TYPICAL USE OF NAILING - Dovetail nailing grips both pieces of wood better than hammering the nails straight into the work. as the diagram shows, the nails are angled towards each other and this makes it a little more difficult for the two pieces of wood to be pulled apart. A punch can then be used to tap the heads of the nail slightly below the surface of the wood.

This is a typical use of nail in a school workshop. Often panel pins are used in this way.