Penny Size Lookup
Nail Size Chart: Penny Size, Length & Diameter
A limited reference for standard common, box, and sinker steel-wire nails.
No nail size matches this search. Try 8d, 16d, 0.148, common, box, or reset the filters.
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| Select | Native dimensions | Metric conversion | Copy | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6d | Common | 2 in | 0.113 in | 0.266 in | 50.8 mm | 2.87 mm | ||
| 6d | Box | 2 in | 0.099 in | 0.266 in | 50.8 mm | 2.51 mm | ||
| 6d | Sinker | 1-7/8 in | 0.092 in | 0.234 in | 47.6 mm | 2.34 mm | ||
| 8d | Common | 2-1/2 in | 0.131 in | 0.281 in | 63.5 mm | 3.33 mm | ||
| 8d | Box | 2-1/2 in | 0.113 in | 0.297 in | 63.5 mm | 2.87 mm | ||
| 8d | Sinker | 2-3/8 in | 0.113 in | 0.266 in | 60.3 mm | 2.87 mm | ||
| 10d | Common | 3 in | 0.148 in | 0.312 in | 76.2 mm | 3.76 mm | ||
| 10d | Box | 3 in | 0.128 in | 0.312 in | 76.2 mm | 3.25 mm | ||
| 10d | Sinker | 2-7/8 in | 0.120 in | 0.281 in | 73.0 mm | 3.05 mm | ||
| 12d | Common | 3-1/4 in | 0.148 in | 0.312 in | 82.5 mm | 3.76 mm | ||
| 12d | Box | 3-1/4 in | 0.128 in | 0.312 in | 82.5 mm | 3.25 mm | ||
| 12d | Sinker | 3-1/8 in | 0.135 in | 0.312 in | 79.4 mm | 3.43 mm | ||
| 16d | Common | 3-1/2 in | 0.162 in | 0.344 in | 88.9 mm | 4.11 mm | ||
| 16d | Box | 3-1/2 in | 0.135 in | 0.344 in | 88.9 mm | 3.43 mm | ||
| 16d | Sinker | 3-1/4 in | 0.148 in | 0.344 in | 82.5 mm | 3.76 mm | ||
Structural-use warning
Do not substitute by penny size alone. Nail type, actual shank diameter, length, head geometry, coating or material, and the governing code, connector instruction, or project specification can affect whether a fastener is acceptable.
Table actions
Bulk CSV download is intentionally unavailable because the controlling standards are copyrighted. Use the per-row Copy action for limited reference data.
What Does the “d” Mean in Nail Sizes?
The d in 8d, 10d, and 16d is the traditional penny designation. It is a size name, not a complete engineering specification. For structural work, the actual nail family, shank diameter, length, head geometry, material or coating, and governing connection requirements may matter.
- Penny size
- A conventional designation such as 8d or 16d.
- Length, L
- The nominal overall nail length in inches; metric values on this page are calculated conversions.
- Shank diameter, D
- The steel-wire shank diameter. This can differ between nail families that share the same penny size.
- Head diameter, H
- The nominal head diameter used in the AWC Appendix L4 dimensional reference.
Common vs. Box vs. Sinker Nails
The type label is essential. For example, the 8d common and 8d box rows are both 2-1/2 in long, but the common nail uses a 0.131 in shank while the box nail uses a 0.113 in shank. The 8d sinker is shorter at 2-3/8 in and also uses a 0.113 in shank.
How to Read Nail Dimensions
- L
- Nominal nail length
- D
- Shank diameter
- H
- Head diameter
Metric Conversion
The inch dimensions are the canonical source values. Metric values are calculated from those values and rounded only for display.
Nail Size Examples: 8d, 10d, and 16d
8d Common Nail
Assumption: standard common steel-wire nail.
Length = 2-1/2 in = 63.5 mm. Shank diameter = 0.131 in = 3.33 mm. Head diameter = 0.281 in.
Check: an 8d box or sinker is not the same geometry.
10d Common Nail
Assumption: standard common steel-wire nail.
