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Materials
Nailheads are manufactured of either brass or steel. Brass nailheads
are softer and lighter. The prongs are easier to bend and the brass material
will not rust. Brass nailheads are recommended for attachment to fabrics
that will be washed. Steel nailheads offer the advantage of better penetration
through harder materials such as leather or plastic. They are not recommended
for applications where the article will be washed.
Colors
Nailhead finishes are created in a number of ways. Brass nailheads in
silver finish are done by plating nickel over the base brass, followed
by a laquer coat. Copper color by plating copper, followed by a laquer
coat. Gold color brass nailheads actually have no plating, and are just
the base brass material polished and lacquered. This is why different
batches of gold color brass nailheads can have a different tones. The
base brass material is made of naturally occuring elements that can have
different hues. Nailheads can also be spray painted with hard enamels
to make bright colors or pearlized effects, or they can be put through
an antiquing process to make antique gold and silver effects.
Attaching
Nailheads are attached by penetrating a materialfolding with the prongs,
and then folding the prongs over to secure it in place.For very light
work this can be done manually with the help of a thimble, spoon, or screwdriver.
For more serious work a rhinestoneor nailhead setter can be employed.
See the review about attaching devices and setters.
Sizing
Nailhead sizes can be a little confusing. They are most often quoted
by a number which can range from #4 to #120. These numbers correspond
more or less, to a size in millimeters. This numbering system works well
for round and square nailheads but is awkward for nailheads that are neither
round nor sqaure. For these situations we try to include the approximate
physical dimensions of the item in millimeters. For those of you not accustomed
to millimeters, you can reference this chart
to get the approximate equivalent in inches, or consult a ruler with metric
graduations on it.
Tarnishing of Brass Nailheads
Even though brass nailheads do not rust, they can tarnish over time.
The are several conditions that can cause the tarnishing of brass nailheads.
1.The acids used in the tanning of leathers can migrate over materials
and attack the lacquer "jacket". This occurs especially with
white leathers.
2.Environmental conditions such as salt air, ultra violet rays, chemicals
and air pollutants, all may accelerate tarnishing.
3.The breaking of the laquer coating due to rough handling, or improper
attaching with inappropriate tools will cause discolorations.
4. The packing, shipping, and storing of finished products in plastic
bags, (especially of poor quality),whose acids attack the metal finishes
especially under severe heat and humidity. We suggest wrapping finished
products where possible in paper, and enclosing a silica gel type dessicant
to further protect metallic finishes.
5. Formaldehydes are also be sometimes used in the processing of materials,
and this can directly attack the laquer "jacket" on the brass.
6. Bags of polyethelene have acids that attack laquer. We suggest that
you use bags made of polypropylene.
More about sizing
We get a lot of questions about sizes and we'd like to help.
A lot of people ask if they can tell the size of an item by looking at
it on their computer monitor. The answer is a resounding NO! Monitor sizes
and resolution vary, so there is no way that you can make an evaluation
based on what you see on your computer screen.
BUT, it is possible to make a comparison if you have pictures containing
an object that you may have in your pocket or purse. To that end we offer
you the following photos which may help you to put the metric sizes in
perspective.
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