I'm building a tool chest for my hand tools, but I'm stuck on how to attach all the panels in the final step. The guide I'm following suggests using cut nails, which seem like the best option, but they're hard to find. I do have some brad cut nails, but my concern is that they might be too small to provide enough support. Should I search for traditional cut nails, or would using glue and brads do the trick? I'm not very experienced with nails or box building, so I'm worried about the durability of my chest, especially the bottom panel. Here's the [chest I'm building](https://blog.lostartpress.com/2015/07/12/tool-chest-for-new-an-free-download/), and I found some brad cut nails like [these](https://tremontnail.com/headless-brad.html).
3 Answers
I got my cut nails from [Tremont Nail](https://tremontnail.com/). They have tons of sizes available! Fun fact: in my wood sciences class, we measured pull-out forces for different fasteners, and cut nails held as well as some smaller screws, even without clinching!
Cut nails are definitely the way to go for holding things together reliably. I know places like Veritas and Tools for Woodworking have them available. You might get by with brads, but if you do, use more of them and nail them in at an angle for better grip.
If I couldn’t find cut nails, I’d personally opt for 6P hot dip galvanized box nails. They're more resistant to rust and grip better than plain wire nails, plus nobody's going to see them anyway.
Tremont nails are great, and don't forget to pre-drill your holes to make everything easier!
Got it! So cut brads aren’t a good substitute? They're just too small, right?