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Nail Sets, Punches & Awls
Picking the Right Point for the Job
ToolsA nail set, a punch, and an awl all look like a steel rod with a point on one end. They do completely different jobs. Mix them up and you’ll mar finished trim, mushroom a pin, or scribe a line that’s off by a sixteenth. The single most important spec across all three is point size — match the point to the work, and the tool does what it’s supposed to.
Here’s the quick sort. A nail set countersinks finish nails below the wood surface so you can fill over them. A punch drives, aligns, or starts holes in metal. An awl marks layout and starts pilot holes. Get the category right first, then the size.
Nail Sets for Finish Carpentry
This is the tool a trim carpenter reaches for most. Nail sets are used to drive finish nails into wood without damage, leaving a smooth finish. Set the cupped tip on the nail head, tap with a hammer, and sink the head a hair below the surface so filler hides it.
Point size is the whole game. The tip needs to nest on the nail head without slipping off and denting the wood. Nail sets come in variable point sizes to accommodate different sized nails; these are a specialized application specifically for nail heads — not for use on any other metal. Run too large a point and it skates off small brads. Too small and it punches through the head.
The Mayhew line covers three points. The three-piece set (item 47502) includes 1/32”, 2/32”, and 3/32” nail sets — different sizes for varying applications — with a black oxide finish for rust protection, made in the USA. Individual sizes are sold on their own too, in 2/32” and 3/32”. Each one is short and stubby: each nail set runs 4” overall length.
If you only buy one thing, buy the three-piece. You won’t know which point you need until the nail’s in front of you, and having all three on the bench beats stopping a trim run to go find the right size.
| Nail Set | Point Size | Overall Length | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26000 (1/32”) | 1/32” | 4” | Black oxide |
| 26001 (2/32”) | 2/32” | 4” | Black oxide |
| 26002 (3/32”) | 3/32” | 4” | Black oxide |
| 47502 (3-pc set) | 1/32”, 2/32”, 3/32” | 4” each | Black oxide |
Punches — Five Types, Five Jobs
Buyers mix these up constantly. Each punch has one job, and using the wrong one wrecks either the tool or the workpiece.
- Center punch — used for piercing or starting drill holes. The dimple it leaves keeps your bit from wandering.
- Prick punch — scribes layout lines in metal before you cut.
- Solid (starter) punch — used to loosen seized pins and keys. This is the one that gets the stuck pin moving.
- Pin punch — used to drive out loosened pins and keys. Follow the solid punch with this to push the pin the rest of the way through.
- Line-up punch — tapered to align bolt holes when you’re mating two parts.
The solid-then-pin sequence trips people up. Start a seized pin with a pin punch and you’ll bend or snap the thin tip. Break it loose with the solid punch first, then switch to the pin punch to drive it out.
Punches come individually and in kits. The WBC-stocked pin punches run 1/8” and 3/16” x 6”. For broader coverage, the 6-piece punch and chisel set bundles cold chisels, two pin punches, a center punch, and a solid punch — heat treated for maximum strength with a black oxide finish for rust protection. Larger assortments build out from there.
| Set | Contents |
|---|---|
| 6 PC Punch & Chisel | Solid punch, two pin punches, center punch, two cold chisels |
What makes a quality punch
These are buy-once tools if you choose well. The two things that matter are the steel and the finish. Heat treatment delivers maximum strength, and the black oxide finish adds rust protection. That finish earns its keep in a Montana shop or a truck box, where unheated storage and humidity swings put surface rust on bare steel fast.
On the durability question, there’s a long track record behind it. Mayhew has been manufacturing punches and chisels in Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts since 1856 — the oldest punch and chisel manufacturer in the US. The tools are made in the USA and carry a lifetime warranty.
Awls and Self-Centering Punches for Layout
Layout and pre-drilling are the unglamorous first steps, and the right tool here saves grief later. A scratch awl scribes lines and starts screw holes so the bit or fastener bites where you intended. WBC stocks a 6” Stanley scratch awl with a handle and a 4” plastic-handle awl.
For hardware, the self-centering punch is the move. The GT self-centering punch (item 806) drops into a countersunk screw hole on a hinge or strike plate and marks the pilot dead center. That’s the difference between a hinge that hangs true and one that pulls crooked when you drive the screws.
Also in the layout family: a prick punch in 5/16” x 4-1/2” for scribing metal before the cut.
Hammerless Spring-Loaded Option
For repetitive setting work, a spring-loaded tool removes the hammer from the equation — which means no glancing blows that mar finished surfaces. Place the tip on the surface, pull back the spring mechanism, and release to deliver up to 3,500 lbs of force. One hand, no swing, no missed strikes.
WBC carries an HSS steel hammerless spring-loaded nail set covering the 1/32” and 2/32” points — the two most common finish sizes. For a long trim run where every mis-hit shows, it’s worth the bench space.
Frequently Asked Questions
What point size nail set do I need? Match the point to the nail head — the tip should nest on the head without slipping off onto the wood. Finish work commonly runs 1/32”, 2/32”, and 3/32”. A three-piece set covering all three sizes (Mayhew 47502) means the right point is always on hand, since you won’t know which you need until the nail’s in front of you.
Can I use a nail set on anything other than nails? No. Nail sets are a specialized application specifically for nail heads — not for use on any other metal. For driving pins or starting drill holes in metal, reach for a punch instead.
What’s the difference between a solid punch and a pin punch? They work as a pair. The solid punch loosens seized pins and keys; the pin punch drives out the loosened pins and keys. Start a stuck pin with the solid punch, then switch to the pin punch to push it through. Start with the pin punch alone on a seized pin and you risk bending its thinner tip.
How does a self-centering punch help with hinges? It seats inside the countersunk screw hole and marks the pilot at true center. That keeps hinges and strike plates from pulling crooked when the screws drive — the pilot starts exactly where the hardware wants it.
Why does black oxide finish matter? Black oxide provides rust protection. In an unheated shop or a truck toolbox where humidity swings, bare steel surface-rusts quickly. The finish slows that down on tools that sit between jobs.
Are these tools worth buying once at higher quality? For punches and nail sets, yes. Heat treatment for strength and a lifetime warranty on USA-made tools mean a well-chosen punch outlasts cheap replacements you’d buy repeatedly.