Timber With Trenail
Description
A trenail or “tree-nail” was a round piece of wood used as a nail to hold the hull timbers together and to secure the planking. They were preferred to metal nails or spikes because they did not rust when exposed to the seawater; and also because the shipwright could shape the timber nails after they had been fitted. Treenails were made by ‘trenail mooters’, generally older shipwrights who were unable to do the heavier work associated with their job. Each trenail was constructed first in the shape of an octagonal cylinder. When a trenail was required the octagonal cylinder was then shaped into the required size and banged into place. Thereby this allowed for treenails to be mass produced and yet still be able to fit any required job.
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Object Detail
Width: 113mm
Height: 195mm
Weight: 1/8cwt (5kg)