Bob Beatty owes his life to determination and two eight-penny nails. The self-employed ... County , N.C., man two hours, using the 2 1/2-inch nails, to dig away enough soil to free his leg.

How long a nail should you use for a 1-inch board or a 2-inch board? Eight-penny or 16-penny? The accepted rule of thumb is the nail length should be 21/2 times the thickness of the wood you are ...