly dependent upon the wood's moisture content: i.e. the more moisture the wood contains, the denser it will be. The "average dried weight" moisture content of wood is generally assumed to be 12% — unless otherwise noted. - Ref. 1: The Wood Database
- Ref. 2: The Engineering Toolbox
- Ref. 3: CECALC - Wood Species...

Table 2: WOOD SPECIES and MAXIMUM RECOMMENDED NAIL LENGTHS

For Woodworking Applications

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	DENSITY		18Ga PINS/BRADS				16Ga PINS			15Ga FINISH NAILS
SPECIES	(10³kg/m³)	(lb/ft³)	7/16"	5/8"	3/4"	1"	7/16"	5/8"	3/4"	1/2"	5/8"	3/4"	1"	1-1/4"	1-1/2"
Ponderosa Pine	0.47	29
Poplar	0.51	32
Douglas Fir	0.51	32
Cellular PVC	0.55	34
Loblolly Pine	0.57	35
Okoume Marine Grade Plywood	0.57	35
Black Cherry	0.60	37
Maple-Soft	0.61	38
LDF	0.61	38
Southern Yellow Pine	0.65	41
Mahogany	0.65	41
Teak	0.65	41
Oak-Red (Southern)	0.70	43
White Ash	0.71	44
Maple-Hard	0.70	44
Oak-Red (Northern)	0.74	46
Pecan	0.74	46
MDF	0.75	48
Oak-White	0.80	50
Hickory	0.83	52	Will not drive into Hickory

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Results may vary from above due to wood variations, season/dryness and operator technique.
Choosing the Right Nail Length: Maximum holding is achieved with 3/8" penetration into the substrate.
Driveability decreases as the length of the nail increases; Holding power stays the same. Choose the shortest nail possible.
- Data source: The Wood Database

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RAPTOR^® Technical

Species of Wood - Recommended Nail Lengths

Table 1: Wood Densities by Species

Species Of Wood

Relative Density ^*→
(Specific Gravity)

Group I

Group II

Group III

Group IV

Footnotes & PDF File:

^* Relative Density (Specific Gravity)

Table 2: WOOD SPECIES and MAXIMUM RECOMMENDED NAIL LENGTHS

For Woodworking Applications

RAPTOR® Technical

Species of Wood - Recommended Nail Lengths

Table 1: Wood Densities by Species

Species Of Wood

Relative Density *→(Specific Gravity)

Group I

Group II

Group III

Group IV

Footnotes & PDF File:

* Relative Density (Specific Gravity)

Table 2: WOOD SPECIES and MAXIMUM RECOMMENDED NAIL LENGTHS

For Woodworking Applications

RAPTOR^® Technical

Relative Density ^*→
(Specific Gravity)

^* Relative Density (Specific Gravity)