Nail Set 101

A variety of nails.

A nail set is simply a tool that is used to drive finishing nails into furniture, trims, and molding while still maintaining the integrity of the material around them. For example, if we were driving a nail into a piece of expensive crown molding, you would want to preserve the molding and not have any marks or damage caused to the item. This is exactly the purpose of the nail set.

How Do I Use a Nail Set?

The nail set has a very distinctive shape that allows for easy use. The whole piece is just a punch tool that is tapered at the end. The shaft has a nice curled in top that is easy to grasp.

The nail set comes in right after you have nailed the nail in as far as it will go, just until the point where the nail head is slightly above the material being used. Place the nail set pointer in the center of the nail and hit the nail set top with a hammer. This will cause the nail to go deeper into the material without affecting anything else.