Length = 3 in = 76.2 mm. Shank diameter = 0.148 in = 3.76 mm. Head diameter = 0.312 in.
Check: a measured or packaged product should match the required type and dimensions.
16d Common Nail
Assumption: standard common steel-wire nail.
Length = 3-1/2 in = 88.9 mm. Shank diameter = 0.162 in = 4.11 mm. Head diameter = 0.344 in.
Check: 16d box and sinker rows use smaller shank diameters.
Why Nail Diameter Matters in Structural Work
Connection provisions are based on the physical fastener, not just a shorthand penny name. The AWC NDS dimensional framework identifies standard nail families by length, shank diameter, and head diameter, while ASTM F1667 controls driven-fastener dimensional tolerances for the applicable nail type.
Nail Gauge vs. Shank Diameter
Online nail charts often add a wire-gauge column, but gauge terminology can be less direct for engineering use and is presented inconsistently across secondary references. This page therefore prioritizes the measured shank diameter in inches and millimetres. When a specification gives a minimum diameter, use that diameter—not a guessed gauge conversion—as the comparison.
Choosing the Right Nail for a Specification
1. Match the physical dimensions
- Confirm nail type or product family.
- Confirm nominal length.
- Confirm minimum shank diameter.
- Confirm head requirements where specified.
2. Match the application requirements
- Check connector or manufacturer instructions.
- Check material and corrosion/coating requirements.
- Check the adopted code and project specification.
- Do not infer structural capacity from this dimensional chart.
Standards, Dataset Scope, and Source Limitations
Dataset T2E-NAIL-PENNY-COMMON-v1.0 · Limited 6d, 8d, 10d, 12d, and 16d common/box/sinker reference · Inch source values with calculated metric equivalents
The dimensional rows are a deliberately limited educational transformation of the AWC NDS Appendix L4 reference rather than a reproduction of the full copyrighted standards table. ASTM F1667/F1667M-21a is the current active ASTM driven-fastener specification identified for dimensional tolerances.
- American Wood Council — 2024 National Design Specification for Wood Construction Current NDS resource page and structural-design context for wood fasteners.
- American Wood Council — 2018 NDS Commentary Appendix, Table L4 Dimensional basis for standard common, box, and sinker steel-wire nail length (L), shank diameter (D), and head diameter (H).
- ASTM International — ASTM F1667/F1667M-21a Active Standard Specification for Driven Fasteners: Nails, Spikes, and Staples; ASTM dimensional tables and tolerances are not reproduced here.
Dataset and Source-Check Details
- Publisher
- Turn2Engineering
- Dataset
- T2E-NAIL-PENNY-COMMON-v1.0
- Source checked
- September 4, 2026
- Source dimensions
- Inches; AWC Appendix L4 limited subset
- Metric conversion
- Calculated using 1 in = 25.4 mm
- Missing values
- Shown as —; never treated as zero
- Interpolation
- Not permitted
- Bulk download
- Disabled for rights-sensitive standards data
Nail Size Chart FAQs
Type matters: an 8d common nail is 2-1/2 in long with a 0.131 in shank, an 8d box nail is 2-1/2 in × 0.113 in, and an 8d sinker is 2-3/8 in × 0.113 in in the limited reference used here.
A 16d common nail is 3-1/2 in long with a 0.162 in shank; 16d box and sinker nails use different dimensions, so the type must be specified.
No. Common, box, and sinker nails can share a penny designation while using different shank diameters, so penny size alone is not a complete dimensional specification.
Not necessarily: the same penny designation can have the same nominal length but a different shank diameter, so the two types should not be assumed interchangeable.
Not automatically; verify the actual diameter, length, head, fastener listing, connector instructions, and governing code or project specification.
Use the Actual Nail Dimensions, Not Just the Penny Name
Use the chart to identify the nominal length and shank diameter for the listed common, box, or sinker nail. For structural or connector work, carry those physical dimensions forward to the governing code, standard, manufacturer instructions, or project specification rather than treating the penny designation as sufficient by itself.