Finishing nails are used when the head of the nail needs to be hidden.
The nail head is just big enough for a nail set to be used to drive the nail
below the surface of the wood. Putty can be used then to cover up the
hole making it nearly invisible. (See activities at end and lesson on
finishing for more on using a nail set.)
Brad nails are even smaller than finishing nails. Because of their small
size they aren’t very strong, but that’s ok because normally they’re used
just to hold a piece of wood until the glue that has been used dries. You
can really think of brads as tiny clamps. Just like finish nails the head is
pushed down beneath the surface of the wood with a nail set and filled
in with wood putty.
FinishingnailBrad nail