One could be led to assume that exactly thirty 8d common nails inhabit each pound, meaning that 120 account for four pounds and 1,000 for forty pounds. Unfortunately, this estimate does not always prove true. Variations in the amount of nails per pound occur due to differences in producer, length of nail, and type of metal employed.
The number of 8d common nails per pound can differ dramatically. On the lower end, a pound of these nails may only contain 27, while the upper limit could be as high as 33. All told, this means that 40 lb of 8d common nails can range from 1,080 to 1,320 nails. This large variability is due to the various thicknesses of these nails; an individual 1 lb box from one producer could deliver an impressive 2.7 million nails, yet its peer from another manufacturer may hold 3.3 million, amounting to a span of 27,000 to 33,000 nails each pound.
Regarding length, there is an inverse correlation between nails and the number of nails per pound; longer nails mean fewer nails per pound. To illustrate, if nails measure 1.25 inches, there will be a greater quantity of them in comparison with if they were 2 inches long, as 1.25-inch nails hold more nails than those stretching to 2 inches.
The quantity of nails per pound largely depends on the kind of steel used during production. Using steel that is softer to the touch generally leads to a diminished count of nails per pound when compared to those crafted from a harder type of steel. This difference in quality is due to the fact that soft steel can be bent and snapped more quickly than its tougher counterpart.
Ultimately, the amount of 8d common nails per pound is contingent upon the producing company, the length of the nails, as well as the kind of steel employed